Good to Goat!

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Good to Goat!

Hello Fellow Traveler!

On the road this week…visiting new cities, new cheese counters and the amazing, dedicated cheesemongers behind them.

When I ran out the door for this trip, I did not know what I was going to write about, but considering how much cheese I was going to be around this week, I knew that I would find the inspiration en route.

I am a very visual person, so it’s no wonder that I found the inspiration in the samples that I carried with me!

Goat Cheeses have a very special story. While it may be true that goat cheeses may have been the first cheese to be created (due to the animal’s size, diet, and versatility), it was the French that took this cheese-making style and helped elevate it to a new art form. The different shapes, styles, ages, and treatments that they have used over the years are dizzying! That’s what the folks at ANICAP (L’Association National Interprofessionnelle Caprine) are trying to share with the Goat Cheese-loving public. This art form in France was truly perfected in the Loire Valley of France, where the terroir is so beautifully expressed in these cheeses….

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Wine & Cheese Unite

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For the last 9 years, I have been fortunate enough to help lead a cheese and wine education event at Bogle Wineryin Clarksburg in Northern California. I have been approached many times over the years by different wineries to do a similar event, but I decline their generous offers…

Bogle is so fun to work with and they have an amazing selection and range of wines to pair with no matter what cheese I bring in every year.

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Pairing cheeses and wines seems simple enough, but it is actually more complex than I first thought.

Here are a few examples that you might try at your next event: 

Triple Crème Brie with Champagne

Pure decadence! Creamy, luscious bloomy rind cheeses love Champagne and Sparkling Wines! Something about those silky, creamy and earthy notes of the cheese seem to be in perfect harmony with the fruity, crisp, and effervescent notes of this sparkling treat! Those beautiful bubbles effortlessly wash the creaminess away of this fine style of cheese…No wonder that both have been called the choice of royalty!

Fresh Chévre with Chenin Blanc

The beautiful Loire Valley in Western France is the home to one of the great regional cheese & wine pairings - Fresh Chévre (or aged varieties) served with Chenin Blanc is the classic “What Grows Together, Goes Together” pairing that perfectly captures the essence of “Terrior” (more about that in a future post). As the cheese and wine match each other in acidity and intensity. C'est Magnifique!

Roquefort with Ruby Port 

Some pairings seem to work best with contrasting (or “opposite”) flavors. In this case, you have a creamy sheep’s milk cheese that has a good “bite” of salt, paired with a sweet, almost syrupy gem that is delicious as a dessert or as an apértif. The sweet seems to cut right through the saltiness and balance it out.

Washed Rind Cheeses with Porters

While the Roquefort/Port combination was contrasting, this pairing is complementary, meaning that you have a stronger cheese that can stand up to a stronger beer. Washed Rind cheeses are “Monastery Cheeses” (more about these in a future post) which means that they have been washed with a salt water solution which can give the cheese an orange hue. These tend to be the “Stinky” cheeses varieties such as Limburger, Beer Käse, or Hand Cheese (all from Germany). Prost!

Photos courtesy of Bogle Winery

Photos courtesy of Bogle Winery