05.25.09
Say Cheese…
I remember having been to so many social gatherings where cheeses were no more than a spread on toasts and crackers or a complement to the main ingredients on the hors d’œuvres table. This weekend I decided to give artisanal cheeses the proper recognition that they deserve. I hosted an intimate cheese and wine tasting for a small group of food-loving guests. Prior to the party, I identified the major types of cheeses available in the market, whether it’s young and soft, semi-soft, semi-firm, or hard, etc., and requested every guest to bring one type of cheese, one bottle of wine, and one accompaniment. This is a bold idea for a planner like me, mainly because you don’t know what will show up on the cheese board. But the surprises proved to be a satisfying experience.
These days, almost all grocery stores carry quality cheeses of some type. For this particular party, in the spirit of making this a more unique experience, our guests went a great distance to seek out some of the cheeses that they might not be familiar with. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we are fortunate enough to have gourmet stores dotted all over the place. Finding a good artisanal cheese did not seem to be a big challenge for this group.
Cheeses are a delicate treat. Most of them are extremely perishable and sensitive to the surroundings. When storing cheeses in the refrigerator, it is recommended to keep them away from the coldest section. The vegetable drawer would be ideal. Keep the cheese wrapped in a special cheese paper which is a two-ply material consisting of a thin sheet of polyethylene and a wax-coated paper. It allows the cheese to “breathe” and humidity to regulate. If it is not possible to use cheese paper, wrap the cheese snugly, but not tightly, in parchment or waxed paper. For peak flavor and texture, bring cheeses to room temperature before serving. This usually takes about two hours, perhaps less time for hot and humid environments, and more time for cold and dry settings. Cheeses should be generally consumed within several days after you get them home. However, most cheeses will keep for a week to several weeks if properly stored. Typically, aged, hard cheeses last longer than soft, fresh ones. After tasting, don’t let artisanal cheeses go to waste. In addition to savoring them on their own, they are also good for your favorite sandwiches, egg or pasta dishes, soups, salads, and fondues.
Here are the cheeses that we selected:
(in the order of young and soft to aged and hard, ends with a blue. Printable list here.)
Capricho de Cabra
Country: Spain
Milk: Goat
Type: Soft
Wine pairing: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
This is a silky fresh goat cheese from Spain’s Murcia region. There is a clean, smooth, and mellowness to it, with just enough tang and no chalky quality. It feels like cream cheese on the palate. It smells clean and pure, with no gaminess. When it traverses across the tongue, you will get a lighter, smoother, moister and more mellow impression than most young goat cheeses. This cheese tastes delicious with quince paste or fig preserves. It made some of the non-goat-cheese-lovers in the party, including me, rethink their position on goat cheese.
Tomme Vaudoise
Country: Switzerland
Milk: Cow
Type: Soft
Wine pairing: Riesling
This cow’s milk rarity is made in the Jura of Vaud in Switzerland. Beneath its delicate, bloomy rind is a soft and creamy paste that yields hints of butter and earth. The cheese has fresh cut grass scent and fresh milk flavor. It is simply delicious and lovely with light white wines.
La Tur
Country: Italy
Milk: Mixed sheep, cow, and goat
Type: Soft
Wine pairing: Sparkling wine, Chardonnay
Made in Italy’s Piedmont region, at a dairy near Alba, La Tur provides the kind of sensory experience that makes me roll my eyes skyward and lean back in my chair. A thin, edible skin barely contains a hair’s breadth of drippy tang. The internal texture was light and fluffy, like a pudding or mousse, becoming creamy toward the rind. The flavor suggested crème fraîche, with hints of mushroom and a sour-cream tang. At the proper temperature, it can be dense with pungent, ripe flavor. Other young cheeses rarely have this much personality. La Tur has quickly climbed up to the top of my favorite cheese list.
