Cheese is one of those perfect high-low foods—your favorite might be a nutty Piave you had in Italy or the Swiss in your mother's grilled cheese sandwich. The traditional European way to serve cheese is following the meal, but I think a few cheeses on a wooden board are perfect at a cocktail party. Here's how to put together a great cheese plate.

•  Get help. I've never met a cheese seller who wasn't happy to offer a recommendation and a taste. Tell him what you like; mention what other food and wine you're serving and whether you want to be bold (your foodie friends will appreciate a smelly Epoisses, but the less adventurous may be put off).

•  Try new things. If your grocery store doesn't have someone knowledgeable, go to a cheese shop, or use your favorite cheese as a starting point for experimentation. If you like cheddar, try both English and American varieties, and work yourself up to a cloth-bound Cabot or a raw-milk English cheddar. As your palate develops, you'll be able to taste more flavors.

•  Assemble your plate I put out an odd number of cheeses—three or five; it just works better visually. Choose a sampling of the five different types: Fresh cheeses, such as chèvre, tend to be mild and moist. Bloomy cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, are named for thee white, "blooming" rind and are usually creamy. Washed-rind cheeses are the stinky ones, like Taleggio. Pressed cheese can be semisoft, like Gruyère or Gouda, or hard, like Parmigiano-Reggiano, depending on how it's aged. The final category is blue. It gets its color from mold and is full of complex flavors&mdash think Gorgonzola or Stilton. A great plate would be a bloomy triple-crème, such as Fromage d'Affinois, a blue like Roquefort, and a crumbly Pecorino.

•  Serve it right. Put out a knife for each cheese so you don't mix the flavors. I always remove the label neatly and put it down next to the cheese on the platter, but you can hand-label each one. Good cheese sparks conversation, and people appreciate the information.

•  Pair it well. I think a simple sliced baguette is the perfect vehicle. Unsalted nuts and fruits, both fresh and dried, make delicious accompaniments; the idea is to provide a contrast to the richness and brininess of the cheese. Cheddar traditionally goes with apples; Stilton with pears. Quince paste is wonderful with a sheep cheese such as Manchego, and honey drizzled over blue cheese balances its flavor and texture.

•  Select the wine. Select the wine. Try to pick one that will match the flavor and intensity of your cheese. Light, crisp wines go with fresh cheeses; heavy reds go better with full-flavored ones. Overall, more white wines go with cheese than do reds. Their flavor is not as overpowering.