How to use Wine Cheese Gift Baskets

Especially around the holidays, many people receive wine cheese gift baskets. Usually you will first drink the wine and later make a sandwich with some of the cheese and meats, munch on the nuts as a snack, etc. The corkscrew and cheese knife will likely make their way to the junk drawer. This is all fine, but the basket was constructed with a specific intent in mind. It can be enjoyed as an event, to be shared with a partner, rather than as a nightcap and a snack.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Disassemble the wine cheese gift basket and lay out all the elements. Become familiar with them. If there is any literature included, check it for a food pairing guide. This will help you to make your way through the contents of the basket.

2. Invite a friend. Wine is a social beverage. Wine cheese gift baskets should be enjoyed with your spouse, significant other or just a good friend. Having someone to share and discuss with will make the experience much more enjoyable.

3. If the wine is red, open it and allow it to breathe for 20 minutes before you are ready to enjoy it. This is a general rule of thumb. If it is white, chill it to 65 to 70 degrees. Allow to breathe for 5 minutes before enjoying.

4. Set up some ambience. You can dim the lights and light candles. Turn on music or a movie to watch while enjoying the wine cheese gift basket. If you choose to watch a movie, make it thematic to the night like watching Sideways or a French or Italian film. It should be something you have seen before so you can talk over it without losing the story.

5. Begin your wine cheese gift basket experience by tasting the wine. Let the wine cover all parts of your pallet. Discuss the different flavors you experience on the different parts of the tongue.

6. After you have tasted the wine, begin to pair different foods with each other, taking sips of the wine in-between. Continue to discuss and enjoy the experience with your partner. The basket should have various meets, breads and cheeses as well as some sweet snacks.

7. Usually there will be some sweet snacks included that will outlast the bottle of wine. Continue to enjoy these throughout the night in order to elongate the experience.

8. If you have multiple wine cheese gift baskets, it can be a lot of fun to have several couples get together to enjoy them as a social affair. You can also supplement the basket with similar wines and foods so that you can enjoy it with more people.