La Serena
Country: Spain
Milk: Sheep
Type: Soft
Wine pairing: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc
La Serena is from the Extremadura region of Spain and has been one of the name-protected cheeses (D.O.P.) since 1992. It is rich and creamy and combines a fruity sharpness with an earthy, pungent flavor. It is made with vegetable rennet from wild thistle flowers which will suit vegetarian diet fans.
Flixer
Country: Switzerland
Milk: Sheep
Type: Semi-Firm
Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc
This very rare cheese is made by only one cheesemaker in Switzerland. Made from sheep’s milk, Flixer has delicate chestnut and savory flavors that melt into a creamy aftertaste.
San Joaquin Gold
Country: U.S.A.
Milk: Cow
Type: Semi-Firm
Wine Pairing: Syrah
From Fiscalini Farms & Cheese Company, and Named after the rich San Joaquin Valley of Central California, this cheese has a natural, thin rind with a tawny buttery color. Its flesh is firm and granular with an aroma of toasted nuts and browned butter. It has pleasant acidity and salt balance with a deep lasting flavor and lovely sweetness. Try this with a multitude of reds.
Comté
Country: France
Milk: Raw cow
Type: Semi-Hard
Wine Pairing: Sherry Wine, Viognier
A cow’s milk cheese from the Franche-Comté region in France, this semi-hard and flexible cheese has a mild, slightly sweet, and “nutty” taste, with hints of matured cream or citrus fruits. Typically aged from 8 to 12 months, and sometimes longer, Comté cheese is heavily controlled by A.O.C. (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) regulations which means the entire cheese-making process from the feeding of cows to how the cheese is made and sold has to strictly adhere to the A.O.C. guidelines. When looking for this cheese, know that the ones with a green casein label signified by an image of a green bell has been given the highest grading during the inspection process. This intensely flavored cheese calls for a full-bodied wine with comparable depth. My favorite pairing during the party is the 2007 Edmeades Zinfandel that Soo brought. It has enough “muscles” to enhance the nuttiness and aromas of this fine cheese.
Aged Mahón
Country: Spain
Milk: Cow
Type: Hard
Olive oil and paprika lend color and aroma to the rind of this distinctive cheese made from cow’s milk, exclusively from the isle of Minorca. Its flavor is buttery sharp, salty with a nutty aroma. This is a versatile cheese — nice as a tapa with olives and wine or beer. You can eat it the traditional way, sliced, then sprinkled with olive oil, black pepper, and tarragon.
Mimolette
Country: France
Milk: Cow
Type: Hard
Wine Pairing: Zinfandel, Merlot
This cheese looks like a cantaloupe in its original form, with its dry hard outer rind that was fed on by cheese mites to create a unique flavor. It is traditionally produced near the town of Lille, France. The inner flesh has a distinctively orange color which is from a natural colorant called achiote. If you look at the photo of La Tur above, you will see a wedge of mimolette behind it. Some compare the taste of this cheese with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gouda, as well as aged cheddar. To me, I simply chisel small chunks of this cheese with the sharp point of a knife and eat them like candy.
Bleu d’Auvergne
Country: France
Milk: Cow
Type: Blue
Wine Pairing: Sweet Wines
Controlled by the A.O.C. in France, Bleu d’Auvergne has a strong and pungent taste, but to a lesser extent than other blue cheeses. It is slightly salty, with a creamy buttery taste, and a moist texture. It’s recommended to pair this strong cheese with a robust red wine or a sweet wine which has the sweetness and bold flavor to balance this cheese.
I hope you find a cheese or two in this list that sounds appealing enough for you to visit your nearest cheese counter and fetch some for your enjoyment. In terms of tasting cheese with wine, I suggest you to be flexible and open to experiments. Everyone has a different preference and palate. The wine should bring out the best quality of the cheese, and the cheese should highlight the winning aspects of the wine. There is no absolute right way of pairing any particular cheese with any wine. As long as one flavor does not overwhelm the other, and you find the combined result pleasing to your taste buds, you have found a winner.
I would love to hear about your cheese experience. Thanks for reading.
