I am a self-confessed wine and cheese lover. Maybe not a connoisseur yet, but certainly getting there. So when I had the chance to visit La Petite Fromagerie and sample its wonderful offerings, I couldn’t help but imagine throwing a wine tasting party for my friends.

A little backgrounder on La Petite Fromagerie first, though. I could sum it up in three words – wine, cheese, and Europe – and I honestly think you’d get my drift when you read those words. Think cheese buffet and that’s what La Petite Fromagerie is all about. I absolutely loved their Black Truffle Cheese Spread, a house-made cheese spread with black truffle cream and Melba toast. Scrumptious was the only word I could think of when I sampled it. In fact, the Black Truffle, along with the Bite-sized Malakoff and Cacio e Pepe Fritelle, is one of La Petite’s specialty cheese bites.

Anyway, here are a few practical suggestions from yours truly if you wish to host a wine tasting party in your home with cheese as the main course.

Cheese and wine tasting pairing options normally consider texture, acidity, fat, and tannin of the two. For example, the acidity of wine equalizes the sweetness in cheese. Many experts are of the belief that white wines tend to pair with cheeses better than reds, but finding cheese to pair with light-bodied red wine is still promising.

To get started, taste only the cheese first to get a feel of its character and make up. After which, you take another bite but with some wine and see how the two would blend in your palate. To reduce much of the pairing guesswork, it is helpful to classify cheeses into four major groupings, based on their exhibited characteristics:

• Bloomy cheese – creamy, decadent with soft rind
• Hard cheese – stiff, more often salty or sharp and may be aged
• Blue cheese – pungent with a dash of blue and often salty
• Fresh cheese – soft, often spreadable, maybe tangy or mild and usually not aged.

Knowing which grouping the cheeses you want to experiment on can guide you, more or less with type of wine your cheese likely blend flawlessly.

Remember, there are no hard and fast rules in pairing wine and cheese. Consider the pairings below as mere guidelines.

1. Regional wine and cheese

Pairing wines and cheeses made from the same region is deemed “safe”. Example, Italian Chianti paired with parmesan cheese.

2. Sweet wine and salty cheese

The saltiness in cheese balance out the sweetness of dessert wines and vice versa. Example, Port wine paired with blue cheese.

3. Tannic with creamy cheese

Creamy cheeses are gentle and smooth that blend well with rough tannins prevalent in young Bordeaux red wines.

4. Acidity

The acidity in goat cheeses gives a tangy punch that goes with the crusty acidity found in Sauvignon Blanc.

5. Sparkling wines and champagne matched with creamy cheeses.

For these, you could check out the assorted packages of La Petite Fromagerie to get an idea of how much it will cost, as well as what cheeses to pair with which wine:

• Beaujolais wine with their Brie Bridel, Camembert, or goat cheese.
• Cabernet Franc with blue cheese, Brie, Camembert, goat cheese or cheddar cheese
• Cabernet Sauvignon with blue cheese, Camembert, cheddar, Gorgonzola, Gouda or parmesan cheese
• Chardonnay with Brie, Camembert, cheddar, edam, Gouda or Gruyere cheese
• Champagne with Beaufort, brie, camembert, cheddar, edam, Gouda, Gruyere, or parmesan cheese
• Chenin blanc with Camembert, or goat cheese
• Chianti with Fontina, Mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• Dessert wine with Crème Fraiche, Mascarpone, or blue cheese
• Gewurztraminer with Camembert, Chevre, Muenster or Swiss cheese
• Merlot with Brie, Camembert, cheddar, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Gruyere, or parmesan cheese
• Pinot Blanc with Brie, Camembert or feta cheese
• Pinot Gris with aged cheddar, Asiago, edam, goat cheese, Gouda or Mozzarella cheese
• Pinot Noir with Brie, Camembert, feta, Gruyere, Muenster, Swiss cheese
• Port wine with blue cheese or Gorgonzola
• Riesling wine with Brie, blue cheese, edam, Gouda or Monterey jack
• Rioja wine with Asiago, cheddar cheese or Havarti
• Sangiovese wine with blue cheese, Fontina, Mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• Sauvignon Blanc with Asiago, Brie, cheddar, feta or goat cheese
• Shiraz with cheddar, edam, Gouda or parmesan cheese
• Zinfandel wine with Asiago, blue cheese, feta, goat cheese, Gouda or Gruyere cheese

Most of these cheeses, particularly Brie Bridel, Camembert, Mozzarella, Gouda, Gruyere, and Gorgonzola, as well as other types like Manchego, Cambozola, and Stilton are included in La Petite Fromagerie’s Assorted Cheese Buffet package, which includes: (as per La Petite) Buffet Set Up, Crackers, crostinis, and bread sticks and Fruits & Nuts. It costs Php300 per head or Php 9 000 for a maximum of 30 people. The price can also be as low as Php 250 or Php 13 750 for a maximum of 50 people.

You may also choose to opt for their Raclette Buffet (they have two types), Cheese Fondue Bar, and Grilled Cheese Buffet. All packages are affordable, can serve up to a hundred people, and come complete with the buffet setup. Hence, you wouldn’t have to worry about creating the perfect backdrop for your wine and cheese party.

Cheese and wine pairing is such a deliciously wonderful experience to go through, and if you wish to satisfy your inner cheese connoisseur, try La Petite Fromagerie’s offerings along with their delectable mocktails such as Ginger Peach Soda and Virgin Cucumber Mojito.

Want to find out more about La Petite Fromagerie? Check out their Facebook page .They likewise have an Instagram page Better yet, shoot them an email at lapetitefromagerie.mnl@gmail.com or reach them through their contact numbers: (632) 7256205 and (63) 917-7912865.