Calgary may be buried in snow, but a Rioja tasting with cheese was my little winter escape. From Joven to Gran Reserva, each pairing brought a taste of Spain to the table and made the blizzard feel a little less bitter.

Vacherin Mont-d’Or is Switzerland’s fleeting winter treasure: a rich, woodsy, irresistibly molten cheese from the Vaud Alps. Appearing only in the cold months, it arrives in its signature spruce box like a miniature seasonal festival. Its classic partner is Chasselas, Switzerland’s crisp, quietly elegant white wine, whose freshness lifts every decadent, spoonable bite.