DIY Network

Wine and Cheese Party Basics Tips on throwing a fun wine and cheese party From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-165

Guest Karen Bussen, DIY's Entertaining Made Easy expert, joins host Stephanie Lydecker and helps clear up some confusion and gives great tips on throwing the perfect wine and cheese soiree.

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	Guest Karen Bussen, right with host Stephanie Lydecker, shares tips to assist when you throw your next wine and cheese party.
	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Wine and Cheese Party Basics

1. Wine and cheese are really a great pair. And, a wine and cheese party can be easy to put together. It is the perfect combination for last minute entertaining and with all the wonderful choices of high quality cheeses available at local gourmet stores and farmers markets, it is just a matter of choosing a theme, then matching wines and cheeses together. All you really need to do is open a few bottles of wine, arrange a platter or two of great cheeses, set out some yummy bread and you are all set. If you don't have what you need in the house, a quick trip to the store is all it takes. And, if you don't know a whole lot about wine and cheese, don't worry. One easy way you can't go wrong is by choosing wines and cheeses from the same country or region. The locals have already discovered a bunch of wonderful flavors, coming from the same geographical region, which are naturally suited to one another.

2. An Italian theme is great for a wine and cheese party — there are several classic Italian wine and cheese pairings. The first thing you should do is create flavor "stations" or groups to help guests try combinations of cheeses with fruits and cured meats and wines.

3. Use platters or cutting boards and mark the names of cheeses you'll serve (figure A), then set bottles of wine, glasses and other accompaniments next to each cheese like a tasting. You can arrange these in different places throughout your space, or set them out buffet style all together.

4. One combination is pecorino cheese, pears and Chianti wine (figure B). They taste great together. Pecorino Toscano is a nutty, flaky sheep's milk cheese and it goes wonderfully with sweet ripe pears and a simple bottle of Chianti wine. You can drizzle a little honey over the cheese to bring out the wonderful flavor.

5. There are several other Italian combinations that are great. The first is Provolone cheese with Dolcetto d'Alba wine — a fruity wine from Piemonte. This combo also goes well with salami and olives. And the second is gorgonzola — an aged blue cheese that is very full in flavor with Amarone a really full flavored wine from the Veneto region. This paring goes well with walnuts and crusty wheat bread (figure C).

6. Remember to always hold your wine glass by the stem as opposed to the bowl and give the wine a good swirl to let it breathe and bring out all of its wonderful flavors. Also, remember to open your wine — especially big flavored ones like the Amarone — a little while before the guests arrive. This is both for convenience and to let the wine breathe a bit before serving — again the air will help the wine to open up and blossom.

GUESTS :

Karen Bussen
Author, Simple Stunning Weddings
E-mail: Karen@karenbussen.com
Website: www.karenbussen.com