This is the cheese board you’ll want to serve at Christmas (and where to order it)

A cheese board is ALWAYS a good idea. But do you know how you often end up choosing the same cheeses for your board? This Christmas, you can do things differently, because our favorite affineur René Koelman of Bourgondisch Lifestyle presents the ultimate cheese board for Christmas. With cheeses that will blow you away, one by one. Add a glass of wine: ENJOY!  

‘Enjoy it all year round, and not just at Christmas’ may well be René’s best tip. But Christmas is still the perfect time to really pull out all the stops, and with these five cheeses, you’re sure to succeed!

Dronken Koning

How about the ‘Dronken Koning’, a wonderfully creamy white-mold cheese with a pleasantly mild bitterness. The cheese is soaked in an eau-de-vie made from Gieser Wildeman pears and covered with breadcrumbs. Good heavens, it’s delicious.

Delice de Noisette

At least as divine is the Delice de Noisette, which is made only during the holiday season. It is made with Brillat-Savarin, a raw-milk triple-cream cheese from Champagne. The cheese is then cut in half and the halves are spread with a layer of French hazelnut paste. Small pieces of hazelnut are added on top. The combination of fresh acidity, sweetness and a creamy texture makes this a true taste sensation.

Comté Festive

Comté has been produced for centuries by small farmers from the Jura and is one of the most widely eaten cheeses in France. Here in the Netherlands, I do my bit too, because I absolutely adore this cheese. Comté Festive is available only at Christmas and is matured in the famous Fort Saint-Antoine, then specially selected for Bourgondisch Lifestyle by the cellar master. This is a true explosion of flavor with incredible depth. Cheese experts can recognize no fewer than eighty (!) aromas in this four-year-old cheese, ranging from leather, smoke, herbs, vanilla and nutmeg. Intense, with beautiful crystals. Love it!

Epiosses Râs al Hânout

Epoisses, from the village of the same name, was already hugely popular in Napoleon’s time. Some people go into ecstasy at the mere smell—the unmistakable aroma of marc de Bourgogne, that is, which is unmistakably present because during the four-week aging process, the cheese is washed once to three times a week with brine to which marc de Bourgogne has been added. What makes it extra special is the addition of the Mediterranean spice blend Râs al Hânout, which gives the cheese an extra dimension. The small amount of argan oil added to the spices creates the nutty flavor. The cheese has a delicate texture and melts on the tongue.

Vacherin aux truffes

Vacherin is made in the Jura too, from the milk of the same cows as Comté. The raw milk used comes from a special breed of cow: the Montbéliarde. During the summer months, these cows produce the milk for Comté, and when they are housed indoors and milk production declines, Vacherin Mont d’Or is made. Fresh winter truffle has been added especially for Christmas. An ultimate combination that makes the cheese extra festive. You don’t need to put it in the oven first (in fact, don’t). But be warned. Once you start… you’ll scoop the whole thing out by yourself (speaking from experience).

Rogue River Blue

And then there’s another spectacular blue cheese. René: ‘I prefer European cheeses, to help reduce transport a little, but for Christmas we’re making an exception for this cheese. Rogue River Blue from the US state of Oregon is an absolutely incredible cheese, which was even named the best in the world at the World Cheese Awards in 2019.’ What makes this cheese so special? Around this time of year, the cows grazing in Rogue Valley produce wonderfully full-flavored milk with various aromas of fresh herbs. After the cows are milked and the cheese is made, Rogue River Blue is aged for 9 to 11 months in caves to develop its strength. The wheels are then hand-wrapped in syrah grape leaves from the region, soaked in pear distillate. DRIVE ME CRAZY.

Ordering a cheese board?

Are you already salivating? I get it. All you have to do is buy the cheeses. The cheeses range from €10 to €30 each. You can simply drive to the Bourgondisch Lifestyle shops (Amsterdam: Haarlemmerstraat 115 A or Beverwijk: Plantage 120 A), but it’s even better to order the cheeses via info@bourgondischlifestyle.nl Please clearly indicate when and where you will pick up the cheeses.

At the shop, they’ll also be happy to advise you on which wine pairs best with them.

Also read:

• The best European destinations for cheese lovers
• Moldy cheese on your toastie—is it harmful?
• Spice up your cheese fondue with… TEQUILA!