Summer Grazing: What to Serve at Warm-Weather Events in the Bay Area
Summer in the Bay Area means longer days, golden light, and plenty of reasons to gather. Whether you’re hosting a winery picnic, bridal shower, baby sprinkle, or outdoor dinner party, choosing what to serve during warm weather can feel overwhelming. Grazing boards and tables are the perfect solution: no reheating, totally customizable, and always beautiful.
Here’s how we at The Grazing Company build summer-friendly spreads using the best of the season.
🍑 1. Lean Into Seasonal Produce
Summer is stone fruit season, and we build our boards around it. Think:
Sliced peaches & nectarines
Cherries, apricots, and plums
Fresh berries & grapes
These pair beautifully with soft cheeses and look vibrant on the table. We source our fruit from local Bay Area farmers markets, which means it’s picked at peak flavor.
🧀 2. Choose the Right Cheeses
Warm weather calls for cheeses that can hold up outside and still taste amazing. Our go-to summer selections:
Humboldt Fog – creamy with a citrusy finish
Belfiore Burrata – served chilled with basil and peaches
Fiscalini Farmhouse Cheddar – rich, aged, and robust
Shooting Star Aries – a seasonal favorite when available
We serve cheese in chilled trays pre-event and recommend pulling boards out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
🥖 3. Don’t Forget the Accompaniments
Summer boards shine with a mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and refreshing elements. We love:
Cult Crackers (local and gluten-free!)
Citrus-marinated olives
Honeycomb or stone fruit jam
Herbed nuts or roasted chickpeas
Edible flowers for color + elegance
Want it extra summery? Add fresh basil, mint, or lemon zest.
🍷 4. Wine Pairings We Love
We’ve been pairing our summer boards with wines from local favorites like Tessier and Broc Cellars. Some of our favorite combos:
Peach Caprese Board + Tessier Day Dreaming
Humboldt Fog + Pinot Noir
Truffle Tremor + a skin-contact white or rosé
Ask us about our wine and cheese tasting add-ons for summer events!
🧺 5. Hosting Outdoors? Here’s What to Know
If you’re grazing outside:
Keep boards shaded or on ice packs underneath
Offer chilled drinks and citrus water alongside wine
Use disposable boards and serving tools for easy cleanup
Let us know—we can build graze boxes or picnic packs for easy setup
🎉 Hosting This Summer? Let’s Graze.
We make it easy to host something beautiful and delicious—whether you’re serving 6 or 60. Summer’s our favorite season to graze, and we’d love to create something custom for your next gathering.
📦 Delivered ready to serve
🧀 Artisan California cheeses
🍑 Peak-season fruit
📍 Bay Area based