Cheese List
Last March my friend Mark and I hosted an evening of food and wine for a select group of friends. Here is the list of cheeses I selected to go with the wines Mark picked out.
Boschetto al Tartufo– Goes best with Chardonnay
This gem is about as amazing as a cheese gets. It is a springy, white, semi-soft cheese from Italy that kind of reminds you in texture of US made mozzarella. There is no similarity in taste, however. It is made with a cow and sheep milk blend and is infused with white truffle shavings. The heady aroma and delightful flavor will be enjoyed by all who partake tonight. No wonder it has been called the crack cocaine of cheese.
Borough Market Stilton – Goes well with reds
I couldn’t possibly imagine having a cheese assortment and not including Stilton.
Only six dairies, using the original centuries-old recipe, are licensed to produce this creamy ivory-hued king of cheeses. So esteemed is Stilton’s unique flavor and texture, it is the only British cheese graced with its own certification trademark. It is aged minimally 3 months, which means that the cheese is produced from the milk of the summer season translating into a rich and flavorful cheese that may be a bit pungent to the nose and sharp and nutty on the tongue. Creamy flavors and a rich, buttery texture are present in the Borough Market Farmhouse Stilton.
Cademartori Armonia Torte – Goes well with reds, especially Merlot
Soft and begging to be spread on crusty Italian bread, this delicacy is made of alternate layers of thick Gorgonzola and creamy Mascarpone cream cheese. It is a delightfully harmonious combination of the fairly strong flavor of Gorgonzola and the softer, creamy taste of Mascarpone.
Jacquin Traditional du Berry – Goes with everything, but will be different with each wine (e.g., tangy with a Chardonnay, berry notes with a Syrah, etc.)
This goat cheese from France, named after the town in Berry, is made in the shape of a pyramid with the top part cut off. Legend has it that Charles Maurice de Talleyrand had the cheese invented for Napoleon during the Egyptian campaigns to remind him of the pyramids, but once the campaigns went sour, he had the tops flattened. Another story claims that Napoleon himself went through the town of Valançay after his disappointment in Egypt and at the sight of the little pyramids lopped their tops off with his sword. Disregard for the tops aside, this is a delightful, smooth, creamy and rich cheese with a salty, almost lemony flavor.
Although this cheese usually has an outer layer of mold and ash, I decided to go with a milder and less aggressive version this evening.
Caprice des Dieux – Goes with everything
The Caprice des Dieux from the Vosges has been around for more than forty years and actually got its name from the gods. In former times it was not unusual to name a cheese after monasteries or saints. It is said that the Caprice des Dieux (mood of the gods) tasted so good, that it was immediately attributed to the gods! It is a mild, creamy, soft-white cheese with an addition of crème fraîche in an oval shape with a smooth, velvety, pure penicillin rind.
