in light of the recent interest in cheese on Mudcat, I thought I would come to this forum for some help.

We will be hosting our annual Holiday Dinner for 5 couples this coming weekend, and I am in charge of selecting the cheese course (this will be our first year to have a cheese course. We slobs in America don't have the refined nature that our European friends have regarding cheese courses, GRIN.)

My question is:
how many cheeses should I offer?
What variety should I offer?
Do I suggest a sequence of eating them, ala a wine tasting, where you go from light whites to heavy reds to maximise the flavor? Should I serve a dessert wine or port or brandy or what in conjunction with this?

any suggestions will be helpful.