French writer Colette once said: "If I had a son, I would tell him to ward off those girls who didn't like wine, music and cheese."

Cheese, glorious cheese, especially finely crafted cheese, is popular worldwide among gastronomes for its myriad flavors and textures. The rest of us like it too, even "stinky" cheese.

In the best French tradition, the Sofitel Hyland Shanghai presents "Fromages de France" through the end of the month at the Mosaic Restaurant.

It features more than 50 cheeses presented by world-renowned French master cheese producer Herve Mons.

This is a unique opportunity to sample a delightful, bewildering variety of cheeses. They include some of world's best, such as Cantal Entre Deux, Coulommiers, Saint Nectaire. and many others.

With a knobby, smooth rind, light gray to golden in color, the fine-textured Cantal Entre Deux smells mild and lactic with nutty undertones. It gets more powerful as it ages. Wine such as Saint-Pourcain red and Cote d'Auvergne are suggested to accompany it.

Coulommiers cheese with a thin, striated rind covered with a compact white mold, sometimes dotted with red or brown, has a creamy to powerfully animal flavor. Supple reds from Burgundy (Fixin, Morey St Denis), Bordeaux (St Estephe, Listrac) or the Loire Valley (Bourgueil) are its best partners.

The Saint Nectaire first appeared in culinary history during the 17th century. It was the Marechal de France, Henry de Senneterre ou Senecterre who made it a favorite at the King's Louis XIV's table.

With a bloomy rind, the cheese smells of earth, mushrooms, straw and humidity. It's best paired with red from Boudes or Saint Emilion.

Awarded "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" - the highest accolade for outstanding French artisans, master Herve Mons started from humble beginnings as the son of an expert cheese maker.