The Wine and Cheese Party

The wine and cheese party pairs fabulous food with wonderful drink. It’s flexible—great for just a few or many, and it’s brought off with minimum effort. If the party is small, buy almost as many cheeses as there are guests; if larger, figure on 4 to 6 ounces per guest, but buy whole cheeses or large pieces that weigh at least 12 ounces. Select as wide a range of cheeses as possible, from blue cheeses to goat cheeses to soft ripening to semihard to hard. Offer plenty of plain-tasting crackers or French bread, as well as apples, pears, and grapes, which go well with cheese.