Tips on Entertaining

Serving Cheese for the Holidays
Presenting fine cheeses to your family and guests over the holidays is a special treat. It is elegant, sophisticated, festive, appreciated, and yet can be the most effortless of all your holiday food preparations.

In order to assist you with your selections, we have outlined below a five step approach to serving a cheese course. We recommend taking advantage of the wonderful beauty and simplicity of cheese by allowing it to shine as the one course that requires the least of your valuable time and attention.

In each of the five steps below, we have added "Our basic recommendations". These are useful if you are looking for general, no-fail guidelines that will keep things simple and yet are sure to please any guest. Of course, they are not fixed rules. We encourage you to taste our cheeses before buying so that your choices reflect your own opinions and preferences.

1. Occasion. Is it a sit-down dinner, a small gathering for appetizers, or a party/reception? When will the cheese be served, and with what other foods? The answers to these questions guides decisions about the number, types and quantity of cheeses to offer.
   Our basic recommendation:
   For sit down dinner 1-3 cheeses; Small gathering 3 - 4; Party/reception 3-6. Not too heavy or rich before dinner. Allow approx. 3-6 oz. total cheese per person (depending on other foods offered, if before or after dinner, etc.).
   
   
2. Categories. Our cheeses are categorized into six classes which are differentiated on the basis of tastes, textures, appearances, etc.
   Our basic recommendation:
   Select cheeses from different categories so that you will offer a range of characteristics. Choose from categories in the following order: Bloomy Rind, Hard, Fresh, Blue, Semi-Hard, Washed Rind
   
   
3. Flavor. Within each category (and relative to that category), there exists a range of taste from mild to full-flavored. Note: You can also consider milk type and country of origin - or leave that up to us.
   Our basic recommendation:
   Make selections from the middle of the category's range eg., Brie (Bloomy Rind), Manchego (Hard), Fresh Goat (Fresh), Stilton (Blue), Aged Cheddar (Semi-Hard), Taleggio (Washed Rind)
   
   
4. Accompaniments. Select food and wine accompaniments that complement the cheese, and work with your other holiday food offerings.
   Our basic recommendation:
   Food: 1 sweet (contrasting flavor) and 1 savory (complementing flavor). Include one in whole form (olives, nuts, cornichons, fresh fruit) and one spread. Meat is optional (eg., Proscuitto, Serrano, Soppresata). Serve with cut bread (high quality crackers optional).
   Wine: Match lighter, fruitier wines to the younger, milder cheeses. Pair bold, assertive wines with fuller flavored cheeses.
   
   
5. Presentation. The way cheeses are cut, arranged, garnished and even labeled, along with what serveware is being used can be easily adapted to fit any occasion.
   Our basic recommendation:
   For gatherings where people are standing, holding drinks, etc. it is best to have the harder cheeses pre-cut (best done while cold), and arranged with accompaniments and garnish on large platter, tray or board. For small gatherings, let guests serve themselves from larger pieces of cheese. For after dinner, either pre-cut and assemble cheese on individual plates with accompaniment/garnish (more formal), or offer one platter/board with arrangement of larger pieces for guests to cut their own. Seasonal garnishes include whole or cut fruit (fig, pear, apple, clementine), nuts in shell, holly sprig, everygreen bough, pine cones,etc.) Always include a separate knife per cheese. Also, remember to bring the cheese to room temperature before serving (let stand out of refrigeration ½ - 1 hour).