Collegiate Times

It's such a classic combination that people hold parties in its name: wine and cheese. But there's more to it than just grabbing a block of cheddar and any old bottle of wine, the right combination needs to be put together to make the pairing benefit the unique taste of both cheese and wine.

The number one rule of wine and cheese pairing is not to let any element overwhelm the other — you wouldn't want to put a mild cheese like mozzarella with a strong red wine, for example.

When throwing a wine and cheese party, most people opt for serving three to four cheeses which represent a range of flavors and strengths with one red and one white wine and maybe a sparkling wine, too.

Many people also like to put out fresh fruit and crusty bread with the cheese. But be careful, many fruits combined with wine can end up making the wine taste sour and very unpleasant. Before the party, I recommend that you cut the cheese into bite sized cubes to make it easy for people to just grab a cube and pop it in their mouths.

Wegmans, a gourmet grocery store, recommends serving the cheese room temperature at a tasting. While this may seem odd, a cheese at room temperature is more flavorful and creamier, so you will have a better tasting experience if you pull the cheese out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you eat it. It's also a good idea to keep the cheeses well separated, even on separate plates, so that the flavors don't all blend together.

Cheese and wine pairings are largely a matter of personal taste, and as long as one flavor doesn't overpower the other, you will usually end up with a good match. One trick is to pick cheese and wine from the same region, for example mozzarella (from Italy) goes well with Chianti (also from Italy).

Here is a pairing suggestion from cheeses you can easily find at a grocery store: Begin with a mild cheddar cheese; it's a classic. You could buy a sharp cheddar if that's what you prefer, but the milder cheese will go with more wine selections than the stronger cheese.

One cheese that frequently shows up at wine and cheese parties is mini-babybel, a small round French cheese that is individually wrapped in foil and wax. It is mild and soft and has a little bit of a novelty feeling to it.

Next, try to find a Havarti cheese; it is mild and often flavored with herbs or peppers. It adds some color and spice to the cheese plate. Finally, grab an extra sharp provolone for some kick and a strong finish. With this pairing, I recommend a chardonnay that has been aged in oak. It will add a smooth, buttery quality to the cheeses and can stand up to the sharper selections.

For a red wine, try a merlot or some other light, fruity wine. This adds a counterpart to the rich chardonnay, and the fruitiness will pair well with many of the cheeses.

I do recommend that you start with the mildest cheese and work up to the stronger cheeses. If you were to start with the strongest, it would be difficult to really taste the milder cheeses after that.

Once the stage is set, allow your guests to go back and forth, trying different combinations, but make sure you make it clear what the proper wine and cheese combination is for each different type. Don't be too strict though, with a good wine and cheese pairing, it's hard to go wrong.