How Much Cheese Per Person at a Wine Tasting?

Hosting a wine tasting event or class can be a lot of fun. However, one of the most difficult parts of the event can be finding out the correct amount of cheese to purchase for it.

While cheese isn't necessarily expensive to invest in, obtaining too much of it can end up being a waste. Because of this, you need to figure out how much cheese per person is appropriate. Below you'll find some helpful tips as to how you can figure out how to budget and plan for your event and ensure you get the right cheese to pair with the bottles you plan to serve.

How Much to Buy

There are a few different ways you can calculate how much to budget for during these events for your guests, especially if you want to do it à la française. The first important thing to consider is whether it is a seated meal or a buffet, and if you serve it on the side of a meal/buffet, combined with charcuterie or as the single food available. It's also important to consider how many people you plan to host when you visit a shop to get this dairy product.

Lunch or dinner at a seated table: if you plan to have your event during lunch or dinner, you should have about 2-3 oz per person, according to the other dishes you propose.
A Platter: if you plan to just have a simple platter on the side of a buffet, you'll want to look at investing in about an ounce or two per person.
If you plan on serving a combo meal, then your quantity of fromage per person should be around 7 oz., the charcuterie in a little less quantity and, of course, do not forget the bread, about 5 oz. of each for every guest.
If you are hosting an exclusively cheese and wine dinner, you should provide around 9 oz. per person.
Dessert: if you're just hosting a dessert, you may decrease the amount. So, you can look at about 4-6 oz. for this event.

Types of Cheeses

It can be easy to go overboard when planning an event, but do not worry too much, cheeses are also made for being preserved, so it is better to have a little too much of it than not enough. Another way of to find your way is to stick to one fromage per vin.

If you're not sure which type to pair with your event, here are some suggestions:

Brie: this type tastes soft and creamy and pairs well with wines like Pinot Gris, Champagne.
Tomme d'Alsace: with a harder and tougher taste, Tomme d'Alsace pairs well with wines like White Bordeaux, Pinot Blanc, and Red Burgundy.
Roquefort: blue types pair well with white licourish beverages like Sauternes, Gewurztraminer.

These are just a few you can try pairing together although there are many other proper planning when shopping for it. With the tips above, you'll be able to successfully host one.

For more information, please refer to the following pages:

FAQ

What is the serving size for cheese?

In general, a serving size for cheese is roughly 2 ounces, so ideally, each piece of cheese that you eat at a wine tasting will be close to that amount. However, the exact amount of cheese in each serving may vary depending on the type of cheese and the host of the event. If you are tasting a particularly rare or expensive cheese, for instance, then your serving may be slightly smaller than average. Additionally, the size of your cheese serving will depend on the person cutting it. If you attend a wine and cheese tasting held by a restaurant or winery, then serving sizes will be fairly accurate since the cheese was likely cut by a professional. A tasting at a friend’s house, however, may not have exact serving sizes unless your friend has excellent cooking skills. However, while exact sizes may vary, most cheese servings will at least come close to 2 ounces.

What do I bring to a wine and cheese night?

What you bring to a wine and cheese night will ultimately depend on the formality of the event and the host’s requests. Bringing your favorite wine or cheese may seem like a natural choice, but if your host has already pre-selected certain wines and cheeses to taste together for a more formal tasting, then adding your own input may be considered rude. On the other hand, some hosts may ask you to bring your favorite wine and/or cheese.

If you’re unsure of whether you should bring your own wine and cheese selection, then you should bring other foods that may complement your wine and cheese tasting. Charcuterie meats can be an excellent addition to a wine and cheese night, and olives also pair well with wine and cheese. Crackers and bread are other tried-and-true options, and certain snacks like nuts or dried fruits will also likely go over well.

What cheese goes best with Pinot Noir?

To bring out the best in your Pinot Noir, you should pair it with cheeses that are rich and/or made from sheep’s milk. Gouda - made from sheep’s milk or cow’s milk - is often considered one of the best cheeses to pair with pinot noir thanks to its richness and nuttiness. Likewise, manchego - a type of gouda - is also a great option thanks to its overall richness. Dutch Edam, Saint Andre, and Lancashire cheeses also go well with pinot noir due to their rich flavor profiles. In the US, cheddar cheese is another great option for pairing with pinot noir. A good medium cheddar is excellent for bringing out the flavors of the pinot noir without overwhelming them, so you should avoid sharper cheddars if you choose to pair your pinot with cheddar cheese. Finally, Gruyere’s light taste can be an excellent option to pair with a stronger pinot noir.

