Epicurus was one of ancient Greece’s most famous philosophers. He founded the school of Epicureanism, which championed a restrained form of hedonism. Despite his reputation as a libertine or a bon vivant, Epicurus was perfectly happy to exist on a simple diet of bread, wine, water – and cheese. In a letter to a disciple, Epicurus asks to be sent “a small pot of cheese, so that I may be able to indulge myself whenever I wish.” Like Epicurus, you may wish to indulge in a little cheese this Christmas, or gift some to a loved one, and Kevin Sheridan – who curates the cheeses for the Simply Better range at Dunnes Stores – is the man to steer you right. Kevin believes the best approach to an exquisite cheese board is to include a broad selection and to explore flavours and textures from a variety of regions. “The overall objective is to curate the best possible selection of cheeses for your Christmas,” Kevin says.

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Serves: 8-10

French Cheese Board with Pear & Fennel Salad

Simply Better’s commitment to a broad selection of interesting and adaptable flavours means you’ll find soft, rich cheeses such as the Irish Farmhouse Double Cream Wicklow Bán alongside other Irish-made gems such as Irish Farmhouse Knockanore Oakwood Smoked, and the Mature Killeen Goat's Cheese. Fans of strong flavours will enjoy the Italian Truffle Pecorino, while for complete indulgence there is the sumptuous French Brillat Savarin with its high percentage of butter fats, which gives it an almost paste-like consistency. Meanwhile, closer to home the Irish Farmhouse Durrus Óg is a relatively recent yet award-winning and delicious soft cheese with a thin pinkish rind, created in 2008, which received a Silver Medal from the World Cheese Awards on its launch. The Irish cheeses that Kevin helps to select for the Simply Better range are produced on small traditional farms, many of which have a long connection to Dunnes Stores and have built up a relationship that places quality above all else. “That's what Simply Better focuses on: the Irish farmhouse and traditional European cheeses, and each one has a story behind them," Kevin says. For someone who, as he admits, can talk about cheese for hours on end, the provenance and story behind each supplier is the most fascinating part of the journey. “Cheese… in one way, is such a simple food, but in other ways, it’s so complex. And it can really represent the land, people and traditions of the land that it comes from. It's really lovely to bring that through and to select cheeses that are true to that.”

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Inconsistency in a world gone mad

Another thing to take into consideration when selecting a favourite cheese is seasonality. The climate has a marked effect on the taste, texture and flavour of regional cheeses, depending on the various elemental forces at work when it is produced. Rainfall, sunlight, cloud cover, grazing, and water can all inform the patterns of the livestock that produce the cheese for our supermarket shelves. There is no uniform factory effect to the cheeses that make up the Simply Better range and they are much better and more interesting for it. Seasonality dictates these subtle flavour variations. “I suppose it’s the antithesis, in a lot of ways, to much of the food we eat. We all look for a kind of consistency with certain foods to always deliver the same. A lot of our food is like that. Whereas cheese isn’t – and that’s part of the beauty of it. It does change. So much of our food is too consistent. Banality can come out of that. Cheese can offer us a little bit more,” he says.

It’s a long way from Kevin’s early days when he was anything but a connoisseur and the choice of cheese for Irish shoppers was a fraction of what’s available now. “Cheese was just so alien to us growing up. There were the Easi Singles, of course, and the block of cheddar: red or white and that was it. I was 21 when we started selling cheese, so I was very young but it was a journey of exploration with our customers,” he says. That journey also meant starting from a place where cheese wasn’t always held in the same esteem as it was in France or Italy, even though the quality of those small producers was always there as an untapped resource for the public. Today, Irish cheese is recognised as some of the most characterful and delicious on the market. Kevin is unequivocal about this – the best cheese is the one that resonates with you at any particular time. At the end of the day, cheese is “just something to be enjoyed. And it’s so brilliant that it has lost its mystique, particularly over the last five or ten years, and we’re starting to loosen up a little bit about how we enjoy it”. It’s perfectly normal in France or Italy to sit around with a glass of the local vino and a chunk of cheese with perhaps some salami, prosciutto, tomatoes or olives on a board and watch the world go by. Kevin says this is how the Irish are now beginning to enjoy cheese, too. “It doesn’t have to be a dinner party,” he says. “There doesn’t have to be rules – four cheeses plus this, plus that and matched with the right wine. It can be a chunk of mature Gubeen with some crisps and a bottle of stout or a local craft beer on a Wednesday night when a movie is on.” This informality is especially pertinent at Christmas – a time designed for relaxing.

