Hosting the perfect cheese and wine night

There are just two ingredients that make the difference between a good and a great evening with friends: cheese and wine. As your glasses clink and the pile of salted crackers dwindles, you’ll feel there’s no better way to spend an autumn evening.

All great socials take a little foreplanning, so don’t dive in to your cheese and wine night without first doing your research. Here’s some inspiration, advice and all the essential cheese and wine accessories to set you up for soirée success.

The Art of the Cheese Board

Curating and arranging your spread might be one of the most important jobs of the night. The cheese laden boards are going to be the centrepiece of the table for the whole evening, so make sure it looks the part.

Our serving boards and platters provide a rustic touch and are large enough to handle however much cheese you’re bringing to the party. The rich, grainy finish of a wooden board will make your cheese stand out and look more enticing than ever. Serving this way also means that everything is in reach, so all your guests can get stuck in to cheese and wine tasting.

With a range of soft, crumbly and hard textures on the board, you’ll need a range of knives and serving utensils to match. You can pick up a ready-curated cheese knife set that can cut, slice and serve cheese of all varieties.

Choosing the best cheese for your wine

There’s an awful lot of advice out there on how to pair cheese and wine. At the end of the day, it comes down to the preferences of your guests, your budget and what you can realistically fit in the fridge! Here are some of the basic principles:

Soft cheese: Go for a party-pleasing Brie or Camembert, which pairs delightfully with a sparkling white wine or even a Champagne.

Hard cheese: A mature Cheddar or Manchego are rich and reliably delicious. They  perfectly complement a robust red wine, like a Merlot or Tempranillo.

Blue cheese: For the more adventurous, a strong Stilton or Roquefort pairs with a sweet wine, perhaps a Port or a Sauternes.

How much cheese your get for your cheese and wine party is up to you. just remember, it’s about balance. The salty tang of cheese needs the smooth notes of wine to achieve mouthwatering harmony.

Presenting Your Wine with Aplomb

Even if you choose the finest wines, the quality and kudos will be stripped away if you don’t serve it well. That means at the right temperature, in the right glass and at the right time – leaving it to aerate if necessary.

In the UK, we like our white wines cool and our red wines at a delicious room-temperature. So, make sure that you have coolers and ice buckets to hand so that the next glass is as refreshing as the first. You can find solutions for individual bottles or, if your cheese and wine night is turning into a party, larger coolers for a whole case load.

For wines that advise you let them breathe before serving, we have a shortcut. CellarDine offer a pouring spout that attaches to the bottle and aerates wine as you pour it into your glass. Pairing sophistication and innovation for a perfect wine tasting experience.

Lastly, we’ve all been to a dinner party where somehow there’s been no bottle opener to be found. Don’t let disappointment taint your cheese and wine tasting –make sure that you’ve got bottle openers lined up, as well as stoppers for storing any unfinished bottles.

Don’t fear Wine Stains

Of course, with several bottles of red wine open across the table, fears of spills and stains are understandable. If conversation does get a bit lively and a glass tips, don’t worry – as long as you have the right stain removers to hand, they’ll be gone as fast as they appeared.  So, pour generously, laugh heartily, and arm yourself with the Wine No More! Red Wine Stain Remover Spray.

Cheese Night with a Warming Twist

If you’re starting to feel the chill of winter nights, then take advantage of the weather and give your cheese and wine night a cosy twist. Swap one of your cold cheeses for a bubbling fondue. Melt a mix of Gruyere and Emmental into a heated cheese dish, and let your guests dip and delight in the heavenly dip.

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make your own crusty bread at home. You can use an air fryer to knock up a wholemeal loaf and save on energy compared to oven baking. Or use it to roast some tender stem broccoli, asparagus or crisp up some potatoes. Paired with a red wine, that’s a winning winter warmer!

Cheese and Wine Gifts and Hampers

The best way to enjoy cheese and wine is with friends, but the second-best way is enjoying them from friends. Whether you buy a luxury gift set or assemble your own hamper, cheese and wine are a great way to mark an occasion.

If you’re curating a cheese and wine hamper, here are a few ways you can go the extra mile. Have a look at our gifts for cheese lovers to pick up a few choice snacks and accessories.

Or, why include some homemade preserves? Nothing makes cheese pop more than chutney, membrillo or fig jam. It adds a personal touch too, elevating your gift.

If someone lives close by, you can include fresher produce. Grapes, apples and pairs are classics for a reason. But if you can pick up strawberries or apricots too, that’ll make it something special. Include a pot of honey to tie everything together and you’ve got a gift suitable for any occasion.

An autumnal cheese and wine evening is a great way to welcome in the new season and start hunkering down for Christmas. With a little prep, you’ll secure your reputation as cheese and wine connoisseur in no time.