What cheese goes best with Cabernet Sauvignon?

Most wine experts will agree that Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most difficult wines to pair with cheese. This type of wine’s deep, rich, and complex flavors often clash with many cheeses and can overwhelm the palate, so you must be very careful when pairing Cabernet Sauvignon with cheese. As a general rule, you should try to pair Cabernet Sauvignon with medium-bodied cheeses without intense flavor profiles, such as Gruyere, Comte, Beemster Classic, and even Taleggio. Cheeses with a more intense flavor profile, such as sharp cheddar or smoked gouda, can clash intensely with a Cabernet Sauvignon, making the tasting an unpleasant experience. Additionally, Cabernet Sauvignon does pair quite well with charcuterie given the wine’s richness and acidity, so to enhance the taste of your wine and cheese, you may want to consider including a little salami with your Cabernet Sauvignon pairing.

What do you eat at a typical cheese and wine french dinner?

As its name suggests, you will primarily eat wine and cheese at a typical French cheese and wine dinner. This type of dinner is distinct from a wine pairing dinner, which typically contains multiple courses such as soup, meat, and dessert. The primary purpose of a wine and cheese dinner is to sample a diverse array of wines and cheeses, so you should expect cheese to be the primary food at this event. These cheeses may be served all together, but they are often served as courses paired with particular wines. While you should expect to fill up on cheese at a wine and cheese dinner, your host may offer other snacks and small bites. Most wine and cheese dinners have various breads paired with the cheeses along with a simple salad, and some may offer fruit or charcuterie with certain wines. However, these extras should not overwhelm the cheese, which is the main component of the meal.

How should you choose a french cheese platter for your wine tasting?

If you plan to host a wine and cheese tasting for your friends, then you may be wondering how to select cheeses to pair with your wines. Ultimately, the cheeses that you choose should complement the wines that you serve, and the cheeses you choose may be limited by what’s available at your local grocery store or cheese shop. As a general rule, you should pair mild cheeses with milder wines and flavorful cheeses with bold wines. For instance, you should pair a strong gruyere with a full-bodied Chianti. However, you can mix and match with flavors and textures. Sweet wines, such as Port or Moscato, can pair well with “funky” cheeses like bleu cheese or taleggio. You should also consider origin when pairing wine and cheese. For example, Sauvignon Blancs and goat cheeses often pair well, and they both hail from France’s Loire Valley. Finally, cheeses that are firm and have a nutty flavor profile, such as gruyere and comte, often complement many different types of wine.

What cheese goes best with dessert wines?

At a wine tasting, you will typically end the night with a dessert wine like a sparkling Moscato, a rich Port, or a lightly sweet Riesling, and many experts recommend pairing cheese with this course to ensure that this sweet wine is not overwhelmed by an even sweeter dessert. However, the type of cheese that you choose should complement your dessert wine selection. Rich, sweet wines like Port and Madiera go well with bleu cheeses and cheeses with nutty undertones, such as Gruyere. Likewise, sweet sparkling wines can make for an excellent finish when paired with creamy cheeses or goat cheese. Sherry generally pairs with saltier cheeses like Manchego, and a light Riesling is complemented by creamy cheeses such as Reblochon or Muenster. As a general rule with dessert wines, you should always take care to pair your cheese selection well with the specific wine that you choose. Dessert wines are often sweet and flavorful, so you should ensure that your flavors do not clash.

What cheese goes best with Sauvignon Blanc?

Sauvignon Blanc hails from the Bordeaux and Loire Valley wine regions of France. This wine is crisp, acidic, and refreshing with herbal and fruity notes. Given Sauvignon Blanc’s flavor profile, it is most commonly paired with goat cheese. The level of acidity in this type of wine and in goat cheese match near perfectly, and the cheese’s tangy, fresh taste complements the wine’s bright, herbaceous, and fruity undertones. If you’re not partial to goat cheese, then fear not – cheeses like gouda and fresh mozzarella also match with Sauvignon Blanc, and you can even pair this wine with various Alpine-style cheeses as well as many traditional brick cheeses like Muenster, Parmesan, and even Sharp Cheddar. Generally speaking, Sauvignon Blanc is known for pairing well with flavors that range from smoked meats to raw garlic to fresh seafood, so you will rarely find a cheese that truly tastes terrible with this type of wine.