No need to stand on ceremony

The humble cheese board is where all your favourites can be found close at hand. There are no hard and fast rules about what goes with what, and that is what makes it a wonderfully low maintenance option after all the stress of the prep for the main meal. “The cheese comes out when you’re playing a board game and you’ve eaten half a box of Quality Street and you think – I’ll grab a few different bits of cheese, maybe there’s a jar of chutney there and I’ll stick that beside it, maybe even a few leftovers, carve a bit of ham put it on a plate, gather a few crackers, put it on the table and people can pick at it and eat it and share it. It’s a lovely, convivial food in that way.” The cheese board can be as informal as you like, consisting of whatever is at hand – a few grapes, thin cuts of Parma ham, apple slices, a handful of walnuts, a spicy relish, a preserve, some honey, a dollop of wholegrain mustard, some pâté… it all comes down to personal taste. So this year, when the pressure is intense around the Monopoly board and the battle for the remote control is reaching fever pitch, you can tap into the Epicurean philosophy and diffuse the situation with a strategically deployed cheese board, and indulge yourselves a little.

Getting on board with cheese

In the 1963 film From Russia with Love, Sean Connery, as James Bond, peruses the menu in the beautiful mahogany-lined dining carriage of the Orient Express. Bond orders a fillet of grilled sole with a chilled bottle of Taittinger Blanc de Blanc Champagne. Nash, played by Robert Shaw (who once made a home for himself in Tourmakeady, Co Mayo) also orders the sole but fatally, he pairs it with chianti — “the red kind”, as he confirms to the waiter. Nash was supposed to be a British agent, so Bond’s worst suspicions are confirmed. Red wine with fish? No English gentleman would make such a faux pas. The error ultimately costs Nash his life in a brutal, climactic fight scene.

There are few people in Ireland with a broader knowledge when it comes to buying, serving and rating wine. Martin’s experience as a wine aficionado began as a barman in a small wine bar in the 1980s, where he studied a wine book between pours of Chardonnay. He has since worked in wineries in France (Bordeaux, Alsace and Beaujolais) as well as Australia’s Hunter Valley and the McLaren Vale. “Personal preference is very important,” says Martin. “While the right wine can enhance a pairing, very few wines will clash horribly. Also, it’s a good idea to have more than one type of wine on hand at Christmas.”

The wine hunter

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On the subject of serving wines, the thorny issue of temperature comes up. “Most people drink their whites too cold and their reds too warm. The white is in the refrigerator at four and a half degrees and the red is sitting in your room when it's 20 or 21 degrees. I'd say that white wine should be cold but not ice cold and red wine really comes into its own at 15 or 16 degrees.” Taking your white wine out of the fridge up to half an hour before serving will therefore enhance the flavour. Looking at the reds on offer, he singles out the Château de Pierreux Brouilly as one that will benefit from being served below room temperature. “It’s a Beaujolais Gamay, which is made in a particular way that gives it a very low tannin content and that's good served quite cold. I tend to drink that at about 10 or 12 degrees.”

