Last night, the Summer Olympic Games kicked off epically. The opening ceremony had fireworks and old guys strumming guitars and Gisele and a compelling message about climate change. The night was an event worth celebrating—and, believe us, we at G@H are always hunting for such an occasion.

We invited friends over. We made a cheese plate. We broke out summer wine. Listen, we enjoy a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon as much as the next guy. Strike that. More than the next guy. But, it’s summer! Yes, exclamation point. It’s summer!

Because we were in mood for something light and crisp, we grabbed Brut Prestige from Mumm Napa. It was fruity—definitely notes of apple—and a tad spicy, but it wasn’t sweet at all. That’s great; we don’t do sweet wine. The bubbles made us feel fancy. Yet, the price, at about $20 a bottle, calmed our inner skinflint.

I know what you’re thinking, dear reader. First, why was the United States in the “E” section of the Parade of Nations? For that, you’ll have to ask Matt Lauer. Second, did he say cheese plate? Yes, yes, I did.

Our newest fixation is perfecting the cheese plate. We’re close. As to the cheese itself, we had Sheep’s Milk Cheese from Green Dirt Farm, White Stilton with Mango and Ginger from Somerdale, and Extra Sharp White Cheddar from Tillamook (not pictured). That orb in the middle of the photo—it’s burrata. We need to compose a whole, separate article on the wonders of burrata. It’s fresh mozzarella filled with curd and cream. It’ll blow your mind.

Quality cheese is essential to a successful cheese plate. Duh. But, the accoutrements, i.e., other stuff, is where the magic happens. We added hard salami, sliced apple and peach (not pictured), fig jam, bruschetta and crackers. This time, we forgot walnuts, but you should remember walnuts.

We drank much summer wine. We ate a lot of cheese. We let the Olympic spirit fill our souls. Suffice it to say, we fulfilled our patriotic duty.