Corks and Curds

Cutting Cheese

2009-03-04T11:58:00.001-05:00

Dancing Buffalo Apple Icewine

2009-02-26T07:24:00.002-05:00

Carl Schmitter of Chateau Buffalo and Dancing Buffalo Cidre recently released an incredibly unique and tasty concoction that you won't find anywhere else: Glace de Ballet Apple Icewine. This delectable dessert wine is a sweet and refreshing change of pace.

Carl starts by pressing Golden Russet, Golden Delicious and wild apples and collecting the juice. Then he sets the juice outside in the Buffalo winter cold (see, Buffalo winters are good for something!) until much of the water in the juice freezes. The vast majority of the sugar in the apple juice falls to the bottom, while the ice forms at the top. Carl then pours off the heavier, sweeter and more flavorful juice that remains and repeats the freezing process at least once, sometimes twice.

Carl then ferments the concentrated juice that results from this process of 'cryoconcentration.' Because there is less sugar in apple juice than there is in grape juice, the fermentation process goes more slowly than for ordinary wines. Carl doesn't add any extra sugar to speed up the process. He uses only the natural sugars found in the apples. It takes about two months for the fermentation process to transform enough of the apple sugar into alcohol.

Because Carl wants enough sugar to remain in the wine so that it can be a dessert wine, Carl stops the fermentation at a certain point simply by taking wine back outside for a "cold shock." Carl lets the cold Buffalo weather kill the yeast responsible for fermentation but does not allow it to freeze again.

Once back inside, Carl takes the wine through a series of three 'rackings.' In this process Carl allows the solids in the icewine (including the dead yeast) to settle to the bottom of the large jugs it is stored in and pours off the clearer liquid above the solids. Gravity thus acts as a filter or clarifier. The racking process takes several months.

The result is a wonderful and unique icewine that not only tastes great but makes for some interesting after-dinner conversation as well. Carl also suggests serving it as an apéritif or with lightly sautéed foie gras, a fine piece of chèvre or warmed apple tart. I can't recommend this one-of-a-kind apple icewine highly enough.

Toronto Wine and Cheese Show

2009-02-20T07:20:00.000-05:00

The 2009 Toronto Wine & Cheese Show is coming up March 20-22, 2009. Attendees can sample thousands of wines, spirits, cheeses and other culinary delights.

The show, Canada's largest of its kind, will be held at The International Centre (6900 Airport Road, Mississauga) Fri., Mar. 20th 12pm - 10pm, Sat. (Mar. 21st) 12pm - 9pm, and Sun. (Mar. 22nd) 12pm - 6pm.

The Toronto Wine & Cheese Show features a variety of Wine Appreciation Seminars offered by internationally and locally recognized wine professionals. Seminar topics include tips on pairing wine and cheese, the basic dimensions of wine appreciation, top Chilean wines, and big, bold Italian reds. A full list of seminars can be found here. Seminar tickets include tastings during the Seminars as well as $18 admission to the Wine and Cheese Show.

The show also features cheese tastings hosted by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. More than a dozen live cooking shows featuring hosts from the Food Network will also take place at the Gourmet Kitchen Theatre. Live jazz and other entertainment will be provided throughout the event.

A fully detailed list of all events will be posted on the show's website Mar. 5th. Attendees must be 19 years of age or older. Infants and children are not permitted.

Raw Milk Cheeses Now Permitted in Quebec

2009-02-14T09:03:00.001-05:00

According The Globe and Mail, Quebec is now going to allow the sale of raw-milk cheeses that have been aged for less than 60 days. The US Dept. of Agriculture and its Canadian equivalent have banned such cheeses over health concerns.

Purists, however, have long maintained that requiring pasteurization renders the "bries" and "camemberts" available in North America nearly tasteless. Connoisseurs of soft-ripened cheeses maintain that these cheeses reach their peak aroma and flavor after 21 to 30 days of aging and that pasteurization destroys harmless but essential microbes that give the cheeses a unique, rich flavor.

The rationale for allowing cheeses that are aged for more than 60 days to bypass the pasteurization process is that if there are any harmful pathogens in the cheese, they will reveal themselves during the aging process in visible cultures. The tainted cheese can then be safely discarded. Because cultures of harmful microbes may not show up after only a few days of aging, there is some risk that potentially harmful cheese will be sold to consumers.

In order to alleviate concerns about the safety of the new raw-milk cheeses, Quebec is instituting a new set of strict rules that govern milk production and veterinary inspection of dairy herds.

Quebec has long been the capital of artisanal cheesemaking in Canada. I may have to take a cheese tour of the province in the near future.

Winter Wine Day at Niagara University

2009-02-08T08:26:00.004-05:00

Following upon the success of their first Wine Day last summer, Niagara University has decided to host a Winter Wine Day on Sat., Feb. 28th, 9am-12pm. The cost is $35, which includes registration, a personalized Wine Day glass, and a 10% discount card from the Niagara Wine Trail.

I attended the Wine Day event last Aug. and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I discovered there was more to the Niagara (NY) region's winemaking industry than I was previously aware of.

This year's Wine Day features lectures on a variety of topics, including proper storage of wine, etiquette for pouring and serving wine, the history of barrel usage in winemaking, which woods make the perfect wine, what happens to a wine while it ages in a barrel and why this is desirable, and how to decipher the individual components of wines' aromas and flavors.

Wine Day presents a wonderful opportunity to learn not only about wine in general but also about the unique wines of Niagara County, NY.

Heartland Chèvre

2009-02-02T07:10:00.005-05:00

My local cheese shop, Premier Gourmet, recently started carrying a new line of chèvre from Heartland Creamery. The Heartland lineup includes a natural (or plain) chèvre, plus several varieties that are rolled in an array of seasonings--e.g., fine herbs, lemon pepper, garlic & chive, and olive & pimiento.

Heartland also offers a chèvre log blended with dried cranberries, chopped pecans and a touch of cinnamon. This is the one I bought. It is a very pleasant blend of creamy, sweet, tangy, sour, fruity and nutty flavors.

Heartland Creamery is located in northeast Missouri. Their goat cheeses are made from the milk of 750 grass-fed, hormone-free Saanen goats. With their herd of 6000 Holsteins, they have become the largest dairy in MO in a very short period of time.

I don't usually buy "cheese-with-stuff-in-it," but I was initially attracted to the cheese because it had the most interesting packaging in the cheese case (cf. picture above). I don't know why more American cheesemakers don't utilize interesting and stylish packaging to showcase their products.

Another unique feature of Heartland Creamery is that all of the profits from the sale of their milks and cheeses go to support the faith-based recovery work of Heartland Ministeries. They provide housing, education, recovery programs, group homes, and vocational training for troubled adolescents and adults. I don't remember ever buying a cheese before that helped people.

Heartland also takes a lighthearted approach to its religious roots, playfully naming its habanero and jalapeño Gouda "Brimstone" and its aged Gouda "Methuselah" (after the oldest person mentioned in the Bible). I encourage you to try the interesting cheeses from this relatively new cheesemaker.

An Easy Way to Remove Wine Labels

2009-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the following video Richard Hayes demonstrates an easy technique for removing and saving wine labels that does not require the purchase of expensive adhesive strips or other wine products.

Midnight Moon

2009-01-21T06:33:00.001-05:00

The superior quality of the Cypress Grove Chevre (no, they don't use the accent grave) product line is probably unmatched among American cheesemakers today. Their Midnight Moon is one of the many reasons why.

Midnight Moon is a pale, firm, cheddar-style goat's milk cheese that is aged at least six months. It has a wonderully rich, creamy and nutty flavor.

The milk comes from a dairy in the Netherlands and does much of its aging in Europe before coming to Cypress Grove's northern California headquarters. The curds are cooked during the cheesemaking process, which accounts for much of its firmness.

The cheese was awarded the Best New Product in Show prize in 2002 at the International Fancy Food & Confection Show and was a Finalist for Best Cheese there a year later.

If you want to find out what high quality artisanal cheese tastes like, sample this or any other fine product from Cypress Grove. (Cf. here, here, here and here for my reviews of other Cypress Grove products.)

I enjoy Midnight Moon most on a slightly buttery cracker. Cypress Grove recommends pairing it with cured meats, fresh fruit or fig preserves. It pairs well with a variety of wines, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, dry Sherry, Gewurtztraminer, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The only negative thing about Cypress Grove products is that they are more expensive than most other cheeses in my local cheese purveyor's cheese case. I understand that this is often a necessary feature of high quality food products, but I would eat a lot more Cypress Grove Chevre if it were cheaper.

Cooleeney Irish Farmstead Cheese

2009-01-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

The second installment of the video partnership between Corks and Curds and iFoods features iFoods chef Niall Harbison interviewing Breda Maher of Cooleeney Cheese in County Tipperary, Ireland. Cooleeney has been making fine artisanal cheeses since 1986 from the milk of their Friesian dairy herd.

2009 Niagara Icewine Festival

2009-01-08T19:59:00.006-05:00

The 2009 Niagara Icewine Festival will be held Jan. 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th in the Niagara region of southern Ontario. (The event is listed as spanning Jan. 16th - 25th, but the main events fall on the two weekends listed.) The official festival guide can be found here.

Every year the Icewine Festival features two outdoor icewine bars furnished with chairs and tables made out of ice (pics here). Sound interesting? Don't bother. Every year the icewine bars are crowded into tiny little tents not fit for the enormous volume of patrons crowding into them.

Each year that I've attended the Icewine Festival I've pushed and elbowed my way into the icewine bar located in the middle of the street in Niagara-on-the-Lake, only to wait in an extremely long line inside the tent for a sip of icewine that I won't get to enjoy to its full because someone will hit my elbow and make me spill half of it. Then I won't be able to enjoy any of the potentially interesting ice chairs because they are always--trust me, always--taken by people who are going to be sitting in them for a very long time.

My recommendation is that you go to the wineries themselves. You'll find shorter lines, friendlier service, cozier atmospheres and no crowds. A map of all the Niagara wineries can be found here. See p. 14ff. of the festival guide for a listing of events that will be taking place at each of the area wineries.

If you're in the area but can't make the Icewine Festival, consider coming out to the Niagara wineries during their "Days of Wine and Chocolate" weekends during Feb.

Ontario icewine is a unique and interesting beverage. If you can't make it to Ontario, look for icewine in the dessert wine section of your local wine shop or ask your wine retailer to order some for you. You won't be disappointed.

Smokey Blue

2009-01-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue is the world's first (and only?) smoked blue cheese and is one of the most interesting blue cheeses I've ever tasted.

After aging for at least 3 months, this raw cow's milk cheese is cold smoked for 16 hours over smoldering hazelnut shells. The result is an interesting blend of sweetness, sharpness and smokiness. The smoky flavor of the cheese is not overwhelming and balances (if not mellows) the sharpness of its blue veins.

Smokey Blue won the 'Best New Product' Award at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Food Show in 2005.

Smokey Blue pairs well with a variety of wines--from full-bodied to fruity reds (e.g., Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Merlot) to dry whites (e.g.,Pinot Gris, Chardonnay) to sweeter white wines (e.g., Gewürztraminer, late harvest Rieslings) to ports. Try a slice on your next burger or steak or serve it on your next party cheese tray.