Keeping your cool

To acquire a basic knowledge of wine, a good place to start is with the raw material of the grape itself. “If it’s a wine named after a place — Chablis or Côtes du Rhône, for example — find out what the grape variety is. In a Côtes du Rhône, the two grape varieties will be grenache and shiraz. So, if you know that you like those, you might see them in wines from other countries and you can experiment that way.” If you like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, then maybe try the Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Shiraz from Australia. If you like Bordeaux, the grapes are cabernet and merlot and, in this group of wines, there are two Chilean cabernets,” (the Morandé and the Castillo de Molina Gran Reserva, which is vegan-friendly also). There will be plenty of competing flavours on a Christmas plate so pairing can be tricky. “Ask yourself what you are matching with — the white or brown meat, the sprouts, cranberry sauce, and so on. A broad range of wine works well. So, choose a versatile, juicy mid-weight red that’s not too oaky or tannic, or a fuller-bodied white. My go-to is a single village Beaujolais, such as the Château de Pierreux Brouilly, but several others are good too, notably the Rioja, the Malbec and the Chianti Classico. Alongside the turkey there’s ham, which has a mixture of competing textures. “Christmas ham has a delicate sweet and salty flavour. Think of the classic pineapple and ham combo — pick a fruity wine with tangy acidity. “The Riesling is a delicious crisp, dry wine (and by the way ‘trocken’ on the label means dry). This will work, as will the Albarino, which is peachy and citrus fruited. he The Chablis also works and the Sicilian Principesso Pinot Grigio has citrus and pineapple aromas and flavours. The Provence Rosé is a good bridge too and, once again, the juicy Brouilly is the perfect red choice.” For those who eschew the turkey for meat, the choice is broad. “The red wine world is your oyster with roast beef or steak. Choose your favourite and you won’t go wrong. Cabernet is king though, as its tannins are tamed by beef, so the Chilean cabernet and the Montagne-Saint-Émilion merlot/cabernet blend are top choices. “Châteauneuf-du-Pape is popular too, as would be the peppery notes of the Shiraz. The Spanish favourite would be the Rioja and the Tuscan’s choice would be the Casisano Rosso di Montalcino that is fuller than the Chianti. An Argentine gaucho’s go-to would, of course, be Malbec. If it has to be white, crack open the Chablis.” When it comes to fish, there are wines in the range to suit every taste. And, while red wine with grilled sole might be taking things a bit far, a chilled Beaujolais will work with oiler, meatier fish. “If you want red wine with seafood, grilled salmon has a smoky, burnt edge to it or monkfish, fried or grilled, is known for its firm texture. That’s a very different proposition to, say, poached sole. You could have a chilled Beaujolais with that because it doesn't have any tannin. Tannin and fish — if you mix them in your mouth — can have a foul metallic flavour, which you don’t get with the Beaujolais. It's an ingenious combination.” Another Christmas staple, smoked salmon, pairs perfectly with a smoky well-oaked white wine. “How do you make smoked salmon? You’re putting it in smoke. So, it's the same processes going on in the wine as the fish. I'll never forget having a really oaky white Rioja 20 years ago with some smoked salmon and thinking, “Oh my god, that's the best food combination I've ever had!” They became almost indistinguishable in my mouth — it just multiplied the same flavour.” So, choose wine with a bit of body and a firm acidity, like the Chablis Grand Vin De Bourgogne, New Zealand Tiki Grey Label Sauvignon Blanc or the Riesling Aus Der Steillage. If you’re pushing the boat out with lobster, the Chablis will be the perfect accompaniment. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas for many, of course, without a bit of fizz and the general rule of thumb is that the further north your sparkling wine is produced the dryer it will be. For the cheeseboard, you should continue with whatever you were drinking with the main course. Hard cheeses are better with lowish-tannin reds with a little body, so Rioja is a prime candidate as is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Hunter Shiraz and the Chianti. Soft Cheeses often go better with white wines. The light creamy flavours can be overwhelmed by a strong red but the creamy texture and light flavour match neutral whites, like the Venezia Pinot Grigio. Whatever tipple you’ll be enjoying over the holidays, the key is to have a few options on hand, learn a little about the provenance of each grape variety — especially your favourites — and always go for personal preference over expert advice.

