Wine and cheese are, indisputably, a big part of French culture. But in a culture with so many gastronomical rules, how do you learn to avoid eye rolls and snide under-the-breath comments on your dairy and vino consumption?
Rosie of Not Even French has some answers. To start, never serve cheese on metal, and make sure to arrange your cheeses on the platter in an order of mild cheeses (like brie) to strong cheeses (like blue cheese). Cheese matures from the inside out, so don’t just cut a piece off the end—make sure you’re slicing like a pro. And remember the golden rule of the cheese course: “Cheese is not butter.”
When serving wine, always serve yourself last, and remember to fill the glasses only about a third of the way. Make sure your white wines are cold and your red wines are room temperature, and always hold your glass by the stem, not the bowl, in order to not disrupt the temperature of the beverage.
That should cover your basics, but for other lessons on French table etiquette, check out this article on common French dining mistakes most foreigners make.