Those who are not big fans of blue cheeses should definitely give Smokey Blue a try. It is a nutty, creamy delight.

Moderate Drinking May Decrease Brain Size

2008-12-27T08:00:00.004-05:00

According to a recent study published in Archives of Neurology, even moderate drinking can decrease the size of your brain. A team of researchers led by Carol Ann Paul of Wellesley College asked 1,839 participants between the ages of 33 and 88 how much they drank per week and used MRI scans to measure their brain volumes. They found "a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total cerebral brain volume." In other words, the more people drank, the more their brains shrunk.

As people age, their brains normally shrink about 2% every 10 years. However, Paul's results show that the brains of heavy drinkers (more than 14 drinks per week) were 1.5% smaller than those of non-drinkers. Moderate drinkers (8-14 drinks per week) also had smaller brain volumes than non-drinkers. Since decreased volume in certain areas of the brain is associated with memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease, these results raise some questions about the touted health benefits of moderate drinking. Those benefits are usually associated with the human cardiovascular system. However, it may be that what's good for your heart is not so good for your brain.

Cashel Blue and Crozier Blue Cheese Videos

2008-12-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

Corks and Curds is proud to announce a new partnership with iFoods. In the coming weeks we will feature some of iFoods' Irish Farmhouse Cheese videos on the blog.

Our first video installment features iFoods chef Niall Harbison interviewing Sarah Furno, whose parents, Louis and Jane Grubb, invented Cashel Blue, Ireland's original artisanal blue cheese, in 1984. Henry and Louis Clifton Browne, nephews of Louis and Jane Grubb, invented Crozier Blue, a blue sheep's milk cheese, in the 1990s.

Insect Sushi, Anyone?

2008-12-15T08:39:00.007-05:00

The following story has nothing to do with wine or cheese, but I couldn't resist including it.

The insect sushi platter pictured above was created by Shoichi Uchiyama, author of a recent Japanese cookbook on bug cuisine. Featured insects include a spider, a cockroach, a cicada, and cicada larvae.

Mr. Uchiyama's says he especially likes to eat female spiders that are carrying young in their stomachs. He says they taste like simmered soy beans. (This must be the Japanese equivalent to "It tastes like chicken"--the most common line given by Americans eating some weird type of meat, e.g., alligator, snake, possum, rat, etc.)

There are apparently about 1,000 different kinds of insects that are considered edible. Mr. Uchiyama's wife insists that deep-frying is the best way to enjoy most of them.

When I was in China earlier this year, I looked far and wide for a snack shop that would sell me fried scorpions on a stick. But I wasn't actually going to eat them. I just wanted to have a photo of me pretending to eat them!

Mr. Uchiyama maintains that insects are nutrionally balanced and low in fat. He does, however, admit that anyone eating one of his cockroach recipes should probably not think about what they're eating. No kidding.

Photo credit: Rex Features

Hot Chili Wine: A Spicy New Treat

2008-12-09T08:31:00.007-05:00

After enjoying samples of several New York wines at Chateau Buffalo a couple of weeks ago, Carl Schmitter (owner of Chateau Buffalo) invited me to sample a unique concoction that one of his friends had just brought in: Hot Chili Wine from Disaster Bay, Australia.

The wine is made from nine different varieties of chilies, and is simply delicious. I've never tasted a wine that burned as it went down! The folks at Disaster Bay say that the wine leaves a "warm inner glow." That's one way to put it! They describe the heat level of the wine as being around 5/10.

The Hot Chili Wine has a sweet, citrus aroma and contains a fair amount of residual sugar. Carl believes that sugar from something besides chilies must have been added in order for fermentation to be possible. Regardless of what their secret recipe calls for, this is a sweet and spicy treat. Served ice cold, it is lots of fun.

If you can't find Disaster Bay Hot Chili Wine at your local wine shop, you can order it online here. Consider giving this as a holiday gift to that special someone who likes fiery cuisine.

Alfred le Fermier

2008-12-03T09:10:00.009-05:00

The best Canadian cheese I managed to obtain on my Ontario Cheese Adventure was Alfred le Fermier, produced by Fromagerie La Station in Compton, Quebec. This semi-firm cheese has a pleasant floral aroma and a robust, sweet, buttery and nutty flavor.

A true farmstead cheese, Alfred le Fermier is made from the raw milk of Holstein cows that graze in organic pastures filled with white clover, wild clover and alfalfa. After the heated, pressed curds are shaped into molds, it is aged for eight months on spruce planks. During that time its rind is periodically brushed and washed (with brine?).

Alfred le Fermier goes well on a cheese tray and with fresh fruit. I recommend pairing it with medium- to full-bodied red wines (e.g., Syrah, Cabernet). A recipe for a farmhouse salad that uses Alfred le Fermier can be found here. Fromagerie La Station also provides fondue and panini recipes on their website. I highly recommend this wonderful, rustic cheese.

Ontario Cheese Adventures

2008-11-29T11:28:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I drove from Buffalo, NY, to Ottawa, ON, to attend the Canadian Society for Epistemology's conference on New Directions in Epistemology. I had hoped to visit some Canadian cheesemakers along the way. Of course, my plan was to do more than merely visit these places. I also wanted to write up nice blog posts about them.

However, it turns out that none of the cheesemakers I contacted that are listed on the Ontario Cheese Map are open to the public. So, although the Ontario Cheese Society has put together an interesting map, it doesn't appear to be very useful to the average cheese lover. (We'll assume that the Ontario Cheese Retailers map they made actually lists places that one can visit.)

When I did arrive in Ottawa, I had an equally disappointing cheese experience. I had searched the internet ahead of time in order to find the city's best cheese shops and thought that The House of Cheese in Ottawa's historic ByWard Market would be one of them. However, the owner was not at all interested in answering any of my questions about Canadian cheese--even simple questions like "Which of these Canadian cheeses do you think are the best?" or "Who makes the cheese you allowed me to sample?"

After giving me samples of two cheeses, the owner of the House of Cheese brusquely informed me that he would not be giving me any more samples--as if I was a mooch who was out to make him lose money by sampling everything in the display case. I had previously told him that I was interested in learning about and buying the best Canadian cheeses he had. One would have thought that he would have been more engaged by my interest in his caseic wares.

In spite of the various obstacles I encountered in searching for good Canadian cheeses in Ontario, I did manage to find some, which I will tell you about in my next post.

Domaine de Givaudan

2008-11-25T17:14:00.005-05:00

I recently opened a bottle of Domaine de Givaudan's Cuvée Léa, which is made from 70% Grenache Noir, 30% Syrah, and is aged 12 months is stainless steel tanks. Domaine de Givaudan is a small wine producer located in the Côtes du Rhône in southern France.

The Cuvée Léa has a very dark purple color, a fruity, crushed berry nose, and a peppery finish. The vines that produce the Cuvée Léa are an average of 30 years old, and the soil underneath their 49 acres of vines is a unique combination of crushed sandstone, grit soils, red clay, sand, iron and limestone clay. All of these components combine with other aspects of their terroir to give the wines complex, yet balanced flavors.

At $15 or less, the wines of Domaine de Givaudan are great deals.

NY Farmstead Cheese

2008-11-07T22:05:00.002-05:00

A growing number of New York cheesemakers are creating high quality handcrafted cheeses. Six NY farmstead cheesemakers had cheeses place in the top 3 of their categories at the most recent American Cheese Society competition.

Many of these cheesemankers united in 2003 to form the New York State Farmstead and Artisan Cheese Makers Guild in order to "foster a strong and vibrant farmstead artisan cheese-making sector in the state and to support its growth." The guild advocates the continuation and preservation of family farms and farm management practices that nourish and sustain the soil and the surrounding landscape and community.

The NY Farmstead & Artisanal Cheese Makers Guild has produced a downloadable brochure and map that shows where to find the state's artisanal cheesemakers. Consider taking the map along with you on your next driving trip across the state of NY.

Cheese Boot Camp

2008-10-31T20:49:00.004-04:00

Murray's Cheese (NYC) recently held its first Cheese U Bootcamp--an intense 3-day course filled with lectures, demonstrations and tastings. The 15-hour course covers the history of cheesemaking, the flavor characteristics of every family of cheese, the aging process, the chemistry of cheese, a cheesemaking demonstration, and pairing cheeses with wine and beer.

This serious course of study is intended for serious cheese enthusiasts, chefs, culinary students, restaurant owners or anyone else who wants to have a strong foundation in the world of cheese. The Cheese U Boot Camp includes suggested readings, optional take home assignments, a final exam, and even a graduation certificate. The cost is $495.

Murray's also offers a slate of less intense, less expensive ($50), one-night cheese courses that cover the basics of cheese, wine and cheese pairing and a variety of other interesting topics. In March, New York magazine designated these courses as NYC's best post-secondary education opportunities. The third Saturday of every month they also offer $10 tours of their underground cheese caves for those interested in the process of cheese aging. The next time I'm in NYC, I'm going to try to work one of these classes into my schedule.

Tumbleweed: A Bloomy Cheddar

2008-10-24T23:44:00.009-04:00

Premier Gourmet, my local cheese shop, has begun carrying some new raw milk cheeses. One is Tumbleweed, an aged (8-9 months), bloomy rind cheddar produced by 5 Spoke Creamery in Port Chester, NY. Tumbleweed is made from the milk of grass-fed, pesticide-free and hormone-free cows. It is even certified kosher.

Tumbleweed is a very interesting and complex cheese. It has a creamy, nutty, sharp flavor with a slightly curdy texture. It is rare that one finds a cheese that is produced like cheddar (i.e., its curds are cut and pressed a good deal) but has a bloomy rind (i.e., a thin covering of soft, white penicilium molds.)

Most great European cheeses are made from raw milk. In America, USDA regulations require that unpasteurized cheeses be aged at least 60 days. This allows any potentially harmful bacteria either to die or at least to make itself obvious so that it can be discarded. Raw-milk cheeses are said to be richer, creamier, more buttery and more flavorful product than cheeses made from pasteurized milk.

Alan J. Glustoff, owner of 5 Spoke Creamery, says that because his grass-fed cows get to roam and pick and choose from a variety of grasses, herbs, flowers and weeds, the cheeses produced from their milk have a complexity of flavor that cannot be duplicated. Glustoff is a former dairy technologist who allegedly tired of testing yogurt and other products for big corporations. After becoming strictly kosher as an adult, he was frustrated that he could not find any kosher cheeses that were as good as the ones available to the non-kosher community. So, he decided to make his own "fantastic cheeses that just happen to be kosher."

Glustoff touts the following health benefits of raw milk cheeses:

BETTER DIGESTION: Only raw milk has the enzyme phosphataze intact which allows the body to absorb greater amounts of calcium and allows for the digestion of lactose.

STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM: Raw milk has all the beneficial bacteria and lactic acids found naturally in milk, which implant in the intestines and contribute to a stronger immune system.

FIGHTS ALLERGIES: Raw milk has a cortisone-like factor present in the cream, which aids in combating allergies.

THE RIGHT FATS: Grass fed, raw milk cheeses are one of the few foods that contain a perfect balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, a ratio ideal for your health.

