Day 970 : Wine Wednesdays Pairing

What to do on a Wednesday evening? How about wine and cheese at home with a close friend?
Sounds like the perfect midweek evening right? We thought so!

So what did we have?

How's about a morsel of Pave du Nord with a glass of Malbec?

Pave du Nord is a raw cow's milk cheese hailing from France and is named after the classic French cobblestones the cheese's shape resembles. Bright orange on the interior, due to the annatto coloring, and ashen grey on the exterior -- the interior coloring immediately sends your mind to thoughts of Mimolette and other brightly hued cheeses but no, Pave du Nord is different. Firm, flaky, and dense with a creamy, salty, rich, nuttiness to it, this is a rustic, savory, and approachable yet dynamic and distinct cheese.

Image courtesy of www.unfromage.com

With a sip of the Mapema Malbec, this is the perfect pairing!

Dark red notes abound here, think cherries and plums or even marinated slightly sweet cooked fruit nuances. Warming and soft, this is both rustic and approachable yet dynamic and developed! Similar characteristics to our cheese which allows for the perfect Wine Wednesdays pairing!

Day 942 : Seasonal Sips

Do your eyes light up with a glass of bubbles? Mine sure do! And the good news is that 'tis the season for bubbles! Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Sparkling Shiraz, Lambrusco, you name it, the bubbles selection is endless.

There's something particularly festive I find about Lambrusco -- maybe its the mixture of the bubbles and the color and the flavor, it's just perfect in my mind for the holiday season whether its at that big bash or enjoyed with good friends in the comfort of your own home, it will dress up any evening.

Lambrusco traditionally hails from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy and is both a grape and a frizzante red wine. Traditionally crafted in a charmat process -- when the second fermentation happens in a pressurized tank. Light, bright, and fruity, yet crisp and dry with a nice acidity, this festive red bubbly does a dynamic dance on your palate.  Looking for a good Lambrusco that will delight? Try Carafoli Lambrusco Tocca, found at 67 Wine & Spirits.

So what sort of cheese to enjoy with our red bubbles?

This is a pairing that's all about terroir my friends -- local wines and local cheeses that have an excellent harmony based on the region in which they are from.

How about the local cheese from the Emilia Romagna region -- Parmesan.

This beloved cheese's nutty, butterscotchy notes will go hand in hand with the bright red fruity notes of the bubbles. The acidity of the wine will cut right through the dense depth of the cheese to create the perfect holiday festive wine and cheese marriage!

Day 822: Playing a bit of catch up - Big and Bold Pairing to Knock your socks off...

It's been a packed thirty-six hours and I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and catch up on my Fromagical musings but I am here now.

Friday I thought that it would be lovely to propose a knock your socks off TGIF pairing and even though its Sunday morning, the pairing suggestion here can be applied whenever you feel the desire!

The goal with today's pairing is "Big and bold."

Beer : Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA - Amber-reddish in color, notes of pine-y, floral, sweet hops on the nose. Malty, bread-y and warming at first sip, this medium bodied beer finishes with a nice bright bitterness. A great local IPA for those of you IPA fans out there.

Cheese : Twin Maple Farms' Hudson Red - Raw Jersey Cow's Milk washed rind semi-soft cheese-y goodness slightly aged to perfection. Classic washed rind bright orange hues on the exterior with a nice ivory interior -- creamy and tangy with a toasty, meaty, stinky pungence. The bitterness of the beer will find its counterpart in the creamy tangy-ness of the beer -- showing that big and bold can find its home hand-in-hand with big and bold flavors.

Enjoy~

Day 777 : Of celebrations, bubbles, and other fabulous things

This evening I had the opportunity of going to an event with the Ruinart Chef de Cave at Whitehall Bar + Kitchen and I got to thinking about the classic champagne and cheese pairings and how sometimes stepping outside of the box and doing the unexpected is the most fun.

Ruinart's rose champagne is one of my favorite champagnes -- it's delicate and flavorful yet refined and elegant, approachable but developed. It is the sort of champagne that can stand alone or be paired with foods and work each and every time. So this evening I got to thinking about what my favorite Ruinart Rose cheese pairing would be and I determined it would be Vermont Butter & Cheese's Coupole.

Full disclosure -- maybe that's because these are too of my favorites enjoyed together but also because I truly think they work.

Coupole is a geotrichum ripened aged pasteurized goat's milk cheese that is modeled on the Loire Valley greats but is completely it's own Vermont creation -- milky, chalky, citrusy, and crisp with a nice refreshing and tangy finish. The mineral acidity of the cheese finds its counterpart in the bubbly and the red berry nutty notes of the bubbly go hand in hand with the dense brightness of the cheese. An elegant and springy pairing of my favorite French bubbles and Vermont goat's milk cheeses.