More About Our Baguettes Classes

Getting a bit technical during our Baguette Class in Paris

The French baguette, actually probably better known as the Parisian baguette has beome a true symbol of French popular gastronomy. A true icon of French life even - look around and you will see the Parisians strolling back home with their baguettes under their arm. But if you are French why would you learn how to do this? You can buy a baguette at any corner of Paris for about one Euro a piece. But in our Baguette Class in Paris you will learn how do this from scratch. It is somewhat technical, but also full of tips and tricks. But when you leave, it will have not secret left for you. From the original mix to the famous "scarification" through adding water to your oven through baking, you will see and do it all.

Learning more during your Baguette class in Paris: Croque Monsieur Bread and Brioche

This class is like all our other baking or cooking classes: totally hands-on. So you get to practice from beginning to end - and to taste at the end. But not only will you learn how to make Baguette, but you will also learn to make two more types of bread: the French Croque Monsieur bread. The basis for the classic French bistrot appetizer. And in your Baguette class in Paris you will also learn how to make your own Brioche. Probably the most indulgent bread you will find in France - if not the lightest ...

And you might learn some history during your Baguette Class in Paris

While you will learn the techniques to create - and get to taste - three classic types of French breads, you will also learn some of the stories on the origin of the baguette. Just beware it is still being quite hotly debated. What is for sure though is that the Baguette is absolutely part of today Parisian's life. A classic you will be able to take back home with you.

More About Our Wine and Cheese Lunch in Paris

Cheese and Wine in Paris

The pleasures we can derive from French cuisine can seem endless. However two of the best known and loved French gastronomic heroes are French cheese and wine. Whether we talk about a Brie which actually comes from very close to Paris, to a creamy Camembert from Normandy, or a Comté from the Alps, French cheese has a delight for all palates. And of course, French wines are even better known whether from Bordeaux great wines or Burgundy sophisticated whites – all of which enthral wine lovers. Well, at our course on cheese and wine in Paris you will come to appreciate that although each is delicious on its own, properly matched cheese and wine together can make the experience of each even more enjoyable and an absolute delight.

How to pair French cheese and wine

Because not all pairings are actually what people expect, at Le Foodist we have decided to call these experiences 'Daring Pairings'. Maybe because we like to step out of the ordinary to challenge our taste buds, but really all we try to do is give you the perfect match fo cheese and wine in Paris. So not only will you learn how to select the best wine to go with your cheese, but you will also learn what are the big cheese families in France – there are actually only five, and this is one of the keys to great pairing. In discovering all these pairings of cheese with wine you will be convinced that indeed two things together can be better than the sum of their parts.

It is important to have fun with pairing cheese and wine in Paris

Beyond the tastings though, we have found that the best way to help our clients remember and re-use their experience is to vary the way to approach both wine and cheese. That is why during our courses on cheese and wine in Paris we share sensory games and many an anecdote to bring the produce to life in your mind as well as on your palate. Overall we will feature four excellent wines, one Champagne and demonstrate to you how best each combines with cheese, letting your taste guide you along with our teaching.

Understanding cheese and wine pairing while in Paris

While for many top Parisian wine stores and restaurant wine lists can be confusing and even intimidating, we believe that after our lunch learning how to pair cheese and wine in Paris, you will feel much more comfortable navigating all of those. And we sincerely hope your knowledge will help you unlock a door to a whole new world of enjoyment of French wine and cheese pairing. At every step of the way our sommelier will also share unique tips and tricks to understand wines better and how culture and wine are so related in France; hopefully enriching your own experience as well.

And they do not have to do with what you will find in those markets. They have to do with when you can go shopping there. Open Air markets are only open in the morning. Typically from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. And they are not open every day. As a matter of fact for the vast majority they are open either open every other day (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Wednesday, Friday, Sunday), or sometimes only twice a week.