CANCER PROTECTION: Grass fed, raw milk cheeses are very high in conjugated linoleic acid; five times more CLA than dairy products from grain-fed cows! CLA is among the most potent cancer fighters found in all foods.

BETTER CALCIUM ABSORBTION: Raw milk is rich in colloidal minerals and enzymes, which are necessary for the absorption and utilization of the natural sugars and fats present in milk. Conversely, heated, pasteurized milk becomes precipitated with minerals that cannot be absorbed, contributing to osteoporosis, as well as sugars that cannot be properly digested and fats in a form that contributes to a buildup of unhealthy cholesterol

The folks at Murray's Cheese, which claims to be NYC's oldest and best cheese chop, suggest trying Tumbleweed in your next melting pot of fondue. Recipes from 5 Spoke Creamery involving Tumbleweed can be found here. I recommend simply trying this uniquely flavored, delicious cheese all by itself.

Taste the Season at Niagara-on-the-Lake

2008-10-16T22:44:00.009-04:00

Taste the Season is a wine and food extrava-ganza hosted by the 18 wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake (just across the border from Buffalo on Lake Ontario). The event takes place every weekend in November (Nov. 1st & 2nd, 8th & 9th, 15th & 16th, 22nd & 23rd, and 29th & 30th) and celebrates the best tastes of the harvest season with a popular touring and tasting program.

Each winery will feature a unique wine and food pairing. A tour pass ($40), which can be purchased in advance or at any participating winery, entitles you to sample each of the delectable dishes described below and to receive a collectible holiday ornament. Proceeds from sales of this pass will go to Second Harvest to provide food for needy families. Last year Taste the Season provided enough money for 20,000 nutritious meals.

Taste the Season is a wonderful chance to explore southern Ontario in the autumn.

Features Food and Wine Pairings:

Cattail Creek Estate Winery

2006 Dry Riesling

Treadwell’s Costini topped with Beet

Cured Lake Trout and Daikon Cress

Château des Charmes

2006 Gewürztraminer, St. Davids Vineyard

Cassoulet Tart - The Classic White Bean, Smoked Pork and with Duck Confit Stew baked into a delicate crust

Coyote's Run Estate Winery

2007 Cabernet

Smoked Duck Breast with Black Paw Vineyard Cabernet Jelly on Brioche

Hillebrand Winery

Trius Vidal Icewine 2006

Icewine Roasted Fall Fruit Crumble with Chantilly Cream

Inniskillin Wines

2006 Gamay Noir

Holiday Scone with Dried Cranberries and white chocolate

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery

2006 Proprietors' Reserve Merlot

Pulled Beef Brisket Crostini

Joseph's Estate Wines

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Smoked Turkey with Brie and Leek Mini Quiche

Konzelmann Estate Winery

2007 Shiraz

Specialty Aged Canadian Cheddar and Niagara Gold Quiche with Fresh Herbs Roulade

Lailey Vineyard

2006 Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula

Turkey en Croûte with Spiced Cranberry Compote

Marynissen Estates Winery

2004 Cabernet Merlot

Macaroni Casserole with Spiced Beef and Tomato Sauce

Niagara College Teaching Winery

2007 Sauvignon Blanc Fumé

Goat's Cheese Lollipops with Local Pear Chutney

Palatine Hills Estate Winery

2007 Fumé Blanc Proprietors Reserve

Smoked Atlantic Salmon with Roasted Pear and Goat Cheese

Peller Estate

Ice Cuvée

Cured Salmon with Horseradish Crème Fraiche and Chive Blini

Pillitteri Estates Winery

2004 Riesling - Dry Chicken Terrine with Pear and Riesling Compote

Reif Estate Winery

2004 Meritage

Fricassee of Lamb with Fall Vegetables and Meritage Jus

Stonechurch Vineyards

2007 Riesling- Gewürztraminer

Smoked Salmon Tarama

Strewn Winery

2006 Terroir Chardonnay Barrel Fermented

Mushroom Terrine with Roasted Garlic and Herbs

Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery

Blueberry

Spiced Mayan Walnuts

Deco Chocolate Port

2008-10-09T16:40:00.003-04:00

Deco Chocolate Port from Sonoma Valley Portworks is made from a blend of Californian and Australian ports and is infused with essences of bittersweet chocolate. Serious port? No. Fun port? Yes.

70% of what goes into Deco Chocolate Port is a young, fruity California port that is made from Syrah and Zinfandel grapes and is aged only 4 years. 30% of the port comes from a richer, older (8 yrs.) Southern Australian port made from Grenache and Shiraz.

Sonoma Valley Portworks claims that Deco Chocolate Port arose from an accident. They write, "In 1992, while trying to create the perfect after-dinner table wine, a dash of chocolate essence inadvertently dropped into the glass of port our winemaker was enjoying at the end of the day. One sip and he knew he had stumbled onto something extraordinary." In 1993 they introduced Duet, a California cream sherry with essences of natural hazelnut.

Sonoma Valley Portworks suggests serving Deco with Tiramisu, Crème Brule, Chocolate Cheesecake or Chocolate Dipped Biscotti. I think it would be dessert enough for me all by itself.

Deco Chocolate Port is liquid fun. Try serving it at your next dinner party.

New York Wine & Culinary Center

2008-10-02T20:58:00.006-04:00

The New York Wine & Culinary Center describes itself as "an educational and experiential gateway to New York State's incredible wine, food and culinary industries." The $7.5 million facility is located in Canandaigua, NY, at the north end of Canandaigua Lake, a short drive from Buffalo or Rochester.

The Center's Tasting Room features wines from all regions of New York State. Knowledgeable staff can guide you through a tasting flight of New York's delicious, complex, award-winning wines, and educate you about winemaking, wine styles and wine-producing regions.

The NY Wine & Culinary Center also features a variety of fascinating wine and food classes. You can take classes that compare NY wines with other wines of the world and classes on pairing wine and food, the basics of wine, and personal winemaking. You can take cooking classes that will teach you about cooking and baking with fall fruits, roasting, seasonal salads, old-fashioned desserts, soups, baking with NY apples, and more.

Those professionals or enthusiastic amateurs interested in a more serious educational experience can take wine and spirits courses authorized by The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the foremost international body in the field of wines and spirits education. These multi-day classes can lead to the WSET Diploma, a stepping stone to the Master of Wine qualification. I'm definitely going to look into these courses after I get tenure.

The Exhibit Hall of the Center features seasonal video and photo displays about the rich history and unique characteristics of New York wine and food. The New York Wine & Culinary Center is a fascinating place to spend a day or evening. I encourage you to check it out, if you're in the area.

Honey Lavender Fromage Blanc

2008-09-22T17:00:00.003-04:00

Nettle Meadow Farm's Honey Lavender Fromage Blanc is one of the most delicious cheeses I've tasted. Made from pasteurized goat milk, it is infused with the flavors of lavender flowers and honey. Their goats' diet of wild raspberry leaves, nettle, kelp, comfrey, garlic, barley and goldenrod gives this cheese many subtle and wonderful nuances.

Founded in 1990, Nettle Meadow Farm is located in Thurman, NY, just below the Adirondacks. They use only organic vegetarian rennet so that their cheeses are 100% organic and vegetarian. Their motto is "Happy Goats, Great Cheese."

In June Nettle Meadow's Honey Lavender Fromage Blanc was named a Silver Finalist in the Outstanding New Product of 2008 category of the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade's annual competition.

Fromage Blanc (or Fromage Frais) is a fresh, very soft cheese that is similar in texture to cream cheese and often used like cream cheese, only with fewer calories. For example, one can mix it with honey and spread it on toast or fruit, add it to garlic and herbs for a savory spread or simply serve it with fresh fruit. In France it is often served with fruit and sugar as a dessert. Further recipes can be found here, here and here.

I enjoyed spreading mine on a fresh slice of cinnamon bread. I guarantee you'll love it.

Find Local Wine Events

2008-09-16T19:50:00.006-04:00

To find wine events in your area, take a look at LocalWineEvents.com. It's a calendar of food and drink events all over the world. There are quite a few events listed in my own area, so I know this is a site that event planners actually use.

Events listed include wine tastings, wine dinners, and cooking classes. LocalWineEvents.com even includes events that don't have anything to do with wine--e.g., beer festivals, homebrew competitions, and single malt scotch tastings.

I started to subscribe to LocalWineEvents.com's free, weekly newsletter that contains information about upcoming events in my area plus articles wine-oriented articles. Doing so, however, would require me to send them registration information about myself via a non-secure site. I think I'll stick with checking their calendar occasionally.

Wine in a Box = Smaller Carbon Footprint

2008-09-09T21:37:00.009-04:00

Look for an increasing number of wines to become available in boxes. Yes, boxes. The economic and environmental advantages of putting wine in a box are currently being touted throughout the wine industry. For example, Tyler Colman (a.k.a., "Dr. Vino") in an Op-Ed piece in the NY Times (Aug. 17, 2008) writes:

"More than 90 percent of American wine production occurs on the West Coast, but because the majority of consumers live east of the Mississippi, a large part of carbon-dioxide emissions associated with wine comes from simply trucking it from the vineyard to tables on the East Coast.... Switching to wine in a box for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of retiring 400,000 cars."

Facts such as these are motivating wine producers concerned about reducing their carbon footprints to think more seriously about using boxes.

Another advantage of boxed wine is that the wine comes in an air-tight bag, which deflates as it is drained. In contrast to a bottled wine that lasts for only a day or two after being opened, an opened box of wine can last for up to four weeks.

Granted, boxed wines have a bad image--due to the fact that widely available boxed wines are of extremely low quality. However, consumers should look for an increasing number of wine producers to put higher quality wines in boxes in the near future.

If you're thinking that you can't imagine a sommelier presenting you with a box of wine at a five-star restaurant, remember that wine boxes are not intended for wines that require aging. They are for the 90% or more of all wines consumed in the U.S. that are intended to be consumed without aging.

Interested readers can find out more about boxed wines at: http://boxedwinespot.blogspot.com/.

Wine and Cheese Pairing

2008-09-01T21:36:00.003-04:00

Here are a some tips for pairing wine and cheese from Dairy Famers of Canada:

Pair lighter cheeses with light wines. This is simply a special instance of a more general rule concerning the strength of flavors in wine and food. Strongly flavored cheeses will overpower light wines to the point that you might as well be drinking water instead. Conversely, a full-bodied wine may overpower a lightly flavored cheese. The obvious corollary to this rule is of course: Pair more strongly flavored cheeses with more full-bodied wines.

Pair soft cheeses (e.g., Brie, Camembert) with light, fruity wines. Consider using a Gewürztraminer, a Riesling or a fruity red.

Pair firm cheeses (e.g., mild or medium Cheddar, Emmental, Gouda) with dry rosé wines or fruity red wines. Try a Beaujoulais, Valpolicella, Merlot or Zinfandel.

Pair firm, flavoured cheeses (e.g., sharp Cheddar, Aged Provolone) with full-bodied reds. Good wine choices for this category include Bordeaux, Médoc, Côtes-du-Rhône, Zinfandel, Rioja or Chianti.

Pair blue cheeses with Port, Ice wines, Ice ciders or dessert wines.

