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'Tis the season to be ... entertaining
And cheese and wine can make it easy

(Family Features) - Impromptu casual get-togethers, elaborate dinner parties, holiday cocktail parties — the holiday entertaining gauntlet is upon us, and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has suggestions and some easy tips to ensure that your next soiree is a success and enjoyed by all ... including the hosts.

Planning, shopping and preparing food while balancing all of the other demands in your busy life are enough to scare anybody from hosting a party. But by simplifying your approach, you can help take the stress out of entertaining.

Start by featuring foods that are effortless to prepare, high in quality and popular among guests — such as award- winning Wisconsin cheeses paired with wines — and you'll discover a recipe for stress-free, elegant entertaining that will be a hit with all your party-goers. Allowing guests to experiment and try different pairings not only helps make your party interactive, it is also a great way to help friends and family get more comfortable with the idea of matching foods with wine.

A recent survey conducted for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board showed that nearly 70 percent of adults believe cheese is the food that pairs best with wine. However, some are still uncomfortable with their ability to pair wine and foods, and the survey showed nearly 20 percent are extremely or very interested in learning more about wine and food pairings.

Long-standing general "rules" say that light-bodied wines go with lighter-flavored cheeses, such as Muenster or provolone, and that hearty reds need assertive cheeses, such as aged Wisconsin Gruyère or surface-ripened brick. Sweeter wines, such as Riesling or champagne, are a wonderful match for a mascarpone or young Brie. However, the "rules" have loosened of late, and the new trend is to simply find pairings that you like and enjoy, regardless of what the conventional wisdom says.

Don't be afraid to offer your guests a variety of wines and encourage them to make their own pairing discoveries. With more than 500 varieties, types and styles of cheese available from Wisconsin, there is sure to be a cheese that tempts the palates of your party-goers and pairs well with their favorite wine.

Complete your cheese platter by choosing accompaniments such as fruits, roasted nuts, and crusty breads and water crackers that complement but don't overpower the cheeses. The best fruit accompaniments for any kind of cheese — mild or intense — are pears, grapes, apples, peaches, plums and nectarines. Other great fruit pairing ideas include dried fruits, such as apricots, figs, Medjool dates, raisins and cherries.

To build your pairing prowess, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has a wealth of resources, including an online pairing guide and an easy-to-carry pairing guide available free by logging onto www.WisDairy.com. And while you're there, enter to win one of three food lovers' dream vacations in the Trio of Trips Sweepstakes.

SOURCE: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board