Gift guide Gifts for wine and cheese lovers
Gift guide · Wine and cheese
Quick answer: For a wine and cheese lover, give something that helps them pair: 50 Boards, Built by Science (paperback $25.99) includes a wine and cheese pairing board, and our Wine & Cheese Pairing Guide printable is $4. For the table: a slate board with chalk, a Boska knife set or a pair of good wine glasses.
Giving a paperback? Amazon shows the delivery date at checkout. For Christmas, aim to order by mid-December.
People who love wine and cheese usually have the wine covered. What helps is everything around the glass: knowing which cheese goes with which bottle, something to serve it on, and the small tools that make an evening of it.
Prices are typical ranges, checked October 2026. We have no paid relationship with any brand below. We wrote the Charcuterie Lab books and printables.
| Pick | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Boards, Built by Science | Best overall | $25.99 |
| Wine & Cheese Pairing Guide (printable) | Best add-on under $5 | $4 |
| A slate cheese board with chalk | Best board | $20–30 |
| Boska Monaco+ cheese knife set | Best knife set | $30–45 |
| A pair of all-purpose wine glasses | Best for the glass | $20–35 |
| A handheld wine aerator | Best for red wine fans | $15–30 |
| Slate cheese markers with a chalk pen | Best for tastings | $8–14 |
| Around the World in 16 Boards | Best for wine travelers | $16.99 |
| A boxed honeycomb | Best edible | $12–20 |
| Tony's Chocolonely Dark Chocolate 70% | Best for dessert wine | $5–8 |
| Slate coasters | Best small gift | $12–20 |
Best overall
Paperback $25.99 · ebook $14
Fifty complete boards, including a wine and cheese pairing board and a beer and charcuterie board, each with a shopping list and the pairing logic behind it. More about the book
Best add-on under $5
Typically $4
Our printable chart of which cheeses go with which wines. Print it, fold it into the card, done.
See the printableBest board
Typically $20–30
Black slate makes every cheese and meat stand out, and you can write the names right on it. Wood vs slate vs marble
See it on AmazonBest knife set
Typically $30–45
Dutch cheese-tool maker Boska's best-known set, with stainless blades shaped for soft, semi-hard and hard cheese.
See it on AmazonBest for the glass
Typically $20–35
One good tulip-shaped glass works for red, white and sparkling. Most people own mismatched ones.
See it on AmazonBest for red wine fans
Typically $15–30
Pours young red wine through a stream of air, which softens harsh tannins in seconds.
See it on AmazonBest for tastings
Typically $8–14
Little slate flags to label each cheese, so guests stop asking what everything is.
See it on Amazon
Best for wine travelers
Paperback $16.99 · ebook $9.99
Sixteen international boards, from Spain to France to Greece. Pair it with a bottle from one of the countries. More about the book
Best edible
Typically $12–20
The single prettiest thing you can put on a board. Pairs with blue cheese and aged cheddar. Best honey for cheese
See it on AmazonBest for dessert wine
Typically $5–8
Our top-ranked dark chocolate for a board. Break it into shards next to the blue cheese. Best dark chocolate, ranked
See it on AmazonBest small gift
Typically $12–20
They match a slate board and take a sweating glass without a ring.
See it on AmazonAbout $58–74
A slate board, labels and a pairing chart, with fifty boards including a wine and cheese board.
Something that helps them pair and serve: a board book with pairing boards, a wine and cheese pairing chart, a slate board, a good knife set or a pair of all-purpose wine glasses.
Aged, firm cheeses like aged cheddar, Manchego, Gouda and Parmigiano-Reggiano stand up to tannic reds. Soft, creamy cheeses usually do better with white or sparkling wine.
For young, tannic red wines, yes: it softens them in seconds instead of an hour in a decanter. It does little for white wine or older reds.
Two or three cheeses of different textures, crackers, fig spread, Marcona almonds, dark chocolate and a bottle. Add the cheese last, right before you hand it over, and tell them to refrigerate it.
50 Boards, Built by Science has a full wine and cheese pairing board and pairing logic on every board. For styling, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life is popular.
Free printable
Tuck it inside the book. There's a space to write which board you'll make together, so the gift comes with a date on the calendar. Two cards per page, prints on plain paper or card stock.
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