This is the case of the Bastille Market (Metro Bastille and Metro Bréguet Sabin )which is open only on Thursday and Sunday morning. We like to send people there because it is a very big market with over one hundred vendors. And it has a nice stand of Crêperie in the middle. Here you get a video of a lady preparing a crêpe there; and you can get that crêpe for only 3 Euros!
There is only one Open Air market open every day of the week, it is called Marché Aligre (Metro Ledru Rollin or Metro Faidherbe Chaligny) which happens on the eponymous street. It is an interesting market because you find all kinds of quality in that market – the good, the bad and the ugly. There is also a nice covered market in the middle of it called Marché Beauveau – sometimes called Marché Beauveau Aligre. On the contrary, Covered Markets are open every day, and not just in the morning, but also in the late afternoon. Typically from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

We are blessed with two markets close to where Le Foodist is located, so we can walk to a market every morning – sometimes it is the Maubert market, and sometimes it is the Monge market. Both nice with their own specififies. Last but not least, none of these markets is open on Monday. Do not sign-up for a Market Tour on Monday, you might never see that money again …

Choosing Ingredients in Paris

While all markets are different, they also have some things in common. First they work on specific schedules as explained before. But also you will find always at a minimum the following vendors: a Maraîcher – this is the name we give to people selling fruits and vegetables, a butcher, a fishmonger, a cheesemonger and a baker. Normally you will find several of each, with different levels of quality, organic or non-organic, local or not local (but mostly not local unfortunately).
And we explain how to recognize each of those of course during our Market Visits and Cooking Classes in Paris. But choosing ingredients can be daunting at first, because of the variety that is on display. A typical fishmonger will carry 20 different types of fishes, and as many shrimp and shelf fish varieties. A good cheese monger will easily carry up to 100 different types of cheese and obviously you could get over 100 different cuts of meat at a butcher (from the type of meat to the cut itself). And a normal Maraicher will carry between 50 and 100 fruits and vegetables as well.
This is what makes these markets so exciting – the variety of products, the beauty of their display, and the exchange you can have with most of the vendors. We give you tips though on how to make sure that exchange with the vendors go well – a few magic words, and everything will be fine!

Cooking in Paris

Obviously going to markets is nice, but actually knowing that you are going to cook what you find there is even more exciting. It is not uncommon for Parisians to buy a little bit too much food because they get so excited at the idea of cooking it all! But as most of us have hardly any space where we live, that can limit the enthusiasm sometimes. Because of the lack of space, Cooking in Paris can be quite different from cooking in the rest of France. And there are also dishes that are typically associated with regions which the Parisian will not cook at home – but taste when they visit friends or families in the various regions of France. However our kitchen has plenty of space, so we can cook traditional French dishes without a problem – whether they come from Paris or any region. And the most important part for us is to ensure that we share techniques much more than just recipes. As a matter of fact, we love to share a bit of the science behind what we do so people can better remember the “what” by understanding the “why”.

Sharing Stories

In November 2010, some experts from the UN cultural organisation, decided tha France’s multi-course gastronomic meal, with its rites and its presentation, fulfilled the conditions for featuring on the “world intangible list” of the UNESCO.
In this list you can find all kinds of cultural practices, including Mexico Day of the Dead festival for example. Importantly this is not suggesting French cuisine is better than other cuisines (even though we the French tend to believe that …). It is only saying that the gastronomic meal and what it entails is a very vivid cultural practice which people in France partake into on a very regular basis. That is why the same experts indicated that the French gastronomic meal is a “social custom aimed at celebrating the most important moments in the lives of individuals and groups”. And in that social custom, there are many parts: the attention we pay to the way we choose ingredients, how we pair wine with food, how many dishes we will present to our guests, how we lay the table, etc… But one big part of the cultural practice is that commensality (the fact of sharing the food) is always accompanied by sharing stories about …. Well, you would have guessed it, Food of course!
To us it is THE perfect example of how Food and Culture come together – actually we decide to share food is a considered a cultural practice. I would argue that it is true of all countries, regions, etc… As the way we relate to Food is such a big part of anybody’s identity. But as a result and to make sure you have the most genuine experience of French culture, after the a coking class in Paris at Le Foodist, you will share a gastronomic meal at a common table with your Chef and fellow participants to the class.

French Wine and Food Pairing

As mentioned above, one of the big cultural practices in France is choosing how to pair Wine and Food in general and Wine and Cheese in particular. We actually have a class which focuses specifically on this. As it is so important though, we always make sure we share white and red wines during our meals, chosen to pair well in our opinion with the food we cook. And being at the table together is a good opportunity to discuss about wine as well, with concepts such as “terroir” (to simplify, terroir means “what you do depends on where you are”) which are essential to grasp the way the French think about Food.
And all this will always go with a cheering “Santé” – which quite simply means, to your good health!