Give with Good Taste: Top Unique Gourmet Cheese Gifts

Let’s face it. Finding the right holiday gift for the gourmet food lover in your life can be a challenge. You want to surprise and delight them with your good taste but not sure how to please? Perfect as a hostess gift, a corporate gift for co-workers or clients, or as a unique holiday gift for friends and family, distinctive cheese baskets can offer a culinary adventure they can savor with loved ones. Take a look at The Cheese Ambassador’s top picks for the season and hope you are invited to share!

DO YOU FONDUE?
Who wouldn’t love this ooey gooey cold-weather indulgence? From the French word fondre meaning to melt, fondue is a communal tradition hailing from the Swiss and French Jura mountains. Going back centuries, fondue was considered a peasant dish since it was a means to utilize old bread and cheese. Now, only the finest gourmet cheese such as Gruyere, Emmental and Comte along with wine and spices are blended to savory perfection. Long forks are used to spear and dip bread, meat, potatoes, fruit and more. Fondue cheese gift baskets can include the perfect combination of melting cheeses, recipes and even fondue pot sets.

TAPAS COLLECTIONS

Spanish style small plate dining is more popular than ever and simple to recreate at home with a gourmet cheese gift basket. Spanish folklore suggests tapas originated in taverns as a way to keep flies out of Sherry glasses. Bartenders would cover the sherry glass with a piece of bread or ham. Soon it was custom for little snacks to be served with wine, beer and Sherry. A tapas gift basket could include gourmet cheese such as Manchego and Mahon, jamon Serrano (cured ham), membrillo (quince jam), Marcona almonds and olives. Tapas at home is perfect for cocktail parties or a casual evening with friends.

CHEESE FOR WINE COLLECTIONS
Wine and cheese is a match made in foodie heaven but selecting the right pairing can be daunting. Whether they prefer a bottle or red or white, these gourmet cheese baskets take the guesswork out of the equation. Perfect for cold winter nights, The Cabernet Sauvignon collection features bold and robust cheeses such as Aged Mimolette, San Joaquin Gold and Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue to reflect the intensity of the hearty, belly-warming red wine. A unique gift to ring in the New Year, the Champagne cheese basket offers fresh goat cheese, Irish cheddar, Camembert and Pierre Robert. Cheers!