Cheese and Wine Night: How to prepare and what to serve

How about a cheese and wine night to welcome friends?

CHEESES AND WINE: HOW TO MAKE THEM?

To prepare a cheese and wine evening, you must first know the number of guests.

From there, we will define the quantity of appetizers to be offered.

See the list below with suggested quantities of cheese, bread and wine per person:

• Cheeses – 250g per person without additions and 150g with additions
• Breads – 150g per person
• Wines – 1 bottle for every 2 people (minimum)

HOW TO CHOOSE CHEESES?

For a night where cheese is the main course, choose to serve 4 to 6 different types of cheese. See our cheese suggestions:

• Fresh Cheeses:

Fresh cheese (goat or cow), Cottage cheese, Ricotta , Cottage cheese , Mascarpone , Feta

• Soft Cheeses:

Mozzarella , Brie , Camembert , Serra da Estrela, Azeitão, Goat

• Semi-soft cheeses:

Edam, Gouda, Munster

• Hard Cheeses:

Island, Grana Padano , Pecorino , Cheddar , Emmenthal , Gruyère , Provolone, goat cheese from Serra da Malcata (very hard, with a very intense and spicy flavor)

• Blue Cheeses:

Roquefort , Bleu d'Auvergne , Gorgonzola , Stilton

To better preserve cheeses, keep them in the refrigerator, with the exception of Parmesan cheese (as it loses its flavor when placed in the refrigerator).

Remove the cheeses from the refrigerator one or two hours before serving so that they recover their texture and flavor.

CHEESES AND WINES: ACCOMPANIMENTS

To accompany the cheeses, we suggest:

• Breads

The presence of homemade bread on a cheese board is very important.

Rye bread, bread with raisins, bread with seeds or bread with aromatic herbs go well.

For a more contemporary and refined version, you can add thin toast or crackers to ensure a unique and memorable tasting experience.

Leave a cutting board and a suitable knife available on the table.

• Fruits

Bunches of grapes, blueberries and currants are easy to eat. But if you prefer and have a large number of guests, make a beautiful platter with fruits of your choice. But remember to have them ready to eat.

We also suggest dried fruits, such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, apricots, dates, figs. It's delicious.

• Pâtés

Since bread will be served, the pâtés are included to complement it. Choose 2 or 3 flavors to your taste.

If you want to present an exquisite and diverse cheese board, be sure to serve foie gras as it is always a striking element.

• Jams

These items go perfectly with some cheeses! Don't forget to add jams, preserves and marmalades to your board as they are always a hit.

• Sausages

Slices (very thin) of pata negra ham and/or salami can be part of a cheese board, ensuring color and flavor diversity.

• Olives

Galegas. Without a doubt, the quality of Portuguese olives is ideal to accompany cheese and sausages.

CHEESES AND WINES: HARMONIZATION

Each cheese category requires a different type of wine. See below the list of cheeses and their respective wines:

• Blue Cheeses: Full-bodied red wines

• Soft Cheeses: Light (young) red wines

• Semi-soft cheeses: Light red wines or dry white wines

• Hard Cheeses: Light Red Wines or Dry White Wines

Serve the wines at a temperature between 17 and 18 degrees . At lower temperatures, wines lose their “aroma”.

So that you don't lack the right board, we recommend the following suggestions: