Presentation
Stock your pantry with the following items: roasted nuts, dried fruits (cherries, apricots, etc.), breadsticks, a variety of crackers, a few jars of olives, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts.
Hit the sweets section for chunks of dark and milk chocolate, and get a plain cheesecake from the freezer aisle. Head to produce for seedless grapes, strawberries and, if available, fresh figs. With these accoutrements on hand, it's easy to whip up an elegant treat or put together a savory cheese platter.
Tip: Serve cheese at room temperature. Serve it too cold, and you'll mask all of the aromas and flavors.
Wine Pairings
Supplying delicate to daring unions of wine, cheese and sweets encourages your guests to explore the most pleasing food-and-drink combinations, like the following:
- Sipping Sauvignon Blanc after a nibble of Parmigiano-Reggiano is an unlikely pairing, but the balance of sharp flavors is fabulous. Enhance the cheese taste further by drizzling on a couple drops of aged balsamic vinegar.
- Pair robust red wines with strong blue cheeses.
- Sweeter wines like rich ruby Ports are lovely with triple cremes, and they pair perfectly with chocolate-drizzled desserts.
- Elegant dark and bittersweet chocolates also blossom when paired with rich red wines like jammy Zinfandel or full-fruit Cabernet Sauvignon. This pairing showcases the wines' chocolate layers in both aroma and flavor.
- Tawny Port is a great match for anything caramel.
- Fresh cheese like Mozzarella is graceful alongside a clean, bright Prosecco.
- Creamy cheeses love a full-bodied sparkling Rose or a little Blanc de Noir. Bubbles also go well with dark and milk chocolate treats.
Pungent to sweet flavor combos provide endless holiday enjoyment as long as you remember to pick up that mixed case of wine.
