As the holiday season draws nearer, we find ourselves meeting friends and family to drink, be merry, and forget how much money we're spending on Christmas presents.  Whether you're hosting a party or attending one, it's a good bet that sometime this month you'll be faced with that eternal challenge: the wine and cheese pairing.   A wine and cheese pairing can be a perfect gift for the host or a great way to start off your own party, but a good one takes planning.  Here are a few tips for doing one right: 1.  Don't be intimidated.  Matching wine and cheese perfectly isn't easy; even the experts disagree on what tastes good with what.  Rather than second-guessing yourself and adding to your holiday stress, just remember this: if it tastes good to you, it probably tastes good to your friends too. 2.  White wines are safer than reds.  White wine pair well with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.  Many cheese, especially the soft, creamy (and I might add, delicious) kind, contains fats that interfere with the flavors of red wine, making them seem to lose their deeper flavors. 3.  If you do want to go for a red (and don't be afraid to!), stick to the hard, milder cheeses like swiss. 4.  Sweeter wines, dessert wines, and champagnes generally fair well with a wide range of cheeses.  The carbonation in champagne actually helps break down the fat from soft, creamy cheeses, and the mild flavor prevents it from interfering with the taste of most cheeses.  If you're bringing wine to a wine and cheese party, champagne or sweeter wines like Gewürztraminer might be your best bets. 5.  If your harbor a love for the soft and stinky varieties of cheese (I know I do), pick big, bold wines to back them up.  Cabs and Bordeaux have flavors that can handle strong cheeses.  If you're looking at a Bleu or other moldy or blue veined cheese, a sweet dessert wine is your best bet. Good luck with your wine and cheese pairings!  Remember that food is supposed to be fun and pleasurable: don't let picking a wine and cheese pair add to your holiday stress.