Few things go together better than wine and cheese. The combination can be part of an elaborate catered entertainment or be a simple part of a simple meal at home. It doesnt matter if you like dry or sweet wine, the right cheese might make it taste even better. If youre a cheese lover, there is sure to be some sort of wine that will enhance your favorite. Add a loaf of fresh French or sourdough bread, and you have all the makings of a simple, elegant epicurean delight. And the possibilities are endless. The challenge is to find the best combination for your palate. After all, everybody is different, and what you like, others might not. And part of the fun is experimenting with varieties of wine and cheese. In Central Oregon, wine and cheese can take on a local flavor. Several wineries and cheese makers produce quality products, and most local grocery stores reflect the interest. Several local grocery stores carry hundreds of varieties of specialty cheese and wine. Prices range from $8.99 per pound for blue cheese, to $36 per pound for some Italian cheeses. Why the combination of what starts out as fermented grape juice and soured, curdled milk works so well is unknown, says Lisa Lesko, cheese supervisor at Wild Oats Natural Marketplace in Bend. Wine and cheese enhance and balance one another, Lesko said. Combining the two may change the flavors of both. Some of the attraction may be traditional.

Wine and cheese may be the one of the original food pairings, Lesko said, and the combination is probably prehistoric.

Nomadic people probably came up with the idea, she said. They carried grape juice and milk in leather containers, and at some point the fermentation created wine and cheese. Both were mistakes.

When the two are combined with bread, the other member of the traditional tasty triad, Lesko said, it makes a complete food pyramid.

It has everything. Wine has vitamin C, the cheese has calcium and protein and the bread has nutrients and fiber, she said. In some areas, that was all they had to eat during the winter.

Early combinations were limited to whatever the region produced. Today, you can mix and match whatever you want, says Mike Kane, Wild Oats beer and wine manager, and wine and cheese are more complicated.

The pairings used to be more general, but with the Internet and technology, whats regional anymore? he said. Today there are infinite combinations and now there are thousands of wines and cheeses. You can get just about anything.

So where do you start to find your personal ultimate combination of wine and cheese?

It could start with your individual preferences, said Glen Silvey, Bends Newport Avenue Market cheese manager. A rule of thumb might be to combine what you already like, he said.

If you like both the wine and the cheese, he said, then youll probably like them when theyre combined.

However, dont combine all your favorite flavors, the experts agree, because some just dont work.

Cheese and citrus dont go together, Silvey said. Combine them and neither will taste good.

Other wine and food combinations can be disastrous.

A tannic red wine will ruin the flavor of an oyster, Kane said. Anything smoked, such as a smoked cheddar, will create a metallic taste in your mouth if you combine it with red wine.

As you try to decide what your favorite combination might be, here are a few general tips from the experts:

White wines match best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.

Red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.

Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses.

The more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.

For a safer bet when serving several wines, choose Parmigiano or Romano cheeses. They go with most wines.

If youre going for a stinky cheese, try a French Bordeaux or a California Cabernet.

Ports and dessert wines may be the best choice if you like mold-donned or blue-veined cheeses.

Whatever you end up with, just remember that its the balance between the two components that makes the difference between good and Wow!