By Margaret Malsam
Christmas and New Year’s holidays are coming. Why not plan a wine and cheese party for your family and friends? It’s not nearly as difficult as serving a whole meal. You can prepare everything ahead and mingle freely with your guests instead of being trapped back in the kitchen.
Your party can include an elegant cheese ball plus a cheese board stacked with different cold cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and crisp crackers. Add hot cheese appetizers and dips and a variety of different wines that are compatible with the cheeses, and you have an elegant wine and cheese party.
Basically, pair white wines with semi-soft cheeses like brie and goat. For cheddar, Swiss, Roquefort and Gouda – serve medium to full-bodied wines. You can choose red wines for the darker, richer cheeses and white wines for the light and creamy cheeses.
Making the appetizers need not be too time consuming. You can easily assemble a fresh cheese ball with soft cheeses and roll it in nuts for the finishing touch or make small baked cheese balls (see recipes).
On the cheese tray, you can offer a variety of artisan cheeses—from aged goat to creamy blue to aged cheddar hard cheeses. These can be paired with premium quality wines for delicious results. There are hundreds of specific cheese varieties, ranging in flavor from sweet and nutty to bitter and acidic. Basically, cheeses can be classified according to texture: fresh, soft ripened, semi-soft, and hard/ firm. Three of four different cheeses on a platter is a good rule of thumb.
Allow the cheeses to warm to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture. Arrange the cheeses on the platter by varying the colors, flavors and textures so it’s appealing to the eye. Place lettuce leaves or a paper doily underneath the cheeses for a nice presentation touch.
To assemble a fruit and cheese tray, purchase large wedges of deep orange Cheddar and 
delicate yellow Swiss and stand them high on a large wooden cheese board. Add sliced red-jacketed Edam cheese and soft-ripened and blue cheeses in their small wedge forms.
Provide a separate knife for cutting each cheese to prevent mixing flavors. Cheese knives are great, but butter knives and paring knives work well, too. Add fresh juicy fruits, colorful vegetables and different shapes of crackers.
Have guests write their names directly on their wine glass with a washable felt tip marker. The ink washes off with soap and water. Also serve non-alcoholic drinks, such a fruit-flavored and sparkling waters, to help pace the evening.
