MADISON, Wis. -— Cheese long has been a popular choice of food at parties, but it takes on a special meaning around the holidays.

“It’s incredibly easy to serve. You can run out and buy some and still give your guests a treat,” says Tina Ujlaki, executive food editor of Food & Wine magazine.

Farmstead and artisan cheese are gaining popularity this holiday season, Ujlaki says, and notes that cheese cases in grocery stores are double the size of what they were five years ago.

Nancy Fletcher, vice president of communications for the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), also notes that speciality cheese consumption has grown. But consumers often don’t realize the delicious speciality cheese they’re eating isn’t French but American-made; ninety-five percent of the cheese we eat is made in the United States, Fletcher says.

In addition, there are many “cheese accoutrements,” Ujlaki says, including wine, jellies, fruit pastes and honey with toasted almonds or hazelnuts.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) foresees a proliferation of pairings this holiday season. Pairings might include cheese matched with a stout, ale or a fruity martini. Or a flight of a single cheese variety, featuring the same cheese at different ages, might by tasted with a wine most appropriate for each age.

WMMB has highlighted cheeses that will add ease and elegance to holiday entertaining. The board suggests Brie, Camembert and Gouda as good holiday cheeses.

According to WMMB, Brie and Camembert pair well with melon, grapes, berries and sun-dried tomatoes. Sparkling wine, champagne, Pino Noir and craft beers infused with fruit also complement Brie and Camembert.

Gouda complements peaches, melons, apricots, cherries, fruity wine and lager beer.

For the holidays, Fletcher notes the comeback of fondue kits and cheeseballs done in unique ways for holiday entertaining. She also sees variations of grilled cheese sandwiches used as appetizers and desserts.

Ujlaki recommends giving cheese blocks as Christmas gifts. She suggests a big wedge of Parmesan or Manchego with nuts.

“Cheddar is always a great thing to have,” Ujlaki adds. “Mini goat cheeses coated with spices are a really nice gift. It’s better to give a whole cheese or variety of small cheeses.”

For holiday gifts, WMMB suggests creating gift baskets that pair speciality cheeses with favorite foods and beverages.

Looking ahead to 2005, industry insiders expect a growth in American-made speciality cheeses. Among the most popular specialties are Feta, Blue, super-aged Parmesan, aged Provolone, Asiago, Gouda, Fontina, Havarti and Hispanic cheese, according to WMMB.

WMMB also notes that consumers are seeking more flavor in cheeses, such as hot, sweet, bold, pungent or smoky. This search for more flavor is a greater availability of cheeses that make a flavor statement, such as super-aged, washed rind and Blue varieties, as well as those that boast an added ingredient such as Monterey Jacks with smoky, hot chipotle or earthy Wisconsin morel.

Consumers increasingly have embraced international cuisines, and this trend will continue and proliferate as current flavors are broken down into regional segments. For example, cheeses known for the country they come from could be identified by a region within that country, such as Sicilian, Catalonian, Basque or Oaxacan. There is a growing desire for foods that can be identified by origin and maker.

Ujlaki foresees that more people will start making cheese. She also says that there aren’t many U.S. sheep’s milk cheeses, but more are on the horizon.

She sees Spain as the next big cheese region. More and more Spanish cheeses, such as Idiazabal and Cabrales, are becoming popular. There already are ten varieties of Manchego, she notes.

“There is a really good cheese for everybody,” says Ujlaki. “If you have the opportunity to taste things, you can spend your money wisely.”

CMN