Pair hard cheeses (e.g., Dry Jack, Parmesan) with very dry whites.

Niagara Wine Festival

2008-08-26T08:44:00.002-04:00

The wineries of southern Ontario are sponsoring their annual Niagara Wine Festival from Sept. 19th to 28th, 2008. The ten-day festival features more than 100 events, including winery tours and tastings, Niagara cuisine, and live music.

Festival events take place at both area wineries and Montebello Park in St. Catharines, Ontario. Wineries host special tastings, tours and courses on food and wine pairings. Most of the live music will be at Montebello Park, where dozens of wineries will be on hand to offer samples of their best wines. My wife and I spent an afternoon at Montebello Park during last year's festival and had a wonderful time.

One fun thing you can do is to buy a Discovery Pass at one of the wineries for $30, which entitles you to a variety of special tastings and treats at all of the wineries of southern Ontario. I purchased the Discovery Pass one year and had a great time touring the wineries.

Click here for a downloadable festival guide that tells you everything you need to know.

Meet the Winemaker at Chateau Buffalo

2008-08-24T14:50:00.004-04:00

Chateau Buffalo is hosting a Meet the Winemaker event on Fri., Aug. 29th, from 4 to 8pm. The guest of honor will be Duncan Ross of Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, a small, family-owned winery along the Niagara Wine Trail (USA).

Arrowhead Spring primarily grows European wine grapes such as Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. They employ low yield practices to increase the intensity of their fruit and produce the best wines they can. They also use organic and biodynamic vineyard practices to ensure a healthy ecosystem.

This is a great chance to meet a local winemaker and sample some great wine. I plan to be there myself. Chateau Buffalo is located at 1209 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, NY. Call 716-873-0074 for further details.

Twilight Wine Tasting at Old Fort Niagara

2008-08-18T11:57:00.004-04:00

The Premier Wine Group is sponsoring a Twilight Wine Tasting at Old Fort Niagara in Lewiston, NY, on Sat., Aug. 23rd, at 6:30pm. Participants will be able to sample 30 wines from Niagara County and the Finger Lakes region.

The servers, musicians and even the food will have an 18th century flavor. Meats, cheese, pastries, fruits and soups of the era along with other delicacies from area restaurants will be served. You can dance in an 18th century fashion and tour the fort's latest exhibits.

The evening will end with a musket and cannon salute and a lantern-lit dessert tasting. Tickets are $40 per person. All proceeds will go to the Old Fort Niagara Association Reservation. Call 716-745-7611 for reservations.

Winemaking Along the Niagara Escarpment

2008-08-11T08:32:00.007-04:00

At Wine Day Michael VonHeckler, owner and winemaker at Warm Lake Estate, gave a very interesting lecture on the characteristics of the Niagara Escarpment that make it suitable for producing excellent wines. The Niagara Escarpment is basically a 400-600 ft. cliff that extends for more than 650 miles from New York through Ontario to Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. It is the cliff over which the Niagara River plunges to form Niagara Falls and was formed by the unequal erosion of rocks of varying hardness.

Like the region of Burgundy, the soil along the Niagara Escarpment is clay over limestone, has a pH of 7.5, has excellent air and water drainage, and contains illitic soil components. In spite of Buffalo's reputation for being too cold and for receiving too much snowfall, it turns out that the unique shape of the escarpment creates a convection flow that results in the highest and steepest portion of the escarpment receiving just the right amount of heat for growing wine grapes. There is also the right amount of soil along that portion of the escarpment as well.

According to J. S. Gladstone (Viticulture and the Environment, 1992), Pinot Noir grapes must be grown in a region with at least 2102 degrees days Fahrenheit per year. (One degree day = daily high temperature minus daily low temperature minus 15.) The portion of the Niagara Escarpment in Niagara County, NY, has an average of 2098 degree days F/year, giving it the potential to produce very good Pinot Noirs. Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine, has noted that the land along the escarpment is very similar to Volnay in Burgundy and suggests that in the right places similar quality wine could be made.

In spite of the Niagara Escarpment's apparent suitability for growing excellent wine grapes, as of 1996 there were very few wine grapes being grown in Niagara County. By contrast, on the Canadian side of the escarpment, there were 100 wineries with 18,000 acres of wine grapes, employing 7,000 workers and making a $3.5 billion impact on the economy.

Michael VonHeckler saw a golden opportunity and in 2002 opened his winery, focusing on Pinot Noir. Michael was also instrumental in getting the Niagara Escarpment labeled as an American Viticultural Area in 2005. There are now 12 wineries along the Niagara Wine Trail, with 12 more in planning or development. It will be interesting to see what kind of wines the area produces as it continues to grow and develop.

Carr Valley Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar

2008-08-05T21:42:00.005-04:00

Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook at Carr Valley Cheese has done it again. He has created another unique and interesting variety of flavored American cheddar: Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar. One of Sid's newest creations, it has already won a Bronze Award at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar uses a robustly flavored white cheddar. The sweetness of the cranberries contrasts nicely with the spicy, smoky flavor of the chipotle peppers. Carr Valley's website describes the cheese as having the flavor of Texas barbecue sauce. One writer described the cheese as a "mouth party." It is at the very least a good cheese to bring to a party.

As a general rule, I do not buy cheese-with-stuff-in-it because of the inferior quality of most such products. The "stuff" is typically added because the cheese-without-the-stuff would be exceedingly uninteresting. On the way to a party last week, however, I took a chance with Carr Valley's Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar because I knew Sid Cook was behind it. I was not disappointed. I recommend this fun variation on ordinary cheddar.

Dancing Buffalo Cidre

2008-07-30T09:01:00.002-04:00

Dancing Buffalo Cidre is a line of artisan hard ciders produced by Carl Schmitter, winemaker (and co-owner with wife Suzi) of Chateau Buffalo Wine Shop & Tasting Room (Buffalo, NY). The seven or so varieties of cider offer a light and refreshing change of pace to the wine enthusiast looking for something a little bit different.

Hard ciders taste more like white wines than I had initially expected them to. However, because their flavor profiles are simpler, they are easier (and, I think, more refreshing) to drink than most fruity white wines.

My favorite Dancing Buffalo Cidre is Mambo ($10) the only semi-dry cider in the line-up. Its slightly sweet, crisp and fruity flavor make it a perfect summertime beverage. Other Dancing Buffalo Cidres include Polka (dry, $10) and Promenade (dry and sparkling, $15).

All of these ciders are made from a blend of Golden Russet, Yellow Delicious and wild apples. The Golden Russet apples are used for their aromatic character, the Yellow Delicious apples for their sweetness, and the wild apples for the slight astringency they impart to the cider. The ciders are also aged for six months in bourbon barrels to give them added depth and flavor.

Hard ciders should be served well chilled. Carl says they even go well over ice. The ciders--particularly the dry ones--can be served with many of the same foods you would eat with white wines (e.g., poultry or fish). The semi-dry Mambo would go well with a salad or other light summertime fare.

The Dancing Buffalo line-up also includes a sweet, holiday cider infused with mulling spices, a cider made from heirloom Baldwin apples, and a pear-based cider. One that I'm really looking forward to tasting several months from now when it is available is apple ice wine, a concentrated and sweet ice wine made from frozen apples. That sounds like lots of fun.

Alternative Asiagos

2008-07-24T21:08:00.005-04:00

I recently tried two kinds of Asiago cheese that are different from the more familiar aged variety known as Asiago d'Allevo (or Asiago Vecchio). Asiago Fresca (pictured at left) is a young cow's milk cheese that is aged only a few weeks as opposed to several months. Fresca means "fresh" or "young."

Asiago Fresca is mild, creamy and slightly tangy due to a touch of acidity. While aged Asiago is made from skimmed milk, Asiago Fresca is made from whole milk. The latter melts very easily and works well on a cheese tray as a complement to more strongly flavored cheeses. Asiago Fresca is a light and easy cheese to eat by itself and pairs well with light and easy wines like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris or fruity red wines.

In between Asiago Fresca and Asiago d'Allevo lies medium (or mezzano) Asiago, which I've quite enjoyed eating this week. It has more personality than its younger, fresher cousin but isn't overbearing like its older counterpart. Medium Asiago is aged only a couple of months and--judging from its creaminess--must not be made from skimmed milk. I find it to be the most enjoyable of the three kinds of Asiago to eat by itself with bread or a cracker.

"Official" Asiago cheese can only be made in the village of Asiago in northern Veneto, where it has been produced for centuries. However, the 'protected designation of origin' rules are not always enforced outside of the European Union.

All forms of Asiago cheese pair well with figs, apples, pears, pistachios, almonds, and olives.

America's Grape Country Wine Festival

2008-07-18T21:05:00.002-04:00

America's Grape Country Wine Festival, a new wine festival showcasing wineries from across New York, will be held at the Chatauqua County Fairgrounds in Dunkirk, NY, from 10am to 5pm on Aug. 9th and 10th.

The event will feature wine-tastings from two dozen wineries, food from a variety of vendors, live music, and a wine and cheese educational seminar presented by The New York Wine and Culinary Center. The cost is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. I'm glad to see NY wines being promoted by events like this and Wine Day.

Wine Day at Niagara University

2008-07-11T22:30:00.003-04:00

Niagara University, overlooking the Niagara River gorge (and just four miles north of Niagara Falls), will be hosting Wine Day on Aug. 2nd to provide education about wine and wine appreciation and to promote the winemaking region of Niagara County.

The morning features four educational lectures on pairing wine and food, wine-tasting techniques, unique characteristics of different wine varieties (with special emphasis given to local grape varieties) and particular facts about winemaking along the Niagara Escarpment. In the afternoon, you are encouraged to put this knowledge to use at the wineries on the Niagara Wine Trail.

Preregistration for the event is required. The cost is $35. I have to admit I've given more attention to the Canadian wineries just over the border than to the wineries in my own backyard. I think I may give this event a try.

Blossom Honey Wine

2008-07-05T15:47:00.004-04:00

At the Kenmore, NY, Farmer's Market today I encountered an absolutely fascinating dessert wine: Blossom Honey Wine. The wine is made from honey rather than grape juice and is infused with ginger root. It has a wonderfully sweet and crisp flavor. I've never tasted anything like it.

Blossom Honey Wine is produced locally by Carl and Suzi Schmitter at Chateau Buffalo, Buffalo's only boutique winery and cidery. Chateau Buffalo is located on North Buffalo's Hertel Ave., one of Buffalo's more interesting neighborhoods for shopping and dining. After the honey is diluted with water, it is fermented just like grape juice using a champagne yeast.

The Schmitters also produce the Dancing Buffalo line of artisanal hard ciders, including dry, semi-dry, spiced and sparkling varieties. They make all of their wines at the back of their store in Buffalo using locally grown fruits.

Blossom Honey Wine sells for $18/bottle. Its light, sweet and refreshing taste make it the perfect patio beverage for a warm summer evening.

Removing Wine Labels

2008-06-26T23:00:00.005-04:00

I’ve recently been thinking about saving some of the labels from the wine bottles I've been drinking. Here are some of the things I learned while scouring the internet for tips on the best way to do this.

