Never hosted a wine and cheese night before, yet you’ve agreed to for several wine-loving, swanky guests? Kara Gurr provides a flaw proof, beginner’s guide to hosting your first wine and cheese night that will have things running smoother than baked camembert.
First things first, let’s look over our favourite cheeses. We’ve broken down our choices of cheeses into four, easy-to-distinguish categories.
First you have the bloomy cheeses. These are the camembert and brie type cheeses, the kind where it’s soft and gooey inside with a hard, waxy rind.
Then we have the hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, Double Gloucester and parmesan. These are the loved by everyone, easily sliceable cheeses that can have a relatively bold flavour.
Next is the mouldy cheese family, blue cheese. Stilton and gorgonzola are cheeses for more refined taste buds because of their very strong flavour and smell.
Fresh cheeses are the fourth cheese type. Mozzarella, goat’s cheeses, feta and ricotta are light, fluffy, with a sharper flavour that is heavenly when used in Italian or Greek style food.
Now to pair them with the wine.
Wine for bloomy cheese; Choose light white wines like Chardonnay, Champagne and Pinot blanc.
Wine for hard cheese; Sweet, fruity reds and whites such as Merlot, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.
Wine for blue cheese; Strong but fruity dessert reds and whites, port, Riesling and Sauternes.
Wine for fresh cheese; Refreshing dry and sweet white wines like Pinot grigio, Sauvignon blanc, and Chenin blanc.
There you have it, your easy-to-read guide to calmingly enjoy a glass (or four) with some delicious cheese. Now, pair them with your favourite crackers, chutneys and fruit, and celebrate an evening of being fancy. If you fancy a little more of a local flavour, then nearby vineyards like Glyndwr and Llanrch offer up a wide range of delicious varieties of wine.
Oh, and don’t forget the grapes and olives to keep up appearances.
Glyndwr Vineyard, Cowbridge. Info: www.glyndwrvineyard.co.uk
Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol. Info: www.llanerch-vineyard.co.uk