Welcome to Che’ Lopez or as I like to refer to it, “Russ’s house.” My friend Russ Lopez likes to throw wine parties called “Whiner & Cheese Par-tays.” These parties have become somewhat of a “Russ tradition” but you can easily borrow the idea, throw in some personal touches and make the tradition your own.

The parties revolve around a very simple concept… all the guests are asked to bring a bottle of yummy wine. Everything else evolves from there. “It’s really fun,” says Russ. “Because my friends bring a lot of different and interesting wines and people get a chance to taste a wide variety. ”There are no elaborate decorations for this party. Russ puts out a few fresh flowers and uses a fireplace as a mini-bar. Simplicity is the key.

Of course there is water and soda for designated drivers or those who don’t choose to drink. Sorry beer lovers… no beer for you!

I brought a bottle of Tanis Vineyards Barbera (Amador County). I raved about it, so of course it got opened during party prep and was gone before the party even started.

Russ set out quite an impressive looking spread of appetizers and snacks that were surprisingly very easy to throw together. In fact, Russ really wasn’t sure what he was going to serve until it all just kinda “came together.”

Russ belongs to an organic farm club called, Del Rio Botanicals located in West Sacramento, California. He called the club, told them about the party and said, “Just give me whatever is looks good.” He ended up with a gorgeous variety of tiny multi-colored tomatoes, fresh figs, cucumbers and wildflower honeycomb. All of which found its way to the table in one form or another.

Russ’s friend, Juan Carlos Arguello made a beautiful salad with the organic tomatoes. Click here for this simple recipe. That salad was probably my favorite dish of the night. Russ set the rest of the tomatoes out in a pretty muffin pan (no one would have guessed it was a muffin pan).

In fact, every serving dish or platter was unique and beautiful, but none matched. The mis-matching tableware added a certain charm and casual ambiance the party.

Of course Russ had an assortment of cheeses, because it was after all, a whiner and CHEESE par-tay. There were plenty of sauces, dips, fresh salsa (made from the organic tomatoes) bread, crackers, chips, salads, hummus and more. Russ didn’t make all of it. Friends brought some of the grub. Thank goodness for friends who like to help!

Russ’s friend, Roy Mosier barbequed bratwurst and mild Italian sausages and sliced them up to be served with toothpicks and Dijon mustard.

“You don’t have to prepare a huge, elaborate dinner to have a great wine party,” said Russ. “You just need a nice variety of simple foods for people to nosh on throughout the evening.”

Also, don’t stress about what wine goes with what food… blah, blah, blah. It’s all about what you and your guests like. Throw your “wine pairing book of rules” out the window. Just mix it up. Your guests and their taste buds will have a ball!

I’m all about truth in journalism, so I have to tattle on Russ. He snagged a bottle of Staggs Leap Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) and set it aside for himself! I suppose he’s entitled, it was his birthday after all. Happy Birthday Russ!

Russ also added a few of his own wines to mix as he belongs to the Dillian, Jeff Runquist and C.G. DiArie wine clubs (all Amador County). Russ is a fan of Primitivo.

One of the great things about Russ’s parties is that he met some of his current friends at his past parties. Russ’s friends usually bring guests and now those guests are in Russ’s large circle of friends, and even help with party prep. New friends AND wine party enthusiasts… it doesn’t get much better than that!

Russ’s Tip: Rent wine glasses for large parties. You don’t have to worry about guests breaking expensive glasses. There’s no washing involved (I love that!). Plus, you don’t have to find a place to store the extra glassware in between uses.

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