When holiday occasions call for you to don your hosting cap, skip complicated appetizers and hors d’oeuvres to instead serve sustainable charcuterie with sommelier-approved wine pairings. After all, simplicity can still equal premium flavor with the right meats, cheeses and libations.
It doesn’t take a hosting expert or pairing professional to create a spread that’s as memorable as it is delicious. Charcuterie boards made with just a few ingredients can start the festivities on a high note by wowing loved ones with your pairing prowess.
Starting with purposefully selected meats and match the selection of meats – like prosciutto, genoa salame or capocollo in these recipes – with complementary cheeses and accents such as crostini, olives or even thyme-infused honey for an extra special touch.
Finally, find the perfect bottle of wine for each board to round out a palate-pleasing spread that suits each guest’s preferred pairing profile.
With flavor, sustainability and a personal touch, charcuterie can bring holiday occasions to life for you and your loved ones.
PROSCIUTTO, SOTTOCENERE AND ALIGOTE
Ingredients:
Niman Ranch Prosciutto
Firm cheese, such as Sottocenere
Toasted crostini
Aligote wine
Directions:
■ On a cheese board or platter, arrange buttery, silky prosciutto with Sottocenere, a firm cheese speckled with black truffle, or any firm cheese striped with dill or paprika or washed in ale.
■ To round out these savory flavors, pair with Aligote, a white burgundy from France that’s citrusy but refined with hints of green apple and honeydew.
GENOA SALAME, VINTAGE GRAND EWE AND SYRAH
Ingredients:
Niman Ranch Genoa Salame
Aged, firm sheep’s cheese, such as Vintage Grand Ewe
Olives
Syrah wine
Directions:
■ On a cheese board or platter, arrange genoa salame, featuring the rich flavors pulled from the spices and wine used in its making. Pair with an aged, firm sheep’s cheese such as Vintage Grand Ewe, with notes of toasted almond, maple syrup and cultured butter.
■ The sweetness of the cheese gives way to the genoa salame to be the star.
■ Finish the board with skewered olives and serve with an unfussy red wine low in tannins like Syrah.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
