The sun is blazing across backyard with a subtle and serene glow. An unexpected breeze caresses the bared skin of everyone present. The fat dripping from fresh hamburger meat sizzles on the hot charcoal grill sending a plume of inviting aromatic smoke into the air. Coolers are filled with refreshing beer and soda, the pool is warm, and guests are engaged in games and jovial conversation. It is the heart of summer and you are entertaining all of your closest friends with a weekend barbecue.
Then you open your eyes and see blankets of fresh white powder covering the streets, trees, cars and your party spot in the backyard. It is the dead of winter and you are longing for the days when you can bring your friends together for food and drink without packing into an overcrowded and hot bar. The daydreams happen often as you break your back shoveling yourself out of your driveway to trek onward to work or whatever other errand is pulling you from the warm confines of home.
As the winter drags on it is time to put an exciting twist on friendly gatherings. Long gone are the days of college year keggers that may have dragged into the early twenties (or thirties). Push aside monthly Game Night or watching a sporting event for just one weekend with a 30-pack of industrialized beer. Set the stage for something different, a night of open conversation and refreshingly mellow inebriation.
It is time to beat the winter blues and the summer longing and plan a formal night with a Wine and Cheese Party to calm the senses and imbibe the soul.
Planning A Wine And Cheese Party: The Invites
The amount of wines available to you may be overwhelming in both quantity and price. For an event such as a Wine and Cheese Party where your guests are unlikely to be wine connoisseurs or sommeliers there is no reason to break the bank. It is best to have wide range of price points and styles to satisfy the expansion of your guests palates as the night rolls on. This is where your guests come into play.
As the host it is best to purchase some of the pricier wines. Anything from $20 to $30 is sufficient. Offer a selection of red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chianti, Merlot, Shiraz, etc) and white wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, etc) to pair with the different cheeses that you purchase. In the invites that you send out make it known that each guest should bring a bottle of wine, some cheese, or both if they so choose. Do not see this as pushy. Depending on how many people you invite, to pay for everything would be ludicrous. Also, offer suggestions on wine and cheese pairings but let your guests make the final decision.
When extending invitations keep the party relatively small, usually your closest friends, to create a more intimate atmosphere. This will allow guests to mingle comfortably without feeling overwhelmed. It is best to utilize an Evite type of invitation. This affords you the ability to reach every guest at once and create an open forum to both offer and take suggestions. This can also help you avoid any excessive overlap of wine and cheese styles and flavors. If your guests see that 5 other people opted to purchase a Cabernet they will move onto something else.
Setting The Mood By Focusing On The Important Details
It pays off for you as the host to keep track of what each guest is choosing to bring. It is prudent to wait until the days leading up to the party to purchase your wines and cheeses. This way you can surprise your guests with something they may have never thought of buying themselves. Get fancy with it while maintaining a budget. Ask your local liquor store clerk to help, odds are they can offer some great suggestions.
When it comes to decor and ambiance for the party keep it simple yet elegant. White table cloths, black pitch slateplate, strategically placed candles for mood, and appropriate music make for a comfortable yet serious atmosphere. Make a playlist that you can put on shuffle in the background. The last thing you want to worry about is changing music. Keep it at a moderate volume where it can be heard but need not be shouted over in order for guests to speak to one another.
In line with decor, make sure to inform your guests in the invitation that the night calls for casual formal wear. This helps to remove the "drink fest" mentality from the equation. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how well this part of the night is received. It is truly amazing what a casual dress or a blazer and tie can do to a person's mood. It creates a realm of possibilities.
Be sure to decide before hand if you would like to include spirits into the evening. One would advise against it as it generally turns into mixed drinks or shot taking. Right off the bat this takes the level of inebriation to new heights. It can create a sloppy, informal feeling.
A great idea is to inform your guests that it is wine only and then surprise them with a night cap of something mid to high level. A single malt scotch or whiskey or a finer vodka will do just fine. This will catch them off guard but leave them wanting to come back to the next party you throw.
When thinking about options for spicing up the night, let your guests know that craft beers will also be served. Many of them pair well with cheeses just like fine wine. This can excite the palate and give every drinker a wider array to sift through.
A little bit prior to guest arrival, put out trays of champagne with a lighter cheese like a mild cheddar or even a thinly sliced fresh mozzarella to welcome everyone. The champagne is lighter and can act as a palate cleanser before wine consumption begins. Fresh berries are a wonderful addition as well.
It is smart to utilize magazines and books that are available to you and place them throughout the entertaining space. Magazines such as Food &Wine,WineEnthusiast,Taps and Draft are readily available and pleasant to thumb through. They will also open up a forum for discussion. Urge guests to offer up opinions, likes and dislikes about what they are drinking. Thinking about the aromas and flavors can add to the experience of drinking the wine or beer.
Selecting The Proper Pairings Of Wine, Beer, and Cheese
For anyone not familiar with pairing wine and beer with cheese, any option will suffice. Remember, a Wine and Cheese Party isn't for experts but rather to celebrate a different, exciting experience with friends.
The best guide available is "He Said Beer, She Said Wine." Published by DK Publishing and written by Dogfish Head Brewery owner Sam Calagione and Wine Sommelier Marnie Olds, it is an in depth guide on the perfect pairings of wine and beer with all types of food. It can steer any party planner in the right direction.