The easiest method seems to be to use a product like Label Off (pictured at left) or Wine Appeal Label Remover. These are basically industrial strength tapes that pull the outer layer of the label off, leaving a lower layer of the label attached to the bottle via glue.

One writer suggests leaving the tape stuck on the bottle for several days so that a strong bond between adhesive and tape can be formed before trying to pull the label off. Some users complain that holes or tears occur using this method. The main thing I don't like about this method is that it makes wine labels appear laminated after removal. That's not really the look I had in mind.

A method I think I am going to try is to pour piping hot water into an empty wine bottle in order to loosen up the glue. If the first application of hot water doesn't work, I will repeat the process will fresh batches of water. The good thing about this method is that the label seems less likely to be destroyed in the removal process than in some of the other methods I described below. I'll let you know how well it works.

Another method that sounds promising is using steam from a tea kettle to loosen the label. This method might be used in conjunction with the previous one.

Some wine enthusiasts swear by the method of soaking the label in hot water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent and using a razor blade to scrape the label off. I assume that soaking the label can lead to label damage.

There are also some dry heat options. Some writers suggest using hair dryers to melt the glue, but I doubt the glue would get hot enough this way. A more radical dry heat solution involves placing the empty bottle in a heated oven and using a razor to scrape off the warmed label.

Mineral oil, rubbing alcohol and even gasoline are also said to be able to remove labels, but I don't recommend any of these methods.

Kerrygold Ivernia

2008-06-20T22:23:00.003-04:00

I recently tried a tasty Irish cheese that I had not encountered before. Kerrygold's Ivernia is a hard, ripe cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows. 'Ivernia' is an ancient name for Ireland.

The cheese is aged three years and has a rich, complex and buttery flavor. Ivernia seems to modeled after Parmigiano-Reggiano and indeed the aromas of the two cheeses are quite similar.

Like all hard, somewhat dry cheeses, Ivernia works well grated over a green salad, pasta, soup or pizza. It is also very enjoyable with a crust of fresh bread. Kerrygold recommends pairing Ivernia with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti or an Irish Ale. Recipes using Ivernia and other Kerrygold cheeses can be found here.

According to the pricing label that came with my wedge of Ivernia, the cheese is made from "cooked baby octopus, red onion, celery, black olives, roasted red peppers, and Italian marinade." We'll assume that someone at Premier Gourmet made a mistake with the label-maker.

Niagara New Vintage Festival

2008-06-13T10:03:00.004-04:00

The 2008 Niagara New Vintage Festival begins tomorrow (June 14th) and runs through the 22nd. Special tastings and culinary events will take place at the various wineries of the Niagara region of southern Ontario.

You can even visit Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery in Vineland, ON, and sample some of Dan Aykroyd's wines at Lakeview Cellars. Dan was first introduced to Premier Cru Bordeaux and other fine wines by musician Steve Cropper while working on Saturday Night Live and the first Blues Brothers movie. Dan has announced plans to build the Dan Aykroyd winery in the west Niagara peninsula.

If you're in the area, this could be a good event to take dad to for Father's Day. A complete listing of festival events can be found here.

Zamorano

2008-06-11T21:15:00.006-04:00

I recently enjoyed a new kind of Spanish cheese (new to me, at any rate): Zamorano, a raw sheep's milk cheese from the region of Castile-León. The name comes from the city of Zamora, a provincal capital in Castile-León. Spanish shepherding families are said to have been handcrafting this cheese from the milk of the region's Churra and Castellano sheep for centuries.

Zamorano is a somewhat hard, pale cheese with a slightly sharp, buttery flavor. It is often compared to Manchego, though it is less dry and has a richer, nuttier flavor. During the three to nine month aging process its rind is brushed and rubbed with olive oil.

Zamorano pairs well with smoked meats, pears, tomatoes, and red wines such as Rioja, Zinfandel (the red, not the pink kind) and Cabernet. I highly recommend this very flavorful Spanish cheese.

(Buffalo readers: I bought my sample of Zamorano at the Lexington Co-Op.)

Photo credit: Jon Sullivan

L'Ottavo Chianti

2008-06-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

I recently enjoyed two good wines from Fattoria L'Ottavo--a Chianti Classico and a Chianti Classico Riserva. In order to be a Chianti Classico, the wine has to made in the Classico subregion of the Chianti wine area, and it has to be aged in oak casks about four to seven months. Riservas are aged for at least two years, which smooths out the tannins.

I thought both wines were very smooth and paired well with a wide range of foods. They had a bright, ruby red color and aromas of cherry, plum, and vanilla.

The L'Ottavo Chiantis are made from about 80% Sangiovese grapes, with the remainder being comprised of Malvasia bianca, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Merlot and Cabernet. Malvasia bianca, of course, is a white grape--an unusual ingredient in an ostensibly red wine.

The L'Ottavo estate is situated in Lucolena, part of the municipality of Greve in Chianti, at an altitude of 400m. The buildings at the estate have been converted into modern, stylish apartments for agritourists who want to visit the Tuscan winemaking region.

The L'Ottavo Chianti Classico sells for around $12 to $14, while the Riserva sells for around $16 to $19. They are affordable, enjoyable Italian wines.

Grilled Cheese

2008-05-27T23:46:00.009-04:00

In case you missed it, April was Grilled Cheese Month. (Who decides these things, anyway? I wouldn't be surprised if the Kraft Corporation weren't behind this one.)

Foodies have gotten rather serious about grilled cheese lately. Some cities have even hosted Grilled Cheese Invitational Competitions (details here and here).

The Food Network recently hosted a Grilled Cheese Throwdown between celebrity chef Bobby Flay and the owners of the Pop Shop, which offers 31 varieties of grilled cheese sandwiches. In the "Throwdown" series Flay shows up to a dining establishment without warning and challenges makers of certain specialties to a cook-off.

The Pop Shop's jack cheese, roasted turkey, bacon, avocado, and house dressing (balsamic mayo) on foccacia sandwich lost by just a hair to Flay's grilled brie and goat cheese with bacon and green tomato sandwich.

According to the Pop Shop, the best accompaniment to a grilled cheese sandwich is tomato soup. I'll have to try that with my daughters.

Grilled cheese recipes from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board can be found here. Recipes from Clementine's, a purveyor of fine grilled cheeses in LA, can be found here.

In a post such as this I can't resist reminiscing a bit about Diana Duyser, the woman who in 2004 sold a grilled cheese sandwich that allegedly bore the image of the Virgin Mary for $28,000. Have you ever wondered what happened to her? (Probably not.) But just in case here is an update: the Miami Herald reports that in 2007 she paid $1000 to have an image of the sandwich tattooed on her chest. People are strange.

Arina Goat Gouda

2008-05-21T21:26:00.001-04:00

Arina Goat Gouda is a semi-hard, Gouda-style, goat's milk cheese from Holland. It is aged four months and has a wonderfully mild, nutty flavor. You might not know you were eating goat cheese, unless you were told. Both its flavor and texture are unlike the tart, fresh chèvre most people are more familiar with.

In order to make a Gouda-style cheese, the curds must be pressed and heated to expell a good deal of the whey. I also believe (though I do not know for certain) that Goudas require the use of a particular strand of bacteria as the starter culture that aids the initial separation of curds and whey.

Arina Goat Gouda is a great party cheese. I brought some a couple of weeks ago to Ken and Jenn Shockley's annual philosophy gathering, and it was gone within minutes. The hosts didn't even get to try any.

Some other Gouda cheeses I've reviewed include the following:

Some salad recipes using Arina Goat Gouda include:

Arina would probably make a good grilled cheese sandwich, too.

Cheese Facts and Myths

2008-05-15T08:55:00.000-04:00

Question #1: Is it OK to Freeze Cheese?

Most cheeses do not freeze well. Only soft, unripened cheeses like cream cheese, cottage cheese, mascarpone and ricotta can be frozen without becoming ruined. And even then they should be used only in cooking after thawing.

Soft-ripened cheeses like Brie or Camembert should not be frozen, nor should just about any other cheese. Most cheeses lose both texture and flavor during the freezing process.

Question #2: Do Cheeses Made from Sheep and Goat Milk Contain Less Lactose?

This question is important to those who suffer from lactose-intolerance but who enjoy the taste of cheese. In spite of what you may have heard, sheep milk and goat milk do not contain lesser amounts of lactose. According to an article by Phillip Collman (Ph.D., gastrointestinal physiology) in the Ontario Cheese Society newsletter, the lactose content for all three species is around 4.5%. Collman's advice to lactose-intolerant cheese lovers is to select aged cheeses: "The longer a dairy product has been aged, the more lactose is converted into lactic acid, which doesn’t cause any gastrointestinal discomfort."

Expensive Wines Really Do Taste Better

2008-05-09T09:28:00.001-04:00

We've all heard that higher price tags tend to make people think more highly of a wine. The conventional wisdom suggests that an inflated price tag can't really make a wine taste better. Recent neuroscientific evidence, however, suggests otherwise.

According to a report in Scientific American Mind ("Paying for Pleasure," Apr/May 2008), 20 volunteers were recently given 5 supposedly different wines to sample. Each wine was identified by a certain price. In reality, only 3 different wines were sampled--2 of the wines were presented twice with different price tags. As expected, the subjects gave the wine with the cheapest price tag their lowest rating, while the most expensive wine was everyone's favorite. Subjects gave the "most expensive" wine a lower rating when that same wine was presented with a lower price tag.

While the subjects were sampling the wines, their brains were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology. The scans revealed an increase in activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex while subjects were tasting the more expensive wine. This area is believed to underwrite or encode for the pleasantness of various experiences. Changing subjects' expectations via doctoring the price tags had a measurable effect on pleasure-related brain activity.

In other words, the wine really did taste better with an inflated price tag. The subjects underwent qualitatively different experiences when the wine was labeled with a more expensive price than when the same wine was labeled with a lower price. Granted, it should not have tasted any better, but that's another story.

People in Need

2008-05-03T19:53:00.016-04:00

True or False: The following pictures have nothing to do with wine or cheese.

Caption: Sunglasses €24.- Access to water €8.-

Caption: Handbag €32.- Food for a week €4.-

Caption: Pint of beer €4.50
50 liters of fresh water €1.50

Chèvre Noir

2008-04-27T18:02:00.005-04:00

Chèvre Noir Goat Cheddar is one of the best cheddars I've ever tasted. Produced by Fromagerie Tournevent in Chesterville, Quebec, it is made from pasteurized goat milk and aged a minimum of one year.

This pale, slightly dry cheese is initially firm but will literally melted in your mouth. It has a wonderfully rich, creamy, nutty flavor that includes hints of caramel.

Lucie Chartier, René Marceau and Louise Lefebvre have been making Chèvre Noir for twenty years, during which time it has garnered a variety of awards at international cheese competitions, including more than one first place prize at the American Cheese Society annual competition.

The folks at Fromagerie Tournevent suggest serving Chèvre Noir with fresh fruit, port or a premium beer. At $25/lb, Chèvre Noir is more expensive than most other cheddars, but it is well worth the expense. It is absolutely fabulous.

Wine and Children

2008-04-21T18:57:00.004-04:00

Eric Asimov, wine writer for the NY Times, recently posted some interesting reflections on serving wine to one's teenaged children at home.

