Celebrate Wine & Cheese Day! Let’s be real, celebrate as often as you’d like! The pinnacle of wine and cheese pairs is charcuterie boards. We have curated five board options with some quality wine, cheese, protein, produce, breads/baked, and dip/jam options. There are a few things to keep in mind when putting together a charcuterie board:

1. Flavors: you don’t want too much of one thing. If you were to keep only savory items on the board, you will leave the taste buds without a sweetness break. A variety provides some excitement for your mouth! We challenge you to try some flavors like salty, spicy, savory, and sweet in your charcuterie board.
2. Textures: creamy, crunchy, crispy, chewy, crumbly, do it all! The best thing about different foods is the many textures that blend beautifully. One ingredient comes in different textures. For example, grapes could be on your charcuterie board as fresh grapes, raisins, jam, or a glass of wine. It is also exciting to try cheeses on different crisps: crackers, toast, or an apple slice.
3. Color: make it exciting with different colors! Fruits, cheeses, and veggies account for the entire rainbow. The taste buds are going to have a party, don’t let the visuals fall flat.
4. Label: it is hard to keep track of all the different cheeses, make little labels or a road map of your creation! A host/hostess should educate and challenge their guests to try combos or new flavors. Making labels can also help steer folks away from flavors they don’t enjoy, such as folks who don’t particularly like spicy foods.
5. Keep it Simple: Enjoy the experience–creation, presentation, and consumption! You are putting together a display of delicious foods that work well together. Don’t spend too much money on your first charcuterie board. You have time to explore your favorite elements and combinations.

5 Ways to Charcuterie

Breakfast Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• Breads & Baked Goods
  • Baguette
  • Mini chocolate chip muffins (or mini blueberry muffins)
  • Mini croissants
  • Mini cinnamon rolls
  • Waffle sticks or slices
  • Crackers
• Cheese
  • Brie
  • Cheddar cheese cubes
  • Regular or Flavored Goat Cheese
• Produce
  • Fresh berries
  • Grapes
  • Pear or apple slices
  • Melon if in-season
  • Cucumber slices
  • Grape tomatoes
• Protein
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Smoked salmon
  • Salami or prosciutto
• Dips & Jams
  • Jam
  • Honey
• Wine Pairing
  • Brut + Orange Juice
  • Sauvignon Blanc

Summertime Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• Bread & Baked Goods
  • Breadsticks
  • Wafer crackers, Thin
• Cheese
  • Blaser's antonella garden vegetable & sweet basil cheese
  • Deer creek the robin cheese
  • Door artisan top hat bandaged cheddar cheese
  • Saxon asiago fresca cheese
  • Harmony specialty dairy abergele cheese with onion and chive
• Produce
  • Blackberries, Fresh
  • Finocchio
  • Plums
  • Strawberries
  • Sliced fresh kiwifruit
  • Watermelon
• Protein
  • Thinly sliced capicola
  • Candied pecans
  • Pistachios
• Dips & Jams
  • Raspberry jam
• Wine Pairing
  • Chianti
  • Rosso di Montalcino

Midwest Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• Bread & Baked Goods
  • 2 cups crackers
  • 1 baguette (about 1 pound), sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch slices (about 20 slices)
• Cheese
  • 18 mini cheese balls
  • 8 pieces mozzarella string cheese sticks cut into 8 pieces each and skewered with pretzel sticks
  • 8 ounces cheese sliced, or cheese curds
• Produce
  • 6 ounces pitted black olives drained or pimento-stuffed green olives
  • 1 bunch red grapes
• Protein
  • 10 ounces venison sausage or beef sausage, quartered and sliced
  • 2 cups candied pecans
• Dips & Jams
  • 4 ounces whole grain, Dijon or spicy brown mustard
  • 8 ounces red pepper jelly over cream cheese
  • 8 ounces dill dip with fresh vegetables
• Other
  • 1 bunch fresh herbs or edible flowers, for garnish
  • 16 ham-pickle roll ups
• Wine Pairing
  • Bloody Mary
  • Wisconsin Old Fashion
  • Sangria

Vegetarian Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• Breads & Baked Goods
  • Baguettes
  • Crackers (Chia Seed Crackers are especially tasty)
• Cheese
  • Cheddar
  • Brie
  • Blue Cheese
• Produce
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Strawberries
  • Dried Apricots
  • Dried Dates
  • Dried Cranberries
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Radishes
  • Bell Peppers
• Protein
  • Peanuts
  • Pistachios
  • Cashews
  • Almonds
• Dips & Jams
  • Hummus
  • Vegetable Dip
• Wine Pairing
  • Riesling
  • Chianti

Italian Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• Bread & Baked Goods
  • Crostinies
  • Flatbread Crackers
  • Thinly Sliced Crackers
• Cheese
  • Brie or Camembert
  • Burrata or Fresh Mozzarella
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • White Sharp Cheddar
  • Manchego Cheese
  • Boursin Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread
  • Ricotta Cheese
• Produce
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • Green Grapes
  • Pears
  • Figs
  • Blood Oranges
  • Olives
• Protein
  • Walnuts
  • Marcona Almonds
  • Salami
  • Prosciutto
• Dips & Jams
  • Pesto Sauce
  • Olive Oil
  • Fig Jam
• Other
  • Bruschetta
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Caprese Salad (Tomato, Basil, Balsamic Glaze)
  • Garlic Parmesan Butter Crostini
• Wine Pairing
  • Zinfandel
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Syrah