A guide to holiday cheese and drink pairings — festive cheeses, classic combinations, and crowd-pleasing boards for Christmas and celebrations.
The holidays are peak cheese season — from the Christmas Stilton to festive cheese boards at every gathering. With a little planning, you can put together a holiday cheese spread with drink pairings that delight every guest. Here's a guide to holiday cheese and drink pairings.
Cheese at the Heart of the Holidays
Cheese is central to holiday celebrations, especially in Britain and Europe, where a grand cheese board is a Christmas tradition (often served after dessert with port). The festive season also brings rich, indulgent, and seasonal cheeses, and plenty of occasions for sharing them. A well-chosen holiday board, with the right drinks, is an easy way to impress guests and spread cheer.
The Christmas Classics
Certain cheeses are holiday icons. Stilton is the quintessential British Christmas cheese, traditionally served with port. Festive Wensleydale with cranberries, baked Camembert or brie (studded with garlic or topped with cranberry), and the seasonal spruce-wrapped Vacherin Mont d'Or all suit the season. Rich, indulgent, and celebratory cheeses fit the festive mood, and the classic Stilton-and-port pairing is the centerpiece of many holiday tables.
Festive Drink Pairings
The holidays call for festive drinks alongside cheese. Port with Stilton is the classic, the sweet wine balancing the salty blue. Champagne and sparkling wine suit creamy cheeses and add celebration. Mulled wine, with its warm spices, pairs with rich and aged cheeses. Whiskey and aged cheeses make a cozy winter match, and rich reds suit the bold cheeses of the season. Match the festive drink to the cheese's intensity, leaning into sweet and warming options.
Building a Holiday Cheese Board
A great holiday board offers variety and abundance: a Stilton or other blue (with port), a baked or ripe brie, a sharp aged cheddar, a festive fruited cheese like cranberry Wensleydale, and perhaps a nutty Alpine cheese. Surround them with seasonal accompaniments — dried fruit, nuts, fig jam, chutney, crackers, and oatcakes — and fresh fruit like grapes and pears. The colors of cranberries, figs, and nuts make it festive and inviting.
Make It a Centerpiece
For a holiday gathering, make the cheese board a generous centerpiece, with cheeses at room temperature and a couple of festive drinks (a port for the blue, a sparkling wine for the creamy cheeses). Add warm options like baked brie or a fondue for a cozy, interactive element. Garnish with rosemary, cranberries, and pomegranate for seasonal color. A bountiful board is welcoming and lets guests graze throughout the celebration.
Tips for Holiday Entertaining
Plan ahead: buy cheeses a day or two before, store them well, and bring them to room temperature an hour before serving. Offer a balance of mild and bold cheeses so there's something for everyone, and provide separate knives. Have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink options. And don't forget the classics — a Stilton with port, or a baked brie with cranberry, captures the spirit of the season effortlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cheese is traditional at Christmas?
Stilton (served with port) is the classic British Christmas cheese, along with festive fruited cheeses like cranberry Wensleydale and baked brie or Camembert.
What drink pairs with a holiday cheese board?
Port with blue cheese is the festive classic; sparkling wine suits creamy cheeses, mulled wine pairs with rich cheeses, and whiskey with aged ones.
How do I build a festive cheese board?
Offer variety — a blue, a creamy cheese, an aged cheddar, a fruited cheese — with dried fruit, nuts, jam, and crackers, garnished with cranberries and rosemary.