Enoteca Sociale is a real Italian Wine-Bar in the west end of Toronto.

posted on Dec 16th, 2011 in News Holiday parties- keep it simple and delish.

When planning a party or gathering for the holidays, wine and cheese make for the perfect, easy to assemble spread. It’s two stop shopping! Okay maybe three if there is no bread at the cheese shop of your choice, but most good cheese shops carry great loaves. During such a busy time of year the last thing any of us need is to be running around from shop to shop looking for speciality food items and then slaving over the creation of “hors d’oeuvres”.
A wicked cheese plate and some wine to match will always dazzle a crowd of friends. Especially if you have access to good cheese, and living in Toronto, thankfully we do.

When it comes to matching wine and cheese, there are a few pointers that can help along the way. Firstly, it is a myth that red wine matches best with cheese. White wine is actually far more versatile and will lend itself to well to several types of cheese, whereas red will cause more clashes.

Secondly, sweet wines are excellent with cheese, so its nice to have one or two of those on hand as well. A good Ontario example is Cave Springs’ delicious Indian Summer Riesling, which is rich and butterscotchy without being heavy. Northern Italy offers a great selection of sweet wines such as Recioto (which drinks similarity to a Port) and the lightly sparkling, wonderfully peachy Moscato d’ Asti which is always an excellent choice. These and many other other tasty options are all reasonably easy to find at a well stocked LCBO.

Thirdly, if you are going to go with red which lets face it, you have to because that’s what most people feel like drinking in colder weather, choose something fruity and on the lighter side such as Sangiovese from the Maremma, or an Ontario Pinot Noir (the 2009′s are awesome).

In terms of your actual cheese plate, go for variety and some nice, large chunks- there’s nothing wrong with leftovers in the cheese department. A couple of cutting boards and some cheese knives will do in terms of presentation and if you’d like to offer fruit or nuts as well, its always better to plate them off to the side instead of snuggled up to the cheese. And remember to have lots of bread and crackers at hand.

When it comes to cheese, here are some stellar options:

Thunder Oak Gouda- Cow’s Milk, Ontario
There is a cult following for this world class gouda. Able to compete with the best of it’s Dutch counterparts, this cheese is made up north in Thunder Bay by a Dutch family that emigrated to Canada, bringing their awesome cheese making skills with them. A crystalline texture that is sweet and spicy with flavours of caramel and nuts.

Chevre Noir- Goats Milk, Quebec
Ebony and Ivory do indeed go together in perfect harmony. With a name meaning “Black Goat” in reference to the ebony rind, Chevre Noir is an alabaster goats milk cheddar that ages gracefully. With a firm texture and rich nutty, herbal flavour, this cheese has been on the scene for over 20 years and is still going strong.

Parmigiano Reggiano- Cow’s Milk, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Simply put, one of the best cheeses in the world, period. If you’ve ever had the immense pleasure of digging into one of these huge wheels and eating the freshly foraged chunks, you surely understand the concept of being “drunk on cheese”. Its crumbly texture and tangy depth are addictive, it’s like little pieces of gold tumbling into your mouth. Enjoying it with a great glass of wine you will agree, is pleasure overload. And with it’s name emblazoned all over the rind, there is no room for imitators.

Benedictine Blue- Cow’s Milk, Quebec
Made in the only cheese factory managed by old school Monk’s in all of North America, this cheese has holy beginnings. Soft and velvety with big blue grooves. Expressive but not loud with a balanced and clean earthiness.

Grey Owl- Goat’s milk, Quebec
This cheese is a real looker with its dark ash rind and contrasting creamy white interior. The name of this cheese honours the legend of Archie Belany, one of Canada’s first conservationists who was also known as Grey Owl. The vegetable ash rind is edible and helps to keep this beautiful cheese moist and maintain its fresh lemony flavour. Eating this cheese is not only a gastronomic pleasure… it’s a shout out to Canadian environmentalism as well.

La Sauvagine- Cow’s milk, Quebec
Awarded a gold medal in 2006 at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix for best cheese in Canada, La Sauvagine set off a spark in the Canadian cheese movement and thus encouraged local cheese makers to up their game. Crazy creamy and smooth with aromatics of spice and mushrooms with a savoury, yogurty finish. A welcome addition to any cheese board.

All of the above cheese options are available at my all time favourite cheese shop, The Cheese Boutique- www.cheeseboutique.ca . If you have never been, OMG go immediately- it is foodie heaven. Not only is their cheese selection the best in the city- ask for a tour of their aging rooms- they have many other culinary delights at hand like olives, meats, pastas, pastry and chocolate, you name it. Just browsing the shop is an extreme pleasure.

Or, if you’re altogether too busy to make it happen, you can always grab your pals and head into visit us. We have 35 wines open by the glass for you to enjoy and our cheese cave features all of the cheeses listed above. And, you don’t have to wash any glasses afterward!

Happy Holidays!

Lesa LaPointe
Sommelier