A good cheese platter is a winning choice for any occasion. At Christmas tables, it is also a good conversation starter whether served as an appetizer or presented as a dessert, the French way. Not only is it aesthetically appealing, but it allows the palate to travel to different latitudes without having to get up from the chair. Just accompany it with some fruit, nuts, and jam to round out the experience, although some crackers also pair well with it.
For drinks, never reds, unless we're talking about very intense cheeses like Tupí or Gaztazarra. This is explained by Toni Gerez, sommelier and head waiter at Castell Peralada Restaurant in Perelada (Girona), whose legendary cheese cart has become a favorite among cheese enthusiasts. “The best option to pair with a cheese board is always a sparkling wine, and there are options for all tastes! You can also go for a structured white with body, but never reds,” explains the sommelier. However, in the end, the world of pairings has no fixed rules, and it's best for one to drink whatever they fancy, no matter how unconventional it may seem.
The best pairing for a cheese platter is always a sparkling wine”
The good thing about creating a homemade cheese platter is that there are multiple options depending on the rest of the menu and the preferences of the diners. And the bad thing is that with so many cheeses to choose from, it can be difficult to make a decision. There are some guidelines to consider in order not to go wrong. “It's best to choose between 6 and 8 cheeses, depending on the diners' tastes. Ideally, they should come from artisanal cheese dairies, from small producers,” explains Gerez. Then, it's a matter of starting from milder cheeses with less intense flavors and gradually increasing the intensity until finishing with blues and other strong cheeses.
The cheese cart from Castell de Peralada
To begin with, the softest ones
“We start with lactic coagulation cheeses, which are those with tender paste and little or no moldy rind,” explains Gerez. They are soft, with hints of cream and milk, perfect for introducing the palate to the feast of intense flavors that await as the cheese board progresses. “The Fermió, from Queserías La Balda in Garrotxa, is a great cheese that follows the philosophy of choosing artisan pieces from small dairies,” recommends Gerez. It is a cheese that undergoes a process lasting four days: coagulation, molding, salting, and airing. Its rustic appearance, intense flavor, and creamy texture have made it very popular, being found on the menus of numerous restaurants, including the one managed by Gerez at Castell Perelada Restaurant."
Pere Pujol, from the Molí de Ger cheese dairy in Cerdanya, agrees with him and also recommends starting the cheese board “with fresh, acidic, soft, milky, and creamy cheeses, from the typical ash-coated pyramids to creamy goat cheeses. Even a cheese like Münster or Reblochon could work if we want to start with a bit more strength,” he asserts.
Cavas de Molí de Ger, an artisan cheese dairy from La Cerdanya
Second round: tender pasta and moldy crust
“If we started off with mild flavors of milk and cream, the second cheese on the board demands an increase in intensity,” explains Gerez. The expert recommends opting for pressed cheeses, or even some cooked-curd cheeses, such as, for example, Manchego cheese. “If we enjoy Manchego, there's no need to overcomplicate things: you can serve a younger one and a more aged one,” he suggests.
Another good way to serve Manchego cheese, as well as other similar cheeses like Mahón or Idiazábal, is by “cutting it into cubes and placing it in a jar with olive oil, rosemary, and pink pepper. It is a perfect appetizer for any day when you have guests,” recommends Gerez.
If you are looking for a special cheese, the expert recommends Les Cuines from El Miracle cheese factory (in Riner, Lleida), which won the gold medal at Lactium 2021 for Best Soft Sheep Cheese. Another good option is Ondare, a Basque cheese that perfectly balances the smoothness of raw sheep's milk with the intensity of the moldy rind.
The Barroc, one of the cheeses from the El Miracle Cheese Factory in Lleida
Intensifying intensity
Gerez recommends continuing the journey with some washed-rind cheeses. These are cheeses that, during their maturation process, are rubbed with water and salt to encourage the growth of the Brevibacterium linens bacteria. This bacteria is responsible for giving them their unique flavor and color, which can range from pale pink to intense orange, due to the carotenoid pigments it produces. The process is repeated until the cheese reaches its ideal maturation point. Münster, Epoisses, Taleggio, Reblochon, or Saint-Nectaire are some examples.
One of his favorite washed-rind cheeses is precisely the Puigpedrós from Molí de Ger. This cheese, made with raw cow's milk, has a strong aroma and floral and salty notes. According to Gerez, it is “one of the best washed-rind cheeses in Spain, very popular outside of Catalonia as well, especially in Madrid.”
Pujol recommends including either a cow's cooked paste cheese or a sheep's Serrat. “Here we can include anything from a Comté to a Gruyère or an Appenzeller, an Idiazábal, a Roncal, or hard-textured Manchego cheeses. These are sweet cheeses, with long maturation, toasted flavors, elegant and lingering tastes.”
Idiazábal cheese with quince
From Cheddar to Castelmagno
As an intermediary step before moving on to the final explosion, Pujol recommends incorporating some “large-format cheeses, with long maturation, fragmented texture, vegetal and spicy flavors, great complexity, and long-lasting tastes.” This would include cheeses with broken and uncooked paste, from Cheddar to Cantal or Castelmagno, among others. Please note that the translation does not include a period at the end of the sentences.
You don't have to limit yourself to just one option or feel compelled to choose one cheese from each category. In reality, cheese boards should always be tailored to the preferences of the consumer (or their guests), so you can choose more than one cheese from a particular category and none from another. In other words, you can easily include a couple of washed-rind cheeses or skip any blue cheese, forego the dairy-based ones altogether, and start directly with a moldy-rind cheese or any other combination.
Do not forget the blue cheese
Although the assertiveness of blue cheese may be excessive for some palates, it is a must-have on a good cheese board. “Here we can go for the classic option and choose an Asturian Cabrales or a Picón Bejes-Tresviso from Cantabria. These are cheeses that can be easily found in any store and allow you to finish the tasting journey with an explosion of flavor,” explains Gerez. If we want to present a creamy blue cheese in an original way, the sommelier and head of the dining room at Castell Perelada Restaurant recommends “mixing it with a little white or sparkling wine and some walnuts, creating a cream that can be eaten on its own or spread on a slice of bread.”
Blue cheeses should be saved for last
For Pujol, “A good blue cheese should combine sweet, spicy, acidic, and salty flavors.” The good news is that there are many on the market, from the Spanish ones recommended by Gerez to the French (from Roquefort to the milder Bleu d'Auvergne) or English (such as Stilton or Shropshire, among others), which can be found in numerous establishments.
The grand finale, only for the ultimate cheese lovers
A good cheese board should have an epic finale, allowing cheese enthusiasts to enjoy an explosion of flavors, while those who are not as fond can abstain from this last part and go back to the soft cheeses that were left over from the beginning. Pujol suggests taking a risk and opting for “Tupí del Pirineo accompanied by toast, for example.” This is a cheese fermented with brandy, with an intense and slightly spicy flavor, creamy texture, and a strong personality.
The Gaztazarra, a cheese similar to the typical Tupí from the Basque Country, also works well, with a strong character and a long finish perfect to end the day. Another option that works well as a finale for a cheese board is the Casín from Asturias, made with whole unpasteurized cow's milk, rich in butter, with a strong, broad, persistent, spicy flavor and a slightly bitter finish. And now, lovers of powerful red wines can go grab their glass: the combination is sensational.