Cheese with that wine? Yes!

Two new stores may seem highbrow, but are still for the masses.

Wine and cheese: They’re like bread and butter, but more fun (I mean, what could Borat do with butter? Wait. Don’t answer that.) Following in the footsteps of Brown Derby and its gigantic International Wine Center, local specialty stores (like WineStyles, who we’ve gone to for advice on multiple occasions) are bringing high-society staples to the masses. The two newest opened a day apart in late April and sit roughly a mile from each other on Republic Road in far southwest Springfield.

The Cheddar Block

Owned by Jana and Chris Daugherty, this new kid on the block is patterned after big-city gourmet cheese stores like The Better Cheddar, on the Plaza in Kansas City (You could say it’s a cottage industry.) The Cheddar Block offers a munster-ous selection of 200 to 250 types of gourmet cheese, hard-to-find specialty foods like salamis, olive oils and baking flours, grate kitchen and party accessories and a limited selection of wine (the Paula Deen line has been a gouda seller so far.) The Cheddar Block also has a sandwich bar where the Daughertys sell lunch and eventually coffee. Daugherty says they also plan to partner with Brown Derby, The Cheddar Block’s neighbor on the Quail Creek shopping center, to offer a cheese pairing during wine tastings. Brie it on! 1440 W. Republic Rd., 417-877-1889, thecheddarblock.com

Vino100

Though this franchise is owned by local restaurant veteran Matt Bekebrede, Vino100 is a national chain with approximately 65 locations. The hook: 100 wines for less than $25. The store currently has about 130 labels, many of which will be unfamiliar to local winos; Vino100 has exclusive deals with many smaller vineyards and distributors, which helps keep costs low, Bekebrede says (though he does take special orders.) The store also sells cigars, specialty single-malt bourbons and Scotch, cheese, chocolate and entertaining accessories. It’s not quite wine-shopping for dummies, but almost: handy graphs on the rack next to each wine give customers an at-a-glance idea of the varietal’s flavor and taste.

Vino100 is positioning itself as a social spot—a $35-a-month wine club gets members two bottles of a store-selected wine per month, as well as discounts and access to private tastings. Wining Women Wednesday, a ladies’ night, begins May 16 and is also expected to be a staple. Sorry no jokes; YOU try to come up with a cheap pun for pinot grigio. 2145 W. Republic Rd., 417-883-8466, vino100springfield.com