Organizing small gatherings and serving a holiday cheeseboard paired TerraNoble Carménère Chilean wines from the San Clemente, Maule Valley.
Our friends at TerraNoble sent us their best Chilean wines to try at home with our holiday cheeseboard. The vineyards are located at San Clemente, Maule Valley in Chile. I had the chance to chat with the winemaker, and it is impressive the care and passion they put into the crafting of each of their wines.
The varietals I got to try were all red Chilean wines, which pair wonderfully with our holiday cheeseboard. The charcuterie board has peppered salami, gouda cheese, aged cheddar cheese, red and green grapes, salted nuts, and savory crackers.
Chilean wines and a holiday cheeseboard make it easy to entertain small gatherings. This holiday charcuterie board has enough snacks for four people. And we added cucumber timbales with herbed cheese spread, fresh sangria cherry tomatoes, pine nut hummus, and pita bread crackers.
Red Chilean wines from TerraNoble have a robust bouquet and mouth. These red wines are considered the Chilean Merlot, also called “Carménère.”
Red wine is robust and a perfect companion to a holiday cheeseboard. Chorizo, salami, sausages, and stronger spices are a good complement when sipping on Chilean Merlot. The same applies to cheese. Choose a range between robust, mild, and creamy.
Tips on how to create the perfect holiday cheeseboard for small gatherings.
Before deciding the type of holiday cheeseboard to serve, choose the wines. Some people prefer red and others white. For our gathering, we chose red Chilean wines.
When serving red Chilean wines, look for wines with body and good quality. Verify the vineyard and location, as well as the production year. Not all red wines are the same.
Charcuterie boards need a variety of choices. Choose different textures, and add sweet and salty options.
Red wines go well with meat and spicy options. We added to our holiday cheeseboard peppered salami because it is slightly spicy and pairs well with Merlot.
But adding Prosciutto, sausages, such as chorizo or morcilla, Pâté, or wrapped dried fruits in bacon is a good option too.
A holiday cheeseboard needs cheese, so we suggest Gouda, aged cheddar, and a creamy herbed cheese spread.
Sangria tomatoes are now in season. These little tomatoes burst in your mouth and go nicely with red wines, too and complement the charcuterie board adding color.
The sweet note is provided by the green and red grapes, which both are juicy and very sweet—the perfect addition to the holiday cheeseboard.
Cucumbers provide a nice crunch and are a fresh option. We like to add to our charcuterie board cucumber timbales. Those make a nice presentation and are delicious.
Don’t forget to add mixed nuts. We like pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews.
Other good additions to the holiday cheeseboard are olives and hummus. Include crusty bread or crackers, or both. Chips and pretzels too.
Shop for TerraNoble Chilean Wines and organize small gatherings or a wine tasting for two!
TerraNoble has committed to the Carménère, an emblematic variety in the Chilean wine industry. Some of the TerraNoble vineyards are near the Andes, and others near the Pacific ocean. Our favorite is CA1, with grapes from vineyards closer to Los Andes.
The CA1 wine has a fresh and intense aroma of red fruits, some notes of herbs, red bell pepper, and mild and refined oak notes adding complexity.
One of TerraNoble’s most important Chilean wines is Lahuen: an Ultra-premium Bordeaux-variety blend. This wine has many recognitions, including an award from the Wine Spectator in 2020.
Their Gran Reserva label is low yield wines crafted from selected parcels to express their terroir’s nobility. These Chilean wines come in red and white from Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Buying TerraNoble means you are shopping for superb quality wines with a range in pricing that is affordable for everyone. All wine lovers will enjoy these wines with a holiday cheeseboard of their choice or a celebratory meal. We are making a spicy baked ham for New year’s eve, and a bottle of Carménère wine is a splendid companion to our menu.
Holiday Cheeseboard
Equipment
- Christmas Tree Shaped Wooden Board
- Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter
- Knife
- Chopping block
- Piping bag and a star tip
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup pine nuts hummus (commercial or homemade)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (8 cubes)
- 1/2 cup gouda cheese (6 cheese trees cutouts)
- 1 bunch red grapes
- 1 bunch green grapes
- 1/3 cup mixed nuts
- 4 slices peppered salami
- 12 crackers
- 1/2 cup pita chips
- 12 sangria tomatoes
- 4 mini cucumbers (cut in halves)
- 1/3 cup herbed garlic cheese spread (Alouette cheese)
Instructions
- Prep the veggies by washing and cutting. Cut the cheese trees using a cookie cutter. And cut cheddar cheese cubes using a wooden chopping block and a knife.
- Add the herbed cheese spread to a piping bag and set aside. We used a start tip for the nice rosette finish. Place the cucumber timbales in a dish and pipe a dot of the cheese spread on each. In the middle of the dish, add sangria cherry tomatoes for a spark of color and flavor.
- Serve the hummus in a bowl. As an optional step, add more roasted pine nuts on the top as a garnish, plus drizzle olive oil and paprika or sumac. On another bowl, serve enough pita chips for four people.
- Place the tree-shaped wooden board on the table and add the elements to create the cheeseboard following the picture details. Include the cheese, the salami, the grapes, the nuts, and the crackers. This is an easy step.
Notes
- The tree-shaped wooden board could be replaced with any kind of board you have at home.
- Choosing the elements in a cheeseboard depends on what you have available and your family’s tastebuds. Be creative and choose anything you may have handy.
- Take advantage of what you can purchase at the supermarket to make this process as easy as possible.
- Pair the cheeseboard with a selection of wines, champagne, or your favorite mocktail.
Nutrition
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