Wine & Cheese Party

You don’t have to be a sommelier to enjoy these
elegant pairings

A wine and cheese party is an ideal way to get friends and family together to learn about wine while experimenting with new or unusual varietals. By pairing wines with specific cheeses, you are sure to notice new nuances in both red and white wines as a result of the focused tasting.

Menu:
Wine & Cheese Pairings
Cheddar Cheese and Sesame Bites
Dates Stuffed with Parmesan Slivers and Walnuts
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Setting the Scene:

Decorate serving trays and platters with grape leaves and clusters, fig leaves or olive branches. Set out the cheeses on a marble slab or cutting board covered with a dome or kitchen towel a few hours before the party so they warm to room temperature. Set up the cheese board and the rest of the food on the sideboard, kitchen table or island. Outfit the serving area with an assortment of antique knives, small plates and napkins.

Create a separate area for wines to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Provide two glasses for each guest—one for red wine and one for white. Don't be afraid to use short, small glasses for white wine and stemmed glasses for red if your supply of goblets is limited.

When hosting a wine and cheese party, it is a good idea to help your guests keep track of their wineglasses —red and white—by providing homemade glass labels. Design a tasting card that identifies the type of wine, the producing vineyard, the year and a brief description of the wine along with the preferred cheese pairing. Another idea is to make each guest his own tasting card to record the wine's distinct appearance, aroma, flavor and cheese pairing.

Providing bread and water between wines allows guests to cleanse their palettes and prepares them to fully experience the next wine. As your tasting comes to a close, cap off the evening with a classic, robust coffee perfectly paired with a crisp dessert like a biscotti cookie.

Wine & Cheese Pairings
Sauvignon blanc (simple, young wines)—goat cheese (soft, young cheeses)
Chardonnays—brie, camembert (semisoft cheeses)
Pinot Noir (medium-bodied reds)—Parmesan, Gruyere (hard, stronger-flavored cheeses)

Cheddar Cheese and Sesame Bites
Serves 8 to 10

10 ounces white Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1. Line tray with aluminum foil.
2. In food processor, combine cheese, sour cream, butter, shallot and salt; process until smooth.
3. Scoop 1 teaspoon of mixture, roll between palms to form bite-sized ball and place on tray.
4. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate balls until firm (about 1 hour).
5. Spread sesame seeds on a plate.
6. Roll balls in seeds, coating evenly.
7. Once balls are coated, sprinkle any remaining seeds on platter.

Dates Stuffed with Parmesan Slivers and Walnuts
Serves 8 to 10

24 large dates
2-ounce piece Parmesan cheese
24 walnut halves

1. With paring knife, make a small, lengthwise incision in each date and carefully remove pits.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese into ribbons.
3. Tuck cheese ribbon and walnut half into slit in each date.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
Serves 12

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread 
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, combine butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar and brown sugar.
4. Using electric mixer, cream ingredients together (about 4 minutes).
5. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth (about 1 minute).
6. Using wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined.
7. Add hazelnuts and stir until just combined.
8. Using tablespoon measure, spoon out cookie dough onto cookie sheet, spacing mounds about four inches
apart.
9. Use tines of fork to flatten cookie dough.
10. Bake until lightly golden around edges (about 10 to 12 minutes).
11. Use metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool.