| |
 We
were happy to have our second wine and cheese tasting for our
members with Alice Spurrell from Les Amis du Fromage. Alice
brought along one of her assistants, Deanna, to help distribute
the cheese and answer questions from our members and guests. The
last tasting was very well received and had our members asking
for when the next wine and cheese event would be. Our reception
wine was the Paarl Dry Sherry from South Africa. Served
lightly chilled, this sherry was a delight to start the evening.
We began the tasting with our President, Karl, talking about the
3 white wines we were going to be tasting with the 12 different
cheeses that Alice had selected for them. For the whites, there
was the Elderton Riesling, with a citrusy flavour and petrol
aroma; the Omaka Springs Pinot Gris, with it's flavours
of melon and pear; and the Catena Alta Chardonnay, which
was very full-bodied, with grapefruit, apricot, honey and toast
aromas.
There
were cheeses from sheep, goat and cow's milk. Some of the cheeses
were made from raw milk (unpasteurized). Alice had noted that
some of the cheeses had brushed rinds, where the wash could be
a variety of different liquids. For this tasting, some rinds were
brushed wine or beer. Alice indicated that when a rind is brushed
with a liquid, the cheese tends to end up being creamier. The
cheeses for the white wines are below.
Alice indicated that the Young Asiago Pressato, a mild
cheese would go well with red/white/port wines. The Baskeriu
was firm and creamy with a nutty flavor. It was nice with the
reisling. The Garrotxa Bardines, was coated with ash, which
is not edible. This was a fairly hard cheese with a sharp flavour.
The Crottin de Chavignol had a fine grainy texture, but
tasted creamy with the chardonnay. The St. Nectaire was
ripened in straw! The flavour of this cheese grew as you ate it.
The straw flavour was there at the beginning but faded quickly.
The Bella Lodi is a very firm, Parmesan-like, cheese. Alice
indicated it would go well with champagne and sherry. The Empereur
was a very soft cheese with an orange rind. I enjoyed it on it's
own. The Chevre buche was a white cheese with a thick white
rind. Alice indicated that this was good to add to salad. The
Chimay is a cheese with a rind brushed with beer. The Chevre
Fermier Pyrenees is a very hard cheese to acquire now according
to Alice due to the farmland being converted to urban areas. This
cheese was fairly dry and crumbled easily. The Munster Gerome
was a personal favorite. It was very soft and flavourful. The
Pecorino Toscano cheese is good for both red and white
wine. It had a medium firmness and not as strong a flavour compared
to the Bella Lodi.
 We
then moved on to the red wines. Karl gave us a brief introduction
to these wines. Vina Leyda "Brisas" Pinot Noir
was a flavourful pinot with strawberry and cherry flavours and
some violet aroma. It was noted that the Leyda Valley area could
become the premier location for Pinot Noir in Chile. The Matua
"Bullrush" Merlot from the North Island of New Zealand
was had a pruney, plummy aroma, and silky soft flavours on the
palate. The Finca Los Primos Malbec had big flavours of
prune and black cherries. The Graham Beck Ridge Syrah was
a very elegant wine. The wine had well integrated oak and smoothness
from malolactic fermentation. There was nice fruit on the palate.
The last wine was the Craneford Nebbiolo. This grape is
an Italian grape, which is not widely grown outside of Italy.
This wine had a small amount of Grenache and Shiraz to add some
fruitiness. The wine was medium red with orange edges. The bouquet
was of cherry and some sweetness. The cherry flavour continued
on the palate along with medium tannins.
Alice gave us some cheese pointers. She mentioned that sometimes
the rind of the cheese does not go well with wine, but the inside
of the cheese may be ok. There are different coloured labels for
different ages of cheese. Last, that good cheese is made the day
the animals are milked. The cheeses for the red wines are below.
 The
Poplar Grove Double Cream was the first cheese we tasted
with the red wines. This is a BC cheese and is formed into a heart
shape. Very appropriate for Valentines. The Comte Montagne
Extra has a hard, inedible rind. This cheese is aged for 18
months. It has a strong, nutty flavour. The Prince du Jura
was soft and milky. The Queso de Cabra al Vino is brushed
with wine. This is a firm cheese that has a sharp/bitter flavour.
It was nice with the Merlot. The Taleggio also had a brushed
rind. It was smooth and creamy. The Cantal is a good cheese
to cook with and is also good with wine. It has a medium firmness.
The Pierre Robert was very very soft and had some saltiness.
The Vignerons was brushed with wine. It was very aromatic
and had toasted almond flavour. The Brie de Melun was wonderful
(author's opinion). It had a medium softness and was nice with
the Syrah. The Affidelice affine au Chablis was very runny,
and had salty/oyster flavours. The Bleu des Causses was
stronger flavoured than the Roquefort. It had some saltiness.
Alice indicated this wine would go well with port, or with your
morning coffee. The last cheese was the Roquefort Societe.
It was saltier than the previous blue cheese, and was also recommended
for port or coffee. This cheese is only made between December
and June.
 Tasting
Selection
This tasting was different from our other tastings as we did not
vote for a favourite red and white wine. Each wine was picked
for it's
unique style, so each wine is a winner.
|
|
