Host the Perfect Cheese & Wine Party: Ideas for Cheeses, Wines & Biscuits

[wolram]

What cheeses , wines and biscuits etc would you serve?

 

[rewebster]

if it was for PFer's -------




only the VERY best----



(for relatives--the 'already opened' stuff)

 

[wolram]

This is a get to know you party for villagers , some are quite well off.

 

[rewebster]

are you 'going', or are you 'hosting'?

and is it a byo?

 

[wolram]

I am hosting, i struck lucky with the local wine store they will take back any unopen bottles.
There will be an option to BYO.

 

[rewebster]

that 'take back' offer is good---I had a reception for one of my 'one-man' shows of my art one time, and I had just done a painting for a local bar whose owner 'volunteered' his and one of his employees time to be the bar tender and he supplied the liquor with that 'bring back' unopened idea--that was nice of him--


how many are attending? inside, outside? formal, informal? theme? need more info---

 

[wolram]

It will be inside the village hall (no cost) no theme, it is a way of life here people send out invites to such and such gathering, i have to count on about 30 to 40 people turning up,
some young some old and every thing between, there will be no formality, we go as we are.

 

[hypatia]

I tend to pick a country or vinyard to spotlight, it just makes it easier to narrow down my choices. 5 different wines to sample is a good amount, and pretty much covers the spectrum of sweets to drys.
I tend to perfer seeded crackers and breads, but with out/ or low salt. 1 soft cheese, 1 white semi hard, 1 mild yellow and 1 sharp yellow. Sliced apples, pears and grapes, or even dried fruites. Then a platter of sweets for the last hour. Chocolates, Lady fingers, short breads.

 

[Andre]

How about a http://www.antique-wine.com/petrus.php , Amice?

But I guess a http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/20071126_3 is fine too.

 

[Moonbear]

Since everyone's tastes are different, go with hypatia's suggestion...basically, get a variety. Get some soft, some hard, some mild, some sharp/strong, and everyone will find something to their liking. Same with wine, get a sweet and dry red and white and one extra of whichever you enjoy most (might as well get something out of this for yourself if you're stuck being in charge of the thing).

 

[wolram]

Would you pick some of these?

Asiago Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Johannisberg Riesling, Syrah, White Zinfandel

Blue Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Portacinco, Syrah, Zinfandel

Brie Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel

Cheddar Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, Johannisberg Riesling, Syrah

Camembert Cabernet Sauvignon

Gouda Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Johannisberg Riesling, Zinfandel

Gruyere Chardonnay, Johannisberg Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah

Havarti Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc

Monterey Jack Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel

Mozzrella Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Parmesan Pinot Grigio, Johannisberg Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, White Zinfandel

Pepper Jack Syrah, Zinfandel

Provolone Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel

Swiss Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Johannisberg Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc

 

[wolram]

I tend to pick a country or vinyard to spotlight, it just makes it easier to narrow down my choices. 5 different wines to sample is a good amount, and pretty much covers the spectrum of sweets to drys.
I tend to perfer seeded crackers and breads, but with out/ or low salt. 1 soft cheese, 1 white semi hard, 1 mild yellow and 1 sharp yellow. Sliced apples, pears and grapes, or even dried fruites. Then a platter of sweets for the last hour. Chocolates, Lady fingers, short breads.

Hey good ideas, i could learn a bit about the vinyard.

 

[Moonbear]

Would you pick some of these?

Asiago Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Johannisberg Riesling, Syrah, White Zinfandel

Blue Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Portacinco, Syrah, Zinfandel

Brie Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel

Cheddar Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, Johannisberg Riesling, Syrah

Camembert Cabernet Sauvignon

Gouda Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Johannisberg Riesling, Zinfandel

Gruyere Chardonnay, Johannisberg Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah

Havarti Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc

Monterey Jack Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel

Mozzrella Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Parmesan Pinot Grigio, Johannisberg Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, White Zinfandel

Pepper Jack Syrah, Zinfandel

Provolone Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel

Swiss Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Johannisberg Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc

Yum...I'd come to your party. That sounds like a nice selection.

 

[wolram]

How about a http://www.antique-wine.com/petrus.php , Amice?

But I guess a http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/20071126_3 is fine too.

THE most extravagant bear i know, no marmalade butties today Andre.

 

[wolram]

Your supposed to pick out five MoonB.

 

[rewebster]

it sounds like you've been to them before---do you remember the good the bad and the ugly of what was offered before?

