Article: Wine & cheese party: throw a wine-and-cheese tasting that's casual, fun, and fuss-free. Invite a group of friends over and host with ease. Here's how to do it.(your life now: weekend project)

(1) invite your guests

Six to 10 people is the ideal group for a tasting party: big enough to spark interesting conversation, but still small enough for everyone to sit around the table.

(2) go shopping

Buy three or four different wines and cheeses (see pairing suggestions below). You'll need 12 to 20 ounces of each cheese and two or three bottles of each wine. Buy cheeses no more than a day in advance so they'll be fresh and flavorful.

Chill sparkling wines overnight. Chill white wines two to three hours before the party (too cold kills the flavor), red wines about 30 minutes prior. "Red wines taste best at the temperature of a wine cellar--about 55 degrees, ...

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