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Food

Double duty cheeses

By JANET K. KEELER
Published April 18, 2007

It makes sense that wine and cheese are such amiable buddies.

Both pick up flavor from fertile soils where grapes and grasses are grown. They also evolve with age, then change according to temperature.

We let red wine "breathe" and cheese come to room temperature before serving to allow flavors to blossom. Do your own taste test. Nibble a slice of sharp cheddar straight from the refrigerator. Let it sit for 20 minutes and try again. The flavors will be deeper; the ice cold cheese will seem near flavorless in comparison.

But what grapes and cheeses go together? It is complicated, and unless your taste buds are insured by Lloyd's of London, you may need some help.

For a first-time tasting party, keep it simple. Offer two kinds of wine, one white and one red, and select cheeses that complement both.

For instance, there are a handful of cheeses that match beautifully with the fruity taste of pinot grigio and pinot noir. And here's the best part: You've heard of all of them and you can buy them at any grocery store.

Set up your tasting like this:

- Place the cheeses in wedges on one or two cutting boards or cheese plates. Do not slice the cheese; if it sits out for a while the small pieces will get hard and be unappetizing. Let guests slice off what they want.

- Tuck small clumps of seedless red grapes among the cheese and scatter toasted almonds and dried fruit artfully around the plates.

- Identify cheeses with small tags.

- Take cheese out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving.

- Open red wine at least 15 minutes before pouring.

- Serve white wine cold, though not straight from the refrigerator. Give it about 15 minutes to warm up slightly. Red wine should be served at room temperature.

- A glass with a large bowl should be used for red wine to provide more aeration. Serve white wine in a smaller, more narrow glass.

Matching cheese

With pinot noir and pinot grigio

Brie
Camembert
Goat cheese
Monterey Jack
Colby
Edam
Parmesan

[Last modified April 23, 2007, 11:26:35]