The Cheese Course: Meet cheese's true soulmate - beer!

It's October, so forget the wine and cheese parties. The best partner for cheese isn't wine, after all - it's BEER.

Die-hard wine enthusiasts (myself included) may scoff at the notion, but the grain-based nature of beer - which gives it its earthy, yeasty, musty, fruity, floral nuances - jibes with cheese in a way that wine simply cannot. Wine can make a good partner for cheese, but it will never be its soulmate.

Although you'll find many happy matches that break the following rules, these guidelines are a good starting point for bringing the two together in harmony. Whether a pale ale, pilsner, wheat ale or...