How can you easily pull off a successful party this holiday? A wine and cheese party proves that a few simple, sophisticated elements can create a warm, festive gathering. After all, an elegant holiday celebration doesn’t have to translate to hours in the kitchen (there's literally no cooking involved with this one!).  How much cheese should you buy? That obviously depends on the number of guests you're inviting to the party. For instance, you can buy a total of 3 pounds for 8 people, 6 pounds for 16, or 9 pounds for 24.  To go with the cheeses on the platter, there are four things you can focus on: bread, nuts, fruit and meat. Bread and plain crackers act as palate cleansers between bites. You can choose thinly sliced baguette, water crackers or gourmet flatbread--simple flavors to keep the focus on the cheese and wine.  
Fresh fruit selections also enhance a wine-and-cheese spread. Go for classic favorites like grapes, cherries and berries. You can also pick melons, figs, peaches, apples, and pears for more variety, but just make sure to avoid overly acidic fruits such as pineapple.

To complete your festive platter, you can offer a selection of cured meats. As with everything else, don't go overboard in your selections; stick to two to four meats like thinly sliced prosciutto and slices or chunks of salami.