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Purchasing artisanal cheeses can put extra pressure on the holiday budget. But a few extra dollars invested in hand-crafted products will take your cheese board from sideshow to centrepiece.

The flavours of these Canadian cheeses will not only win over the grumpiest Scrooge but also visually set a tone of style and sophistication at any event.

Picture a wedge of cool, richly veined Tiger Blue contrasted with the intense warmth of Niagara Gold's Guernsey milk paste. The texture of buttery, seductive Riopelle highlights the woody, natural rind of semi-firm Wishing Tree. Grey Owl, with its three layers (dark ash exterior, ripened edges and firm snow-white centre) adds a geometric art deco element when sliced.

Cheese also provides an easy way to serve local, artisanal food when time-crunched. Keep it simple. Plain crackers and baguette are your best choices to showcase the unique character of each cheese. Have a separate knife for each style of cheese - especially for blues and pungent washed rinds. And take your cheeses out of the fridge an hour before guests arrive to allow the flavours to fully develop.

Artisanal honey, dried fruits (figs, dates, dried pear) or toasted nuts make easy accompaniments. Most importantly, they stay appetizing from the arrival of the first guest to the departure of the last straggler.

Ideally, a cheese board should include three to five cheeses, and allow for about 100 to 120 grams of cheese per person.

Aside from being an obvious indulgence on a holiday table, cheese is also an ideal host/hostess gift. It can be served immediately or eaten during tedious post-party cleanup the next day. Include a handwritten card with tasting notes and you become the savvy Santa every foodie dreams of. You can be sure this is one package that will not be regifted.

The following suggestions are listed by flavour intensity from mild to strong - a nice way to arrange your cheese board.

RIOPELLE (FROMAGERIE DE L'ÎLE-AUX-GRUES, QUE.)

Cow's milk, soft, bloomy rind, triple cream. Slightly salty, mushroomy and unctuous. A roundabout way of eating butter. This will be the first to disappear.

WISHING TREE (FIFTH TOWN ARTISAN CHEESE, ONT.)

Sheep's milk, firm, natural rind, cave-aged three to nine months. Has a beautiful ridged rind, reminiscent of bark on a tree. Sweet and creamy with a nuttiness at the edges. Great texture with a slight crumble. Recently won first place in its class at the British Empire Cheese Competition and in the sheep's-milk category at the Royal Winter Fair.

NIAGARA GOLD (UPPER CANADA CHEESE CO., ONT.)

Cow's milk, semi-soft, washed rind, aged at least five months. The cheese is a stunner. The buttery Guernsey milk gives it a vibrant gold colour and creamy, earthy flavour. It exudes decadence.

MIRANDA (FROMAGERIE FRITZ KAISER, QUE.)

Cow's milk, firm, washed rind, aged at least five months. Similar in texture to Wishing Tree, this Swiss-style cheese has a meatier flavour and sharper finish to its nutty essence. Recently won first place in its class at the British Empire Cheese Competition.

GREY OWL (FROMAGERIE LE DÉTOUR, QUE.)

Goat's milk, semi-soft, ash rind. An example of "non-

goaty" chèvre made from fresh milk. Sweet with some tang. The ripe edges and a firm, pale interior melt in

your mouth. Almost too lovely to eat.

LE CLANDESTIN (FROMAGERIE LE DÉTOUR, QUE.)

Sheep's and cow's (Jersey) milk (50/50), soft, washed rind. Finally the stinky stuff. The thin wheel of Le Clandestin encased in its sticky, slightly salty rind is at its best when ripe and oozy. A taste reveals earthy flavours balanced with a rich creaminess.

TIGER BLUE (POPLAR GROVE, B.C.)

Cow's milk, semi-soft blue, natural rind, aged at least two months. Creamy Tiger Blue packs a punch that is tempered by its buttery, sweet finish. A great choice for blue cheese lovers. Its mellow linger may even convert the faint of heart.

Sue Riedl studied at the Cordon Bleu in London.

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Vacherin Mont d'Or

It would be an oversight to discuss cheese and the holidays without tempting the palate with a winter classic originating in the Jura mountains along the Swiss-French border. Vacherin Mont d'Or, packed in a bark box, is a true splurge. This cow's milk, washed rind cheese is typically eaten in the fall and winter when the cheese made from rich, flavourful summer milk has ripened to perfection.

This beauty makes an excellent sharing dish on any holiday evening. The pale gold rind has a soft, wrinkled texture with a silky, peach-fuzz appearance. The interior paste, when ripe (and you want this one very ripe), is molten and ivory in colour. Leave out for three to four hours before eating. Then tear off some baguette, slice off the top of the cheese, and scoop out the molten interior to appreciate the full, creamy, salty, vegetal flavours.

Available October to March.

Price: $50-$55 a 500-gram wheel

Sue Riedl