Hosting an Elegant Wine and Cheese Party
Few things in life are as precious as spending a Saturday evening with good friends and a selection of fine wines and cheeses. Hosting an elegant wine and cheese party is a great way to spend time with people you care about while nurturing precious relationships at the same time. So, are you planning on hosting a party in the near future?
Pulling off a successful wine and cheese party that is simultaneously elegant and relaxing requires three key ingredients: the right ambiance, a good presentation, and enough information to allow your guests to enjoy the wines and cheeses without having to figure out what is being served.
Creating the Right Ambiance
If the point of your party is a raucous good time with few inhibitions, perhaps beer, pretzels and good old-fashioned rock ‘n roll are more to your liking. But if elegance and refinement are what you’re after, you need to set the mood accordingly. We recommend you start with the right kind lighting, preferably soft and warm, with jazz or classical music playing in the background.
If you don’t mind spending some money on something you will use for years, we recommend the Wine Enthusiast Silent 28-bottle touchscreen wine cooler. It is an elegant and sophisticated looking wine cooler for the 21st century featuring an efficient thermoelectric design, an adjustable temperature range, and reflective smoked-glass Thermopane door with recessed handle. Your guests will definitely want a closer look.
Offering a Good Presentation
How you present your fine wines, cheeses, and other light foods goes a long way toward creating the kind of impression you want your guests to walk away with. Once again, remember that elegance is what you’re after. You’ll want to look for items that provide a sense of sophistication that is more noticeable than their function. For example, something as simple as napkins can make a big difference.
Paperproducts Design offers a beverage cocktail napkin with a vintage corkscrew motif. Despite being paper, the napkins look very stylish and elegant thanks to a beautiful design and precision printing. They are made in Germany and feature a three-ply design created from recycled pulp and non-toxic ink. They are both elegant and environmentally friendly.
We are also fond of the wine cork handle cheese spreaders from Paperproducts. They are made with resin wine cork for the handle attached to a beautiful stainless steel blade that offers 5½ inches of spreading surface. The spreaders can be hand-washed and reused virtually endlessly.
Just Enough Information
Lastly, even at wine and cheese parties, some people might be afraid to try things they don’t recognize. It’s a good idea to provide basic information about all your selections. A good way to do that is with a slate serving tray that lets you label each item with a simple piece of chalk. VonShef offers a nine piece set that includes a cheese board, ceramic dishes, and cheese knives.
Another idea would be to use slate markers for each individual cheese you are serving. Jetty Home offers a 4-marker set made of natural, nonporous slate. They also supply a few sticks of soapstone chalk to get you started. Just write down the cheese variety and stick the marker right into the block. Your guests will know exactly what their choices are before they serve themselves.
With the right ambiance, of good presentation, and just enough information to let your guests know their choices, you can create an elegant wine and cheese party that will be enjoyed by everyone lucky enough to attend.
Sources:
1. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OLUTYKC?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1
2. https://www.amazon.com/Paperproducts-Design-1251104-Beverage-Corkscrews/dp/B00GXX49ZU/ref=sr_1_13?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1473703574&sr=1-13&keywords=Wine+and+Cheese+Party
3. https://www.amazon.com/Paperproducts-Design-Handle-Cheese-Spreaders/dp/B000X5GRFY/ref=sr_1_10?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1473703574&sr=1-10&keywords=Wine+and+Cheese+Party
4. https://www.amazon.com/VonShef-Cheese-Dipping-Accessories-Knives/dp/B00HYA0QYY/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1473703574&sr=1-1&keywords=Wine+and+Cheese+Party
5. https://www.amazon.com/Jetty-Home-Chalkboard-Cheese-4-Pieces/dp/B014PYUHYK/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1473703574&sr=1-2&keywords=Wine+and+Cheese+Party