Asimov spoke with Dr. Paul Steinberg, a psychiatrist and former director of counseling at Georgetown University, about the best ways to prevent kids from binge drinking in high school and college. According to Steinberg, "The best evidence shows that teaching kids to drink responsibly is better than shutting them off entirely from it. You want to introduce your kids to it, and get across the point that that this is to be enjoyed but not abused."

Studies performed by Dr. George E. Vaillant, a Harvard psychiatry professor, showed that men who grew up in families where alcohol was forbidden at the table but was consumed outside the home apart from food were seven times more likely to become alcoholics than those who came from families where wine was served with meals but drunkenness was not tolerated. Vaillant told Asimov, "If you are taught to drink in a ceremonial way with food, then the purpose of alcohol is taste and celebration, not inebriation. If you are forbidden to use it until college then you drink to get drunk."

Asimov says that he is currently unsure about whether to serve wine to his teenaged sons at home. But he concludes, "my cautious opinion now is that my teenage sons have more to gain than to lose by having a taste of wine now and then with dinner." I would not have expected a well-known wine critic to be so hesitant to serve wine to his teenagers at home.

I have always assumed that I would give sips of wine to my daughters when they become teenagers. But I suppose one should definitely proceed with caution here.

Philosophy and Wine Books

2008-04-15T18:02:00.008-04:00

Peter Machamer, who is a philosopher of science, wine critic, bon vivant, and even Philosopher-in-Residence for the Attack Theatre Dance Company, has recently reviewed two new books on philosophy and wine at Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.

The books are Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine, edited by Barry C. Smith, and Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking, edited by Fritz Allhoff. (The philosopher Barry C. Smith is not to be confused with the philosopher Barry Smith. Only the latter holds world records both for the largest single grant ever given to a philosopher and for total grant money given to a philosopher.)

The book, Wine and Philosophy, is part of Blackwell's Epicurean Trilogy, which also includes Beer and Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn't Worth Drinking and Food and Philosophy: Eat, Think, and Be Merry. These books do an entertaining job of promoting an expanded range of topics in value inquiry that receive sustained philosophical attention.

Some of my colleagues have suggested that I should propose and edit a Cheese and Philosophy volume in the series. Unfortunately, however, I keep my philosophizing and my cheese tasting fairly separate. Perhaps I should consider changing that (after tenure).

Wisconsin Cheese Map

2008-04-08T22:29:00.000-04:00

Cheeselovers will be glad to know that the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has just produced a new 2008 Traveler's Guide to America's Dairyland cheese map. You can order one online for free. I ordered mine last week.

Anyone attending the Wisconsin Epistemology Conference next month should consider including a tour of a great American creamery on their itinerary.

I like to pair wine and cheese tours with professional business whenever I can. For example, the last time the American Philosophical Association held its Pacific Division meeting in San Francisco, I included a two-day trip to Napa Valley. I don't make it out to Wisconsin very often, but hopefully I will be able to combine philosophy conferencing and Wisconsin cheese tasting soon.

Interested readers might also want to consult my earlier post on the Vermont Cheese Trail.

Cypress Grove's Truffle Tremor

2008-04-02T13:13:00.003-04:00

Truffle Tremor is the latest caseic creation from Cypress Grove Chèvre, one of American's leading makers of artisanal cheese. This soft-ripened goat milk cheese contains bits of truffle that impart a unique, earthy flavor.

Like the French Bucheron or Caña de Oveja, Truffle Tremor has a white, bloomy rind, a crumbly interior paste and a thin, gooey layer in between. The folks at Cypress Grove recommend adding Truffle Tremor to your favorite polenta or risotto recipe or placing a thin layer of it over mashed potatoes and parsnips.

Pair Truffle Tremor with a dry, white wine.

Caña de Oveja

2008-03-27T21:56:00.005-04:00

When I stopped by Premier Gourmet after work today, I was treated to a wide variety of cheese samplings by Janet Ostrow, owner of Premier Gourmet for the last twelve years. One of the cheeses I tasted (and brought home) was Caña de Oveja, a soft-ripened sheep's milk cheese from Spain.

Caña de Oveja is made in Murcia, a dry and mountainous region of southeastern Spain, by Central Quesera Montesinos, a leading producer of Spanish artisanal cheeses.

Caña de Oveja comes in the shape of a log and is covered in a somewhat thick, bloomy, white rind. Immediately underneath the rind is a thin, gooey layer of cheese that quickly gives way to a creamy, crumbly paste. The inner portion of the cheese is slightly acidic, buttery and delicious. It's no wonder the cheese won a Silver Medal at the 2005 World Cheese Awards in London.

Restaurant Magnus in Madison, WI, bakes Caña de Oveja in phyllo dough and tops it with seasonal fruit, a sherry butter sauce and a habanero glaze. That sounds delicious.

I highly recommend this very interesting cheese. It is unlike most cheeses you will encounter.

Back to Blogging

2008-03-26T21:10:00.000-04:00

I have been traveling for much of the last six weeks--first to China, then to California. As a result, I haven't been able to keep up my usual blogging pace. Actually, I haven't been able to keep up with my work to any significant degree either. In any case, I am settled back in Buffalo and will resume regular blog posting. My apologies for the hiatus.

Chinese Medicinal Wines

2008-03-14T10:29:00.002-04:00

I've known that wine had medicinal properties, but the Chinese take the concept of medicial wine to another level. While browsing the Qing Ping traditional Chinese medicine market in Guangzhou last week, I came across the following rather interesting set of "wines": Three Snake Wine, Scorpion Wine, Black Ant Wine, Cock Testis Wine, and Snake Penis Wine.

Each "wine" contains the objects denoted by its label. One unlabelled "wine" had some small animal fetuses floating in it. I'm kind of glad I wasn't told what they were. I understand that the wine that is most often used in these medicinal products is rice wine.

(Un)fortunately, the medicinal wine shop was not offering any tastings the day I dropped by. So, I can't tell you what they tasted like. I've heard wine snobs claim to detect all manner of bizarre aromas in wines, but I've never heard anyone claim to detect aromas of snake reproductive organs. (Perhaps Ann Noble should consider expanding the existing categories on her Wine Aroma Wheel.)

I was surprised to discover how many American travellers blog about these wines. Simply Google 'snake wine' and you'll see what I mean. More surprisingly, perhaps, is the number of travellers who actually sample these products. I can't imagine drinking any such concoction.

(Photo credit: Alan Abdine)

Moutai: China's Most Famous Liquor

2008-03-08T08:56:00.005-05:00

I just returned from the province of Guizhou in southern China, the home of my newly adopted daughter. I was very pleased to learn that Guizhou is the wine-making capital of China. Its most famous product is Kweichow Moutai (茅台酒), China's most famous and best-selling alcoholic beverage.

'Kweichow' is simply an older English rendering of 'Guizhou'--the same way that 'Peking' is the older version of 'Beijing.' Moutai is a small town in the north of Guizhou. I asked my translator and guide to inquire about taking us to Moutai to see the Chinese wine-making process, but the prices drivers were asking turned out to be prohibitive.

Moutai and other related Chinese beverages are often referred to as "Chinese wines," but this is a result of mistranslating the Chinese word 'Jiu' (酒), which simply refers to any type of alcoholic beverage. Because Moutai and other Chinese "wines" are distilled products and are made from grains rather than fruits, they should really be called Chinese "whiskeys."

Moutai is made mostly from red sorghum, which is somewhat like wheat. Some Chinese wines also contain measures of rice and wheat. At 53% alcohol by volume, Chinese "wines" are rather stout beverages. Scotches, bourbons and other whiskeys contain only 40% alcohol.

The flavor of Moutai is not easy to describe. When Jiyuan Yu was passing around ample amounts of Moutai at a Chinese New Year celebration he hosted earlier this year, Jo Anne Brocklehurst suggested to me that Moutai had aromas of chocolate. I thought she was off her rocker, but out of politeness I didn't say so. The following day, however, I bit into a bar of 90% cocoa dark chocolate and I realized that she was exactly right. Like most Americans, the first chocolate aromas that come to my mind are those of milk chocolate. But Jo Anne was thinking of dark chocolate. Other than recognizing a trace of dark chocolate aromas, I am otherwise at a loss to describe the flavor of Moutai. It is like nothing I've ever tasted.

Unfortunately, because of increased demand around the world, the price of Moutai has skyrocketed. It now sells for over $150 a bottle in America. I was surprised to find it for $100 in China. I thought I could find it cheaper than that in China. Other, less-famous Chinese wines can be found for much less. I brought home one such cheaper bottle. So, if you're interested in trying a sample, I can give you a sip at my next party.

Because Moutai is receiving a wider distribution in America, it is beginning to crop up more often at parties in the west. The look of the bottle and the smell of the beverage are rather unusual. But don't be afraid. It is definitely worth a try.

Upcoming Wine Class at Premier Gourmet

2008-03-08T07:16:00.000-05:00

Premier Gourmet (Kenmore, NY) will be offering a Riedel wine glass comparative tasting on Fri., Apr. 4th, at 6pm. The tasting showcases the difference the size and shape of a wine glass can make in your enjoyment of wine.

Four different shape glasses from the best selling Vinum Series will be used: Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Over the course of the program you'll discover how your perception of a wine changes on the nose and palate based on the size and shape of the wine glass. You may never look at your old glasses the same way again. The cost is $75 but each participant receives the four Riedel Vinum Series glasses, a value of nearly $100.

Make Your Own Paneer

2008-02-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

Adam Taylor has brought my attention to a couple of Indian chefs that offer free video cooking lessons online. Sanjay, who calls himself the 'vahchef,' offers a huge selection of video recipes at http://www.VahRehVah.com/. Here is Sanjay showing viewers how to make paneer, a homemade Indian cheese found in dishes like Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer:

Another Indian chef, named Manjula, offers video cooking lessons from her home. Here is Manjula showing viewers how to cook Palak Paneer, Chapati (or Paratha) and Naan. Adam says the dishes are easy to make and quite tasty. I'll have to try them myself sometime.

Carr Valley Benedictine

2008-02-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

Benedictine is one of the many unique creations of Carr Valley Cheese. This washed rind cheese is made from the milk of sheep, goats and cows and is aged for twelve weeks. It is quite creamy and has a slightly robust, nutty flavor.

I have blogged and raved about Carr Valley cheeses before (cf. my posts on their Mobay and Billy Blue cheeses), but Benedictine is my least favorite of all of the Carr Valley products I have tried. According to the Carr Valley website, "The flavor [of this cheese] explodes with intensity." The cheese's flavor is certainly a bit stronger than one might expect, given its creamy, slightly soft texture. But I thought that its flavor was surprisingly bland and uninteresting, despite the various steps taken to provide it with flavor.

The blending of three types of milk seems to make the cheese taste like it is not from the milk of anything in particular. Instead of providing the cheese with a distinctive personality, the blending seemed to rob it of one.

Because of the somewhat high price of Benedictine, I had put off trying it for some time. Perhaps the fact that I like so many of Carr Valley's products and the expense of the cheese made me have higher than reasonable expectations. Benedictine is not a bad cheese, but given its price and somewhat disappointing personality, I would recommend buying other products from Carr Valley instead.

