6 Top Virtual Wine and Cheese Tasting Classes for the Best Gourmet Experience
A gourmet experience like a virtual wine and cheese tasting is a delightful opportunity to savor a diverse array of exquisite wine pairings that tantalize the taste buds and elevate the spirit. What makes this experience even more special is the chance to share it with colleagues, transforming the virtual realm into a platform for bonding and connection.
There is surely a wine and cheese pairing and experience that will meet your needs and preferences for your event. Keep reading till the end to learn about them all!
If you are looking for more of such awesome experiences to keep your team in high spirits, you can check out our other virtual tasting articles on beer tasting, gin tasting, wine tasting, whiskey tasting, and bourbon tasting.
For the teetotalers looking for something that’s not run-of-the-mill, check out our blogs on virtual coffee tasting, cheese tasting, and chocolate tasting to tingle your tastebuds.
1. Why Choose Virtual Wine and Cheese-Tasting Classes as Your Next Team-Building Activity?
A virtual wine and cheese tasting class is a great way to bring remote employees together for a team-building session. The activity itself creates a relaxing atmosphere so you can interact with each other more comfortably. It gives everyone something to bond over and share as a memorable experience.
The best part is that you don’t have to sweat too much about the planning since everything is done online. If you book a virtual wine and cheese tasting class, you can hand over most of your responsibilities to the organizer.
2. Top 6 Virtual Wine and Cheese Tasting Classes
2.1. Hooray Teams
The experts at Hooray Teams will take the load off your shoulders by organizing your virtual event and all the nitty-gritty details. They offer a wide variety of virtual experiences that are best for bonding with your team.
Simply share your requirements and other important details, and they will take it from there. No more stressing about scheduling and logistics! And if you run into some hiccups along the way, there’s no need to worry—the best part about working with Hooray Teams is that there are flexible cancellation options.
They host most of their virtual events on Zoom and provide shipping for any items needed for the activity. All events are guided by a professional with experience in your chosen activity. A highly recommended, laidback virtual event of theirs is Paint and Wine. You and all the other attendees can express your creativity as you sip on good wine.
Price Range: Customizable
Duration: 60 – 120 minutes
No. of Participants: 10 – 1,000
2.2. Cheese Grotto
Bite into award-winning artisan cheese and crackers while sipping your favorite whites or reds. As one of the best virtual wine tastings, Cheese Grotto makes it all possible! Their virtual cheese-tasting classes are conducted on Zoom and hosted by their cheese experts. The kit comes with tasting workbooks and pairing suggestions with instructions to build your cheese board.
Adding drinks to your order is optional. They also allow customizations to accommodate your budget, group size, and availability.
Price Range: $130
Duration: 60 minutes (modifiable)
No. of Participants: Up to 500
2.3. Unboxed Experiences
With Unboxed Experiences, you can rest assured that your virtual wine and cheese tasting won’t have a single dull moment. Their fun and interactive classes are well-paced to ensure you master wine tasting before getting into wine pairings.
What’s more? You can enjoy a premium wine and cheese kit with three hand-selected wines, farm-sourced cheeses, gourmet chocolates, dried fruits, mixed nuts, and rustic sourdough crackers. They excel at organizing the perfect customizable virtual experience for your group. You can choose what to include in your kits and shop for custom note cards and branded merch.
Price Range: $115 per guest
Duration: Not specified
No. of Participants: Customizable
2.4. Mongers’ Provisions
From on-site private parties to charcuterie-building classes, Mongers’ Provisions excels at hosting various events. Their virtual wine and cheese tasting classes are fun and educational.
But that’s not all! They source a delicious range of cheeses and chocolates from a curated list of cheesemakers and chocolate makers. All of these, along with merch, pantry essentials, beverages, and more, are available for purchase on their online shop. The sessions allow some time for Q&As with their experts. It’s great for guests who may want to clarify things or learn more about their cheese and wine pairings.
Price Range: $80 – $100 per kit (customizable)
Duration: 60 – 90 minutes
No. of Participants: Customizable
2.5. The Cheese Store
How about gourmet cheese to go with your wine? The Cheese Store offers a virtual event that’s just perfect for you! They will deliver you and the other attendees kits that include world-class cheeses from around the world.
Their premium kits include cheese, wine, crackers, Marcona almonds, assorted condiments, and something sweet—and the portions of each item are enough for two people. Along with wines, participants can also buy charcuterie, caviar, sweets, truffles, and other pantry items from the online store. Their virtual tasting is hosted by Tony Princiotta, who is a favorite among clients. Reviewers have gushed about the service: “I love The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills! You cannot go wrong with recommendations from Dom, Norbert and Tony. Amazing selection and wonderful service!”
They also bring in a special guest during their virtual wine and cheese tastings—Keith Fox of Jeff Wellburn Selections.
Price Range: $135 (customizable)
Duration: 60 minutes
No. of Participants: Not mentioned
2.6. Kith and Kin Hudson
The Kit and Kin Hudson offers occasional virtual wine and cheese tastings alongside their restaurant, catering, and food truck business. Their virtual events come in many formats and themes. The wine and cheese tasting is led by a certified cheese professional and an experienced event moderator.
When you purchase the tasting class, the wine and cheese are included. You can also get add-ons like extra wine or a charcuterie board. The offered wine kits are unique, as they have obscure wines from lesser-known regions.
They host events depending on their calendar availability, but they often accommodate private events for certain groups. If an attendee can’t participate in your event, you can send them an eGift from their website.
Price Range: Not disclosed
Duration: 60 – 90 minutes
No. of Participants: Not disclosed
3. Delicious Wine & Cheese Tasting Pairings To Sample
3.1. Champagne and Brie
A highly acidic sparkling wine like champagne is more fun when paired with soft creamy cheeses like brie. Brut champagne is a fantastic choice.
Whether you’ve got sweet, dry, fruity, or crisp champagne on hand, the smooth butteriness of brie should pair with it perfectly.
3.2. Pinot Noir and Gouda
Pinot noir comes in light- and medium-bodied varieties. Its flavors often lean toward fruity floral or earthy and savory. Pinot noir is ideal for enhancing the delicate flavor of semi-soft, nutty cheeses like gouda.
3.3. Chardonnay and Camembert
Chardonnay can have a dry and mineral or a rich and creamy feel. It pairs beautifully with the soft and creamy texture of camembert.
3.4. Cabernet Sauvignon and Blue Cheese
Medium- and full-bodied cabernet sauvignons pack big fruity flavors with robust tannins. These make a strong match for equally bold choices like blue cheese.
3.5. Rosé and Feta Cheese
The slight acidity and minerality of rosé lend it a light and crisp flavor that can sometimes be big and fruity. Both flavors make it ideal for fresh cheeses like feta, which bring a fatty saltiness to the mix.
4. FAQs
4.1. What Are the Best Wineries for Virtual Tastings?
Some of the best wineries that host virtual wine tasting classes include Kivelstadt Cellars, Clif Family Winery, J. Cage Cellars, Matthiason, and Charles Krug.
4.2. How to Do Wine and Cheese Tasting?
To do a wine and cheese tasting, start by choosing your preferred pairings. Next, set the event date and time, then plan and prepare the decorations for the venue. If you’re holding a virtual event, you can leave most of the tasks to an experienced service provider.
4.3. What Wine Is Good With Cheese?
Crisp whites, sparkling, dry aperitif, rosés, and light-bodied reds with low tannins are best with fresh and soft cheeses. Medium-bodied, fruity reds, whites, and vintage sparkling wines pair beautifully with semi-hard, medium-aged cheeses. Light-bodied wines are perfect for stinky cheeses. Full-bodied whites and tannic reds bring out the best of hard-aged cheeses. Sweet or fortified red wines pair perfectly with blue cheese.
4.4. Why Is Wine Paired With Cheese?
The reason for these pairings is that the high fats in cheese help unlock the full flavor of wines. The fats in cheese also counter the astringency of wine, thereby creating a balanced mouthfeel.
