If you love wine we’re assuming you also love cheese, because who doesn’t. There is nothing wrong with just throwing some cheese and crackers on a plate and enjoying it. Let’s be honest that’s what we do most of the time, but for those occasions when you’re looking to get fancy we’ve rounded up some tips, tricks, and wine pairings!
The Basics
What are the quick need to knows about putting together a good charcuterie board that is not only appetizing but visually appealing?
- Pick a variety of cheeses, you’re not only looking for different types but different textures. Look to do firm, medium, soft and crumbly cheeses on your board. This will allow for variety for your guests to pick from while also adding texture and dimension in your presentation.
- ALWAYS add a cheese that everyone is familiar with, like cheddar – it’s a cheese even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy!
- Keeping with the variety of cheeses, you’ll want to do the same with meats! Different thicknesses and cuts will allow for you to present and fold the meats in different ways that will give you added dimension. Prosciutto roses are so easy to do and present beautifully, you can also fold your salami in quarters etc.
- Carbs – try to offer the same amount of cracker and bread varieties as you do cheese – think seeded crackers, water crackers, bread etc.
- “If it grows together, it goes together” – if you’re unsure of what cheeses will pair well with meats it’s an easy rule of thumb 😊
- Accoutrements are your friend! Adding items like thyme, mint and basil will add color to your board, jams/ jellies and honey help elevate your meats and cheeses, olives add a wonderful salinity to the board. Nuts are always good pairing items as well and add an additional texture to your board (just make sure no one has an allergy first! 😉 )
- Don’t be shy, fill up that board! There’s nothing more satisfying than digging into a fully packed charcuterie board and the less board you see the more appetizing it becomes 🤤
Short Cuts
- Buy pre cut / packaged meats – this will save you the time of slicing things and you can just focus on presentation – folding prosciutto roses or just creatively folding the meats.
- Buy a cheese flight! What an amazing idea and they’re sold at almost all grocery stores 🎉 We love the cheese wedge flights that offer three different cheeses (and also give you wine pairing suggestions 🍷). Add some cheese knives to the board and it is quick and easy
- Put your Jams/Jelly/ Honey or any larger items on the board first and the fill in around them with meats, cheeses and accoutrements.
Classic Wine Pairings
Ensuring your variety of cheeses on your board will allow people to pair their wines and cheeses based on what they have in their glass on their own, if you’re only serving one kind of wine then it makes sense to offer classic pairing options.