Cypress Grove Mount McKinley

2008-02-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

Cypress Grove Chevre may be the best cheesemakers in America. They're certainly one of the very best. If you want to know what extraordinarily high quality American cheese tastes like, sample any of their products.

I recently tried Cypress Grove's triangle-shaped Mount McKinley cheese. This unique shepherd-style goat cheese is aged 18 months and is covered in vegetable ash. On top of the ash sits a thin, bloomy layer of white peniclium molds. The cheese has a sharp, robust, earthy flavor and a hard, somewhat dry texture.

Many foodies recommend grating hard, dry cheeses like this over pasta or other dishes. In my mind, that's like cooking with a $150 bottle of wine. You should cook with a $5-$10 wine and drink the $150 bottle. Similarly, I recommend enjoying Mount McKinley by itself on a warm slice of bread.

Mount McKinley has garnered a variety of awards from the American Cheese Society, the London International Cheese Competition, and the National Cheese Competition. Curiously, it is not currently listed on Cypress Grove's website as one of their current products.

Some consumers pass over Cypress Grove cheeses in the cheese aisle because of their slightly higher prices. Cypress Grove cheeses, however, are among the best in America. Your taste buds will thank you for spending a little extra.

Update: Saenkanter and Buffalo Mozzarella

2008-02-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

In earlier posts I wrote about Saenkanter, a unique butterscotch-flavored aged Gouda, and Buffalo Mozzarella (mozzarella made from water buffalo milk). Buffalo readers might be interested to know that both of these items are now available at Premier Gourmet in Kenmore. They were not available at the time my earlier posts were published. I highly recommend trying them both.

Mondavi Fumé Blanc

2008-01-31T20:56:00.000-05:00

When I first began drinking wine many years ago, Robert Mondavi's Fumé Blanc quickly became one of my favorites. There really is no such thing as a Fumé Blanc grape. In the late 1960s, Mondavi wanted to do something about slumping sales of his Sauvignon Blanc. So, he made up the name 'Fumé Blanc' and sales took off. Unfortunately for Mondavi, he did not trademark the name, and now many other producers use it to market their Sauvignon Blancs.

Mondavi patterned his new name after a dry French wine made in the Loire Valley that is known as 'Pouilly-Fumé.' It is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape and is reputed to be known for its unusual, smoky flavor. Whatever smoky flavor there may be comes from toasted barrels rather than the grape itself.

Earlier this week I opened a bottle of Mondavi Fumé Blanc for the first time in years. In fact, it was the first time I have had white wine at home in a very long time. Like many avid wine drinkers, I prefer reds. I had forgotten how enjoyable a simple white wine can be.

Fumé Blanc is a not a complex wine. It lacks the depth and subtlety of a full-bodied red. But sometimes simplicity can be refreshing. I found the dry Fumé Blanc to be clean, crisp, slightly fruity and as easy to drink as a Sprite. It paired especially well with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I fixed on Tuesday. (Seriously, it really did.) A strong, serious Chardonnay would not have gone well with PB&J.

The Mondavi Fumé Blanc comes in a signature frosted bottle that makes a nice presentation. I highly recommend it for a nice, casual change of pace.

Buffalo Food Blogs

2008-01-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

Buffalo readers might be interested to know about the following food blogs that are based in Buffalo:

Buffalo Buffet (by Andrew Galarneau, writer for The Buffalo News)

Savory & Sweet (by Holloway Ortman)

Okun on Food (by Janice Okun, food critic for The Buffalo News)

These blogs were brought to my attention by Christa Glennie Seychew, food editor for Buffalo Rising. Christa's daily discussions of food in Buffalo can be found at the Yum! section of BuffaloRising.com.

Interested readers can also educate themselves at The Pour, the blog of NY Times wine critic, Eric Asimov, or curdnerds.com (based in NYC).

Cheese Posters and T-Shirts

2008-01-18T21:03:00.000-05:00

Don't know what to get that special cheesemonger in your life for Valentine's Day? How about a poster displaying the world's great cheeses (other versions available here and here)? Or how about one dedicated exclusively to French cheese? Or Chèvre?

T-shirts with the following cheesey slogans are also available:
"Cheese! It's milk you chew"
"Ecce Potestas Casei (Behold the Power of Cheese)"
"Raw Milk is not Crack--How Does the Government Get Confused?"
"I Moved Your Cheese"

These gift ideas may not seem very romantic, but I would certainly enjoy a nice cheese poster more than a traditional Valentine's gift.

Ewephoria

2008-01-12T20:39:00.000-05:00

Ewephoria is a relatively new Gouda-style cheese from the Friesland region of Holland. Unlike standard Goudas, Ewephoria is made from sheep's milk and is pasteurized. It is, however, made using the same carefully-guarded starter cultures that give Goudas their distinctive flavor.

Ewephoria is aged 10 months, has a butterscotch color and a rather sweet, nutty, buttery flavor. Like all Goudas, it is hard and somewhat acidic. One reviewer claims, "Ewephoria is possibly as close as cheese gets to candy." That's going much too far. On the one hand, Ewephoria is not as sweet as many other traditional cheeses. In fact, even some Goudas--e.g., Saenkanter--are considerably sweeter. Then there are flavored cheeses like Chocolate Fudge Cheese, which although technically cheese, is really just a kind of candy.

Ewephoria was allegedly developed by Seattle-based cheese importer CheeseLand, Inc. specifically for the American cheese market, although the CheeseLand website does not mention the product. The idea was that aged Goudas were too harsh for American tastes and a softer, sweeter aged Gouda was needed.

Regardless of what the truth about Ewephoria's origins may be, it is a very enjoyable cheese to eat. I may bring it to my next dinner party. It is unique and more welcoming than other aged Goudas.

Plain Chèvre

2008-01-07T17:33:00.000-05:00

Chèvre is a wonderfully flexible cheese. More often than not, the chèvre rounds I am served have been coated with herbs. It can also be blended with peppercorns, fruit or even fennel pollen and lavender buds.

I recently tasted some plain chèvre at Randy Dipert's house for the first time in a long while. I had become so accustomed to eating chèvre-plus-other-stuff that I had almost forgotten what plain chèvre tastes like. The fresh, slightly tart yet distinctive flavor of the cheese didn't need any help from additional flavors. I ate most of the chèvre on Randy's cheese tray and promptly bought some more from my local grocer.

Although some people claim that chèvre is an acquired taste, it is a very novice-friendly cheese. There are some especially acidic chèvres out there that may be off-putting to some, but most will have a balanced amount of caproic, caprylic and capric acid. If you haven't tasted or served plain chèvre in a while, give it a try. Fresh chèvre also has the virtue of being less expensive but not less flavorful than other artisanal cheeses.

Real Swiss Cheese

2007-12-31T20:02:00.000-05:00

Cheeses that are actually made in Switzerland are quite different from most of what passes for 'Swiss Cheese' in the United States. Most genuinely Swiss cheeses (e.g., Gruyère, Raclette, Tilsit, Tête de Moine), for example, do not have the large holes that are characteristic of American-made "Swiss" cheeses. The holey Emmental variety is only one of many Swiss-made cheeses. (For more information on the variety of Swiss cheeses, click here.)

The holes (known as "eyes") found in stereotypical Swiss cheeses are produced by Propionibacter bacteria that release carbon dioxide during the production process. The characteristic nutty flavor of "Swiss" cheeses in America are produced by this and other bacteria used in the production of Swiss cheese. Generally speaking, the larger the holes, the stronger the flavor of the cheese. American producers prefer smaller holes and blander flavors so that the cheeses are easier to slice. European producers of Emmental prefer larger holes.

Recently, my mother returned from a trip to Switzerland with a tasty wedge of farmstead cheese produced by Ida and Urs Müller-Stalder. The cheese she bought was labeled as a 'Tristächäs.' I'm not sure what that means, but I do know it was an aged, raw cow's milk cheese that had been soaked in brine. The aging and brine gave the creamy, nutty cheese a very slightly pungent flavor that was very enjoyable both as an appetizer and on sandwiches.

Instead of buying "Swiss" cheese that is made in America by the J. L. Kraft corporation, look for the Swiss flag on wedges of handcrafted cheeses imported from Switzerland. The range of styles of real Swiss cheeses may surprise you.

Cognac

2007-12-16T19:27:00.000-05:00

Cognac is brandy made in the Cognac region of France. The name 'brandy' is short for 'brandywine,' which comes from the Dutch word brandewijn, meaning 'burnt wine.' If you ferment grape juice, you get wine. If you distill wine, you get brandy. Although brandy can be made from the fermented juice of any fruit, the best brandies (e.g., cognac) are made from grape juice.

After recently attending parties at the homes of Sandy Goldberg and Randy Dipert and enjoying some tasty spirits there, I was motivated to revisit my own spirit collection. Last night I drank Courvoisier X.O. Imperial Cognac, which was voted "Best Cognac in the World" at the 1994 International Wine and Spirits competition. This spirit, which sells for around $140 a bottle, has aromas of toffee, caramel and roasted nuts. Its smooth, refined flavor made for a very enjoyable end to my evening.

Tonight I drank Rémy Martin's V.S.O.P. Fine Champagne Cognac, which sells for around $40. This seemingly fruitier cognac is a is a blend of brandies from the Grande Champange and Petite Champagne subregions of Cognac. Despite the big difference in price between the two, there was not a huge difference in my enjoyment of them.

The three most common types of of brandy or cognac are V.S., V.S.O.P. and X.O. 'V.S.' stands for "Very Special" but since this is the lowest quality level of brandy one will likely encounter, there is nothing special about it at all. The youngest brandies in a V.S. blend must be aged at least three years in wood casks. Avoid V.S. brandies. The youngest brandies in 'V.S.O.P.' ("Very Special Old Pale") blends must be aged at least 5 years. Those in X.O. must be aged at least six years. The average brandy in an X.O. blend is over 20 years.

The primary grapes used in making cognac are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard, which make lousy table wines. Most cognacs are blends of brandies from different vintages and different growing regions. Cognac is distilled twice in pot stills like those used in making Scotch. The rich caramel and amber color of cognac is usually the result of artificial coloring additives.

Do not heat cognac by holding your brandy sniffer over a candle. I don't know where this practice first started, but it will have deleterious effects on your enjoyment of any brandy. Because of the way it speeds up the rate at which aroma particles in the cognac are released into the air, the unique aromatic blend of the brandy will be broken. Certain kinds of aromas will be speedily released ahead of other aromas with which they usually interweave. The brandy will not have the aroma it was meant to have. Heating brandy also makes the nose too pungent for most people to enjoy.

Cognac is a wonderful spirit. The only frustrating thing about it is the tremendous rate at which cognac prices increase with each increase in quality level. Cognac that sell for $200 a bottle is considered to be modestly priced.

Train Your Nose

2007-12-10T11:28:00.000-05:00

How well can you distinguish aromas of blackcurrants, cherries, and liquorice in the wines that you drink? The line of wine aroma kits from Le Nez du Vin can help train your nose to discern these and other aromatic components of wine.

