An easiest and quick-to-serve pairing with wine is the cheese platters. They require little preparation, which means more time for conversation with friends and family.

For a delicious Wine ‘n’ Cheese party at home, we have created the most harmonious combinations for selected wines of our cellar, emphasizing mainly on Greek cheeses, but with some options from abroad.

When matching cheese and wine there are some general rules and tips that everyone can use. However, experimentation and testing are a source of more ideas. Trust your palate and find the wine and cheese combinations best suited to your taste.

General guidelines for wine and cheese pairings

• Fresh white wines pair nicely with fresh creamy cheeses
• Aged, oaked white wines pair with aged white and smoked cheeses
• High acidity white wines are recommended for bold salty cheeses
• Rich red wines pair with fat yellow cheeses
• Aged red wines pair well with aged yellow cheeses
• Sparkling wines are recommended for creamy cheeses

Decide if you are going to serve the cheeses in cubes or in whole chunks with their rinds intact. This way guests will cut by themselves the pieces they want. In this case, do not forget to provide a separate serving utensil for each cheese to prevent mixing of flavors.  You can label each cheese on the board so you and your guests can remember your favorites.

Remember to serve the wine and cheese at their proper temperatures. Cheese tastes better if you remove it from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes prior to serving (depending on the cheese types). When served too cold the complexity of flavors may be lost. To keep cheeses from drying out, unwrap them just before serving.

Serving Palpo & Diaporos wines

The cheese platter perfectly suited to pair with the two single-vineyard wines should impress our guests and fellow diners, flavour-wise and visually, too.  We have added an assortment of accompaniments for a pleasing presentation that    also act as bridging elements to the wine served.

Enjoy!

What to pair with Palpo

 (100% Chardonnay)

A wine with complex citrus and white flower aromas, complemented with oaky notes reminiscent of brioche, toasted bread and vanilla. Its rich taste pairs wonderfully with Metsovone cheese – it’s all about balance. A matured gruyere with its complex flavor, the exceptional Sohos Kasseri cheese, the Melipasto cheese from Lemnos island and the spicy San Michali cheese from Syros island will pair extremely well with Palpo. The Spanish Manchego and the Swiss Emmental Grand Cru are also very interesting combinations.

Gather an assortment of accompaniments for your cheese sampler such as a few slices of smoked ham as well as olives, almonds and quince paste that pairs nicely. Fresh bread, breadsticks, rusks and crisp crackers can be placed on the platter or on the table for everyone.

What to pair with Diaporos  

(Xinomavro 87%, Syrah 13%)

A complex wine, with firm structure and robust character. It is a perfect match to truffle-flavored aged cheeses, pointing out the earthy notes of truffle. A nice Kasseri cheese from Sohos, particularly in its aged version will impress the palate, while Gruyere from Crete and Pecorino with their distinctive flavor will complement the selection of cheeses on the platter. We can also include some charcuterie for more versatility: We recommend a smoked beef from Vermion seasoned with herbs produced in Naoussa region, which pairs nicely with the robustness of Xinomavro.

Consider adding some flavor boosters to your cheese sampler: rustic homemade-style bread, olives, dried figs, quince paste that matches with Kasseri cheese. A chutney with spices will balance the saltiness of the cheese while highlighting the aromas of the wine.