It probably seems odd to think of fruit and cheese party platters as trendy. However, they are!

"Thanks to our collective return to entertaining at home, the fact is, cheese has generated lots of interest lately," notes Michael Collins, marketing director for the Cheese of France Marketing council, in Portland, Maine.

Party hosts today are more savvy and "willing to experiment with different cheeses," he comments.

"Even with the poor economy," Collins says, "sales of our more expensive products are growing the fastest."

So for stylish entertaining, don't hesitate to put out a sophisticated cheese platter; it can be the center of a lovely party food spread.

Here, based on guidelines from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, is a complete guide to presenting an elegant and delicious party assortment.

TRIED-AND-TRUE CHEESE combinations

These cheese platter themes represent the most popular types of groupings today.

The Traditional Platter:

• Medium brick cheese
• Swiss
• Cheddar
• Flavored Monterey Jack
• Colby

The International Platter:

• Blue (France)
• Gouda (Netherlands)
• Parmesan (Italy)
• Flavored Havarti (Denmark)
• Colby (USA)

Italian Platter:

• Pepato
• Fontina
• Provolone
• Gorgonzola
• Fresh mozzarella

Here are some items you may way to consider:

   Three-tier Serving Tray             Cheese Markers with Pen        Cheese Serving Utensils Set