Each kit contains vials of aromatic essences that are commonly found in wines. For example, the aromas in the Red Wine kit include strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry, violet, green pepper, truffle, liquorice, vanilla, pepper, and smoked. Each vial provides your scent memory with a distinct reference aroma with which aromas in wines can be compared. They also help you put a name on the aromas you are already able to detect and distinguish.

The kits were developed by wine expert Jean Lenoir with the aim of helping trade professionals, sommeliers and ordinary wine lovers to find the right words to describe the wines they drink. The kits come in several varieties: The Master Kit (54 aromas), Le Duo (24 aromas), White Wines (12 aromas), Red Wines (12 aromas), Faults (12 aromas), and New Oak (12 aromas). Jean Lenoir has even created a 36-vial kit of coffee aromas.

The aroma kits also come with explanatory cards and illustrated booklets that explain the connections between aroma and wine. Each aroma and the molecules underlying the aromas are explained in detail. The Red or White Wine kits sell for $109 each in the US.

If my family members have not yet completed their Christmas shopping, the Red Wine Aroma Kit would make the perfect gift for me!

Wally Wine

2007-12-03T22:04:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart has teamed up with Ernest & Julio Gallo to launch a brand of wines that will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. The "value-priced" wines will be sold in 750ml bottles for around $6.

The name chosen for the new line of wines is 'Alcott Ridge Vineyards.' Market researchers have suggested that the following names might have been more appropriate:

Chateau Trailer Parc
White Trashfindel
Big Red Gulp
World Championship Riesling
NASCARbernet
Chef Boyardeaux
I Can't Believe It's Not Vinegar
Nasti Spumante

The beauty of Wal-Mart wine is that it can be served with either white meat (Possum) or red meat (Squirrel).

Cambozola: A Creamy Delight

2007-11-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Cambozola has quickly become one of my new favorites. This triple cream, soft-ripened cheese with blue veins is a pure delight. Its rich and creamy flavor can be enjoyed by those who typically do not care for blue cheeses.

I like Cambozola so much that I am willing to steal it. Well, sort of. When Neil Williams and Kelly Norlen hosted a dinner party at their house a few months ago, they put away the Cambozola before I was finished enjoying it. So, while I was supposed to be starting on the main course, I slipped into their kitchen and dug around in their refrigerator until I found the remaining cheese. I don't know Neil and Kelly well enough that being caught snooping around in their refrigerator would be completely comfortable.

Although most people will try to tell you the name of this cheese comes from a combination of 'Camembert' and 'Gorgonzola,' the producers of the cheese tell a different story. Käserei Champignon, located in Bavaria, selected the name to honor the ancient cheese-making settlement of Cambodunum that flourished in Bavaria around 300 A.D.

This pasteurized cow's milk cheese pairs well with fruit (e.g., figs) and nuts (e.g., roasted walnuts) and goes well on a party cheese plate. It is also a popular ingredient in sauces and soups. Champignon recommends serving Cambozola with light- to medium-bodied red wines (e.g., Pinot Noir) or Vintage Ports.

Some tasty recipes that call for Cambozola include the following:
Chicken Breast with Cambozola Mushroom Cream
Foccacia with Cambozola, Roast Beef and Arugula
Pear and Cambozola Soup
Spicy Pasta Cambozola (scroll down toward the bottom)

Thanksgiving Wines

2007-11-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

What kind of wine should you serve with Thanksgiving dinner? The first thing to know about wine and food pairings is that there is not just one magic combination that you must discover in order to succeed. There are many wines that can pair well with the traditional fare of turkey and dressing.

If you're looking for a white wine, consider a dry or off-dry Riesling. Rieslings typically have a "fruit forward" flavor. Translated from winespeak into plain English, this means that the foreground of its flavor profile is predominately fruity. Elements of apricots, pears, apples and peaches are common. Most Rieslings have some residual sugar and a crisp finish. These lightweight, undemanding wines can make for an enjoyable Thanksgiving meal.

On the red side, some recommend Beaujolais. Beaujolais Nouveau is made from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region of France. The novelty behind Beaujolais is that it is harvested in Autumn, fermented only a few weeks and released for sale in November. Drinking Beaujolais is a way to celebrate the current year's harvest.

If I were serving turkey this year (which I'm not), I think I would try a Pinot Noir. Pinot Noirs have a lighter style and softer texture than many other reds. I think these characteristics would nicely complement traditional Thanksgiving fare.

Cheese Toppings

2007-11-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

The cheese counter at Wegman's (western New York's upscale grocery chain) carries an interesting selection of toppings to serve on soft-ripened cheeses.

The Caramel Pecan Topping (pictured at left) is by far the tastiest one they make. Its ingredients include butterscotch caramel sauce, pecans, dried apples, and a few dried cranberries. It is really wonderful. The flavor of the topping is so strong that it can easily drown out the flavor of the cheese it is served on. But since most Brie-style cheeses served in America are pretty tasteless, you won't really be missing out on much.

The Cherry Balsamic Topping was my second favorite. It is made from cherry preserves, dried cherries and balsamic vinegar. In contrast to the almost overwhelmingly sweet caramel topping, this one is a bit tart. Wegman's also carries a Craisin, Currant and Walnut Topping, made from red raspberry jam, walnuts, craisins (i.e., dried cranberries), and currants.

Each topping should be served over Brie with some kind of bread. I recommend serving it over a mild-tasting Brie such as Cathedral de Meaux. I tried the toppings with both an intense, earthy Brie and a mild Brie. And I definitely think the mild one worked better.

Because few cheese counters carry cute, little cheese rounds like the one pictured above, your best bet is to pile a generous helping of the topping on top of a wedge of Brie and have your guests cut into it themselves. Encourage them to spread the mixture onto a piece of bread. It won't be the easiest thing for your guests to cut into, but the striking visual presentation it makes should more than compensate for that.

If you don't live near a Wegman's, ask your local cheese merchant to recommend some toppings or try to create some of your own.

Local Wines and Malolactic Fermentation

2007-11-01T09:06:00.000-04:00

I've always been puzzled as to why the best "local" wines do not taste as good as the most modest (or even less than modest) wines from larger producers. I've also been deeply curious as to why local wines--seemingly regardless of region or grape variety--all share a distinctive and somewhat unpleasant flavor not found in comparable "non-local" wines. There is a certain bitter, chemical "whang" (to use a technical term) that characterizes all local wines.

When I lived in St. Louis, I tried various red wines from the nearby Augusta wine region. I've also tried many NY wines from the Fingers Lakes region and Canadian wines from Ontario. While I've enjoyed the ports from Missouri and the icewines from Ontario, I dislike the red wines of these regions.

I cannot believe that the marked differences between local and non-local wines and the marked similarities between all "local" wines can all be chalked up to differences in soil, climate, growing season, pruning techniques and other features of terroir. My current hypothesis is this: Unlike the red wines of larger, more established or more prestigious winemakers, local red wines do not go through a process of malolactic fermentation.

Primary fermentation occurs when yeast is added to grape juice and converts grape sugar to alcohol. Other byproducts of this process include carbon dioxide, malic acid and heat. Secondary (or malolactic) fermentation is a process that converts the more bitter, tart or metallic-tasting malic acid into the softer-tasting lactic acid. This process is accomplished with the help of lactic acid-eating bacteria such as Oenococcus oeni, Pediococcus and various species of Lactobacillus.

All good red wines undergo malolactic fermentation. Traditionally, Old World white wines did not undergo this same process. In the 1970s California winemakers established a new style and standard for Chardonnay by combining malolactic fermentation of their white wines with oak aging. It is the secondary fermentation process that gives California Chardonnays their distinctive "buttery" flavor. The buttery sensation arises from the softer, slightly oily texture and flavor of the lactic acid.

Because of malolactic fermentation, California Chardonnays can be drunk more easily as aperitifs. Many Old World Chardonnays are not intended to be drunk by themselves and often need to be tamed by a full meal. Because the California style fits better with New World wine drinking habits, it has significantly changed the oenological landscape. (Notice that in every American wine magazine advertisement, the partakers are standing at a party rather than sitting before a meal.)

With white wines, then, there are two styles: with or without malolactic fermentation. With red wines, however, there is only one: with. My best guess as to why local wines possess a chemical whang not found in non-local wines is that they do not generally undergo the secondary process of fermentation.

I recently ran my hypothesis by a senior wine buyer at Prime Wines, and she completely dismissed my hypothesis. I'm not giving up on it yet, however, because I don't know of any other explanation for the distinctive aroma and flavor profile of local wines. If any of you have hypotheses of your own, please share them with me.

Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper

2007-10-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

Cypress Grove Chevre in Humboldt County, California, is one of America's very best cheese producers. Their award-winning cheeses include Humboldt Fog, Bermuda Triangle, Midnight Moon, and Purple Haze (about which I have blogged before). Cypress Grove recently won the Outstanding Product Line 2007 Award at the Fancy Food Show in NYC. Cypress Grove and Carr Valley may be my two favorite producers of American cheese.

I recently enjoyed a wedge of Cypress Grove's Lamb Chopper, a firm and creamy delight. Made from pasteurized Dutch sheep's milk, this cheese is aged in Holland for three months before entering the U.S., where it is aged a month or two more. Apparently, head cheese-ager Mary Keehn didn't want mold from Humboldt Fog and other Cypress Grove cheeses to infect Lamb Chopper during its aging process. So, it does most of its aging outside Cypress Grove's facilities.

Lamb Chopper is one of best Gouda-style cheeses you will find. Its creamy, buttery flavor is simply wonderful. It is firm enough to go on sandwiches and burgers but sophisticated enough to go on a cheese tray.

Brillo di Treviso

2007-10-20T21:25:00.001-04:00

It hasn't been easy keeping my wife from eating all of the Brillo di Treviso I recently purchased from Premier Gourmet. The rind of this pasteurized cow's milk cheese from Italy is reguarly washed with red wine during the aging process, giving the cheese a rich, purple exterior and a somewhat fruity flavor.

When I first tasted Brillo di Treviso I thought the winey flavor in it was too strong. As I ate more of it, however, this impression subsided. Now the easily edible wine-drenched rind strikes me as rather mild. The semi-soft paste (i.e., the interior of the cheese) is mild, creamy, and slightly tangy.

Despite the fact that many purveyors of cheese claim that Brillo di Treviso is from Venice, it is in fact from Treviso (the "di Treviso" should have been a giveaway), in the Veneto region of Italy.

Brillo di Treviso is a great party cheese. It has an enjoyable, accessible flavor and its deep, purple color and winey flavor will be something of a novelty to many of your guests. Serve with Chianti, Beaujolais or full-bodied reds.

Baked Brie at Brodo

2007-10-20T19:42:00.000-04:00

Wendy and I recently enjoyed a date at the Brodo cafe in Snyder, NY. It would be difficult to find a place with a better great-food-per-dollar-spent ratio than Brodo.

Being the cheesey guy I am, I ordered the Puff Pastry Baked Brie, with apples, walnuts and raspberry sauce. It was superb. I highly recommend it.

Brodo has a prix fixe dinner option for $24, happy hour M-F from 5-7pm, and live jazz on Thurs. and Sat. from 7-9pm.

Brandied Roasted Pears

2007-10-12T21:23:00.000-04:00

Mascