Sparkling wine goes well with many cheeses, because the bubbles cut through the creaminess. Here, some wine and cheese selections that the Cheesewhizzes sampled at a recent party.

Wine

Five excellent sparkling wines from Europe and the U.S.

Prosecco (Italy)

Bottle to Try: Refreshing, citrusy NV Caposaldo ($15)

Champagne (France)

Bottle to Try: Toasty, lemony NV Pierre Gimmonet 1er Cru Cuis ($52)

Cremant D'Alsace (France)

Bottle to Try: Elegant, fresh, strawberry-scented NV Allimant Laugner rosé ($19)

Sparkling Wine (California)

Bottle to Try: Apple-and-fennel-flavored NV Scharffenberger Brut ($19)

Cava (Spain)

Bottle to Try: Herbal, pine-scented NV Avinyó ($19)

© James Baigrie

Cheese

All cheeses are sold at Napa's Oxbow Cheese Merchant, oxbowcheese.com.

Toma Reale

Flavor Notes: A mild, rich sheep's-milk Robiola from Piedmont

Preféré des Montagnes

Flavor Notes: A tender, buttery cow's-milk cheese from Jura, France

L'echiquier Mimolette

Flavor Notes: Bright pumpkin in color, this French cow's-milk cheese is sweet and salty

Vella Dry Monterey Jack

Flavor Notes: A wonderfully sharp hard cheese from Sonoma

Canut Mahón Marques

Flavor Notes: A slightly tangy, Spanish cow's-milk cheese

More Wine and Cheese Tips:

How to Throw a Great Wine & Cheese Party

Wine & Cheese Party Tips

Value Champagne

Mark Oldman on Champagne Alternatives:

Published December 2009