Although it seems like an easy thing to do, creating the perfect cheese board is very difficult.  Trying to find the right balance of sweet, salty, savory and crunchy takes a lot of trial and error.  When I am putting together a cheese board I like to think about the rest of the meal I am preparing and try and keep to the theme of the main course.  When I was making Paella, I made sure to pick different Spanish cheeses and olives.  I served it was a crisp Spanish Cava to start and then served different Spanish reds and whites.

Another important aspect of a cheese board is that you should offer a number of different textures of cheeses.  I like to serve a creamy, semi-soft cheese like a Boursin or Brie; a firm and sharp cheese like a sharp Cheddar or Gruyere; and hard cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I always put something sweet on the board like fresh fruit or dried fruits.  There is always something very salty like olives or pickles and I occasionally will put a cured meat on the plate.  Again, always consider what you are serving as your main course so that your cheese board does not contradict what you are serving for dinner.