After having lived at our new apartment for a few months now, Doug and I realized we haven’t had the time to throw a house warming party yet. We knew wanted to keep it simple and only invite a few of our closest friends because we do have limited space. Rather than cooked up a huge meal for everyone, we thought it would be better to have a wine and cheese night where each of our friends brought their favorite wine and/or cheese. Displaying a simple cheese platter is always my go-to appetizer to serve along with some sparkling wine because they both compliment each other so well and are enjoyed by a variety of different palates . Today I’ve I teamed up with La Marca Prosecco in creating the anatomy of a perfect cheese platter that envelopes flavors your family and friends will all enjoy. What I love about a wine and cheese party is how intimate everything feels. The fact that guests are surrounded by good tasting flavors in a family-style manner instead of talking across a formal dining table only encourages a more organic, back and forth conversation.

My taste in alcohol is very specific. I normally only drink on special occasions and when I do, I enjoy a sweet, bubbly drink that’s easy to go down. That’s why La Marca Prosecco is one of my favorites because it creates a food-friendly palate that pretty much everyone will enjoy. It pairs perfectly with mild cheeses, light hors d’oevres, salads, or fish. When I curate my cheese platter it’s always important that I include a variety of different tastes and textures (nutty, creamy, sharp, mild, sweet, salty, crunchy, etc.) so one flavor doesn’t overwhelm the rest. This particular platter went according to my own personal tastes, but feel free to swap the cheeses or dried fruits to suit your palate. I also found that a nice selection of meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, and fruit are necessary when accommodating your guests preferences as well. Since there were only a few of us, we opted for a couple of cheeses we knew we all liked and tried out some different sides as well (i.e. dried papaya slices or figs).

Flavors used on this cheese board were purchased from Whole Foods: Black Mission Dried Figs, Papaya Spears, Fordfarm Smoked Cheddar, Great Midwest Jack Habanero Cheese, Irish Cashel Blue Cheese,Unie Kaas Meadowkaas Gouda, Deglit Dates, Assorted Olives, Assorted Trail Mix, Assorted Trail Mix, Apricot Jam, Pastrami

Sparkling Wine c/o La Marca Prosecco | Decor c/o La Marca Prosecco | Forever21 Blouse (Similar) | Mossimo Skirt(See it styled here) | NARS Cruella Velvet Matte Lip Pencil | Chinese Laundry Nude Pumps

*This post was in partnership with La Marca Prosecco

P.S. Check out the interview I did for Faith Allure here!

Some of my favorite serving accessories for a wine and cheese night…

Photos taken by Doug Johnson