• Chill white or sparkling wine for at least 1 hour prior to serving. Decant red wines prior to guests' arrival.
• Wine charms can help guests distinguish their glasses. Alternatively, one may use marked wine glasses for the same purpose.

Serving with cheese

• Serve cheese at room temperature; this brings out their fullest flavors.
• Arrange the food items 30-60 minutes before the guests arrive. Cheese should be brought out three hours before serving.
• Cover the platters with plastic wrap to keep them fresh, but remove just prior to serving.
• Leave space between cheeses to keep flavors from blending. On the same idea, each cheese should have its own knife or spreader.