Have you made your plans for New Year's Eve yet? In my younger days I loved going out to First Night celebrations (I lived in Boston at the time), but these days I prefer staying in, away from the craziness. If you are of a similar mindset, maybe you'd like to host a wine and cheese party for a few of your friends. CBS News has some tips:

For eight people, plan on two pounds assorted cheeses, about 1/2 pound of each of four kinds (use three-to-five kinds, max). . .

Have a few types of breads to go along, including a baguette and a walnut loaf; some honeys to show for drizzling over; and some sliced fresh pears and apples, as well as roasted almond and date spread.

If you're unsure what wines to choose, bring a list of the cheeses you plan to serve to your favorite wine shop and ask for their advice. Or if you want to try it on your own, check out WineFetch. I discovered this fun site when I was putting together a tasting menu for a wine and cheese party a customer was hosting. It's a good place to start, especially if you're willing to experiment a little.

There are some general rules to follow when pairing wines and cheeses, but there's no need to be intimidated if you've never done it before. Here are some basic guidelines:

• For soft cheeses and stronger flavors, white wines work best.
• For hard cheeses and milder flavors, red wines work best.
• Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses.
• For pungent cheeses, choose sweeter wines (think about contrasting flavors).

Chances are you won't pick perfect matches every time, but hopefully you'll have fun trying. And perhaps you'll even challenge your palate a bit!

[Image credit: Vincent Ma]