The Charcuterie Plate
by: Kevin Stanton
photography by: Danielle Stanton
Putting together a meat and cheese board can be a fun way to start a meal or the perfect midday meal of its own. With a couple of ingredients, some wine and a back yard, you’ll feel like you are in Italy in no time.
Chenin Blanc:
Typically made in the Loire Valley of France or South Africa, this wine is very versatile and comes dry, off-dry and sweet. All styles pair well.
Lambrusco:
A dry, sparkling red wine from the Emilia- Romagna region of Italy. The high acidity in this wine makes it a perfect pairing for rich cheeses and salty cured meats.
Gamay:
This dry, light-bodied, fruity red wine from France has high acid and low tannins, making it a great match for a cheese plate.
Salami Calabrese
Sherry:
A fortified wine made outside of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. It ranges from light and dry to rich, nutty and sweet. If you are thinking about sherry on a spectrum, fino sherry would be the lightest and most dry, amontillado would be in the middle and oloroso would be the most rich and sweetest.
Clockwise from top left:
- Bonne Bouche (Websterville, Vt.) Aged, poplar-ash-ripened goat cheese from Vermont Creamery
- Marcona almonds
- Salami Calabrese
- Maplebrook Farm Burrata (Bennington, Vt.) Cream-filled mozzarella
- Mortadella
- Bread and butter pickles
- Country pork paté
- Dalmatia fig spread
- Great Hill Blue (Marion, Mass.) Raw cow’s milk blue cheese
- Prosciutto
- Rosemary and sea-salt crackers
