Make entertaining a breeze with these tips for the ultimate wine and cheese pairings

Wine and cheese have always been the party’s best pair. To quote James Beard from his iconic 1974 tome “Beard on Food”: “Cheese with wine is a vital and important part of the good life.”

Beard wrote that he loved all kinds of cheese, from simple cheddars to the great soft cheeses, and argued against the “snobs” always looking for the newest import. Beard was a stalwart advocate of farmstead American cheeses, claiming “they are often far finer eating than their foreign counterparts, which frequently, through shipping delays and careless handling, are not all they might be by the time they reach the stores.”

What delight Beard might have taken in the diversity of Minnesota artisan cheeses in our markets today. Take Shepherd’s Way (sheep’s milk cheese) from Nerstrand, Redhead Creamery (cows’ milk cheese) from Brooten and Rockville’s Stickney Hill (goat cheese). But there are so many other wonderful farmstead cheeses to explore, and the list seems to grow by the day.

Good cheese and wine, when paired well, amplify each other in flavor, body and color. Though volumes have been written about what makes a great match, know that pairings are a process and depend on matching the intensity and acidity of the wine to the cheese.

For example, light, delicate wines work best with mild and young cheeses but will be overpowered by strong, pungent varieties. Robust aged cheeses stand up to full-bodied reds. (There is an exciting array of nonalcoholic wines, too, so be sure to have those on hand.) Here are a few general suggestions for choosing some of each.

Fresh: Cheeses like chevre, burrata, young feta and Oaxaca work nicely with crisp white wines — sauvignon blanc, Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume — that cut through the cheeses’ creamy tang.

Creamy: Buttery, rich, gooey cheeses like brie, Camembert and triple creams go nicely with sparkling wines — Champagne, prosecco and Lambrusco — that balance the cheeses’ richness and buttery texture.

Pungent: The salty and pungent characteristics of blue cheese and Roquefort-style cheese are great with sweet sauternes, Rieslings and port as well as an aged local hard cider. Add a little chocolate, too.

The tray: Arrange cheeses in different shapes on a big platter or cutting board with plenty of crackers, toasts and condiments. Think pops of bright preserves, roasty-toasty nuts, briny olives and sweet-tart dried fruit for eye-pleasing color and texture.

The glassware: Though a stemmed wine glass is best for enhancing the aromas of any wine (especially red), tumblers, lowballs and ceramic handless mugs align with the concept of sprezzatura, the Italian term for for nonchalant elegance.

Condiments and go-alongs: Consider the many different shapes, textures and colors of the cheeses and arrange a variety of crackers, crostini, toasts, plus condiments, pickles and preserves to complete the pairings with eye-catching arrays. (See recipes below to freshen up your condiment offerings.)

Set out the wine and cheese, and let the holidays begin!

Bursting with tart-sweet-spiciness, this simple condiment adds pops of brilliant color to the cheese board. Store extra in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Note: You can find candied ginger in the bulk section of natural food co-ops and in the dried fruit section of most grocery stores. From Beth Dooley.

Directions

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and grind until they’ve reached the desired consistency. Taste, and if it’s too tart, pulse in a little sugar and transfer to a serving dish. Store any extra in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Makes 3 cups.

These spicy-sweet nuts are hard to resist. They’re delicious with wine and cheese, adding tasty crunch. Toss them into a salad, blend into butter and cookie batter. Make a double batch for gifts. These will keep for two weeks in an airtight container. The recipe first appeared in “Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland,” with thanks to my co-author Lucia Watson. It’s my go-to this time of year (University of Minnesota Press, 1994).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crunchy. Rely on your nose; the nuts will begin to smell nutty and toasty.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Transfer the nuts into a large bowl and toss with the butter, cinnamon, cayenne, ground pepper, allspice, salt and sugar until the nuts are coated. Spread out on the baking sheet to dry before storing in an airtight container.