The grape and the Christmas plate

It’s unlikely that pairing the wrong wine this Christmas will have quite such dramatic repercussions, but it’s good to be steered in the right direction. That’s where Sunday Times wine critic Martin Moran can help, having perused the Simply Better wine list in anticipation of the holiday season.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Shiraz €15.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Castillo de Molina Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon €11.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Chianti Classico DOCG Campomaggio €13.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Château Tour Bayard Montagne-Saint-Émilion €15.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Principesco Pinot Grigio €10.39

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Casisano Rosso di Montalcino €16.79

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Riesling Aus Der Steillage €12.79

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Morandé Cabernet Sauvignon €13.59

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Rioja Camboral Reserva Tempranillo €11.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better AOP Côtes de Provence Rosé€14.39

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Nai E Señora Albariño €13.59

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Châteauneuf du Pape Cardinalice Château Gigognan €27.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Chablis Grand Vin de Bourgogne €19.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Tiki Grey Label Sauvignon Blanc €11.99

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Venezia Laudato Pinot Grigio €10.39

Savour the heartwarming delights of this family-run Irish dessert business, sprinkled with love and tradition

Meet the makers John Hempenstall of Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese, based in Arklow and Marion Roeleveld of Killeen GoatsCheese in Co Galway

Ripe for the picking Jeffa Gill and Sarah Hennessy of Durrus Cheese, with Ann McGrath who oversees the maturing and packing of the cheeses

From the source Kevin Sheridan of Sheridans Cheesey

Where's there smoke Edwardand Eamonn Lonergan from Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese in Co Waterford

Christmas cheers Sunday Times wine expert, Martin Moran

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Cheese expert, Kevin Sheridan and wine expert, Martin Moran, on selecting the perfect flavours for your Christmas feast

Kevin Sheridan’s Christmas Favourites

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Farmhouse Double Cream Wicklow Bán Made on the Hempenstall family farm in Co Wicklow, with every drop of milk and cream coming from their own pedigree herd, this is a wonderfully mild but rich camembert-style cheese. They add extra cream into the milk which makes this an extra special cheese.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Farmhouse Knockanore Oakwood Smoked The Lonergan family have been making cheddar on their family farm in Waterford for the past 30 years. For their smoked cheese, they first mature the rounds before naturally smoking the cheeses with oak chippings. The result is a rich cheddar with a rounded but pronounced smoky flavour.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Farmhouse Killeen Goat’s Cheese Some people think that goat’s cheese has a divisive flavour, but this very special cheese from Co Galway is full-flavoured and smooth but very approachable. Marion Roeleveld makes this gem with the milk from her own herd and then specially matures the cheeses for the Simply Better range.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Farmhouse Durrus Óg Jeffa Gill has been making Durrus cheese on the edge of Dunmanus Bay for more than 40 years. This is a classic Irish farmhouse cheese with a silky-soft texture and a gentle earthiness.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better French Epoisses This cheese is a French classic for those who like their cheese with a fuller flavour. Beneath the orange rind is an unctuous flowing paste, full of flavour with a deep aroma.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better French Brillat Savarin This cheese is named after the famous French gourmand, and it really is a special treat. In France this style of cheese is called ‘fromage triple-crème’ because so much extra cream is added to the milk. It is ripened like a camembert, but its paste is firmer and the flavour light and fragrant.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Truffle Pecorino Add some opulence to your board with this decadent mix of mild Italian sheep’s milk cheese and aromatic truffle. As soon as you open the cheese you will get the heady fragrance of black truffle which marries beautifully with this traditional Italian cheese.

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Cropwell Bishop Stilton No classic Christmas selection is complete without a good Stilton. Cropwell Bishop Creamery is renowned for its traditional and exceptional quality cheeses. This is a creamy, rich blue with an enjoyable tang.