--then, make it a little personal of what you do and like

 

[wolram]

it sounds like you've been to them before---do you remember the good the bad and the ugly of what was offered before?

--then, make it a little personal of what you do and like

Not to buy wines for an occasion like this, i like Hypatias idea, but which vinyard.

 

[turbo]

Hypatia has a good feel for what you could do to cover the bases without spending too much money or effort. There should be a shop around that specializes in wines and cheeses and could help you pick a region of France (for instance) and line up a good selection of each. There was such a shop about 40 miles from here that (unfortunately) went the way of many small start-up businesses. I could never go in without buying something - the owner would pass out samples of specialty cheeses on crackers and I could rarely resist buying some. One time, he got in a couple of cases of Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 1966, and he was offering it at about $6.00/bottle (this was in 1979). I bought a couple of bottles and my wife and I tried it out with a nice steak for supper. I got back over there in a day or so, intending to buy a case, and it was all gone. Somebody else had sampled that wine, too, and cleaned him out.

BTW, I hope you don't get the Monty Python cheese shop.

 

[wolram]

I like Parmesan with Pinot Grigio

Blue with Merlot

Cheddar with Riesling

That all i know

 

[hypatia]

My top 3

Havarti and Merlot
Brie and Riesling
With Jack and pepper jack, I always love a really fruity red wine.

 

[Moonbear]

Your supposed to pick out five MoonB.

Oh, I thought you were seeing if we liked the selection you had already chosen.

From the wine choices, cabernet sauvignon and merlot are popular reds. You could choose either a zinfandel or syrah for those who like something else in a red.

Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are nice choices for whites, and yes, a reisling would be nice for those who like something sweeter (I'd stay away from things like white zinfandel, which the "upper crusty" set will frown on as cheap).

Sorry, I chose 6 (but that's a nice balance of reds and whites...I suspect the chardonnay and merlot will be the two most popular ones unless folks are really intent on tasting everything).

For cheeses, from the choices offered, I think I'd go with cheddar (a milder one to please more tastebuds), brie (the snooty folks always like that and it's a safe choice for a soft cheese), blue (for the daring who like a stronger cheese...hmm, wait, I think I've had blue cheese with wine and it didn't go very well...you might want to make sure you have a wine that can be paired with the blue without tasting off, otherwise, choose something else), asiago (I just love asiago, and that covers a harder cheese), hmm...and perhaps gouda for another mild cheese.

 

[wolram]

I am going with your idea of wines from one vinyard Hpatia, i did not intend a theme but this may throw in a little extra.

 

[Evo]

Your supposed to pick out five MoonB.

Moonbear's a lush.

 

[Moonbear]

Moonbear's a lush.

Hypatia seems to be a pro at this. Hmm...I'll be in Michigan near the end of June and expect a nice wine and cheese reception. (Actually, it'll be more of a beer and bbq event I'm heading up for...my post-doc mentor is retiring and we're having a big bash thrown by his former trainees...even have a few coming back from overseas.)

 

[wolram]

You are right about the blue cheese MoonB, i can only drink a sweet blandish wine with it.

 

[Moonbear]

You are right about the blue cheese MoonB, i can only drink a sweet blandish wine with it.

Yeah, I love blue cheese, but I think that one has to be eliminated. Perhaps some sort of a goat's milk cheese would suit the more adventurous in the group (taste a little before buying for the party...some can be nice and mild and others horrendously stinky and foul tasting...not that I like any of them, but I know many others do).

 

[turbo]

Moonie, I find that a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon can stand up to bleu cheese very well. I like bleu cheese on apple slices with Cabernet. With apple you get a tart, fruity complement to the cheese (as opposed to a boring cracker) and the wine just seems to "fit". I don't particularly like sweet wines, and I don't imagine that they would go well with bleu cheeses.

 

[wolram]

Moonbear's a lush.

I thought all the sisters were hardened to all extremes, even jungle warfare,
but stop digressing this is cereal.

 

[rewebster]

Yeah, I love blue cheese, but I think that one has to be eliminated. Perhaps some sort of a goat's milk cheese would suit the more adventurous in the group (taste a little before buying for the party...some can be nice and mild and others horrendously stinky and foul tasting...not that I like any of them, but I know many others do).

got any sheep cheese up there?

(say that 5 times quickly)





(or is it ewe cheese?)

 

[rewebster]

I thought all the sisters were hardened to all extremes, even jungle warfare,
but stop digressing this is cereal.

I thought it may be heading toward some type of a contest-


--(shhhhh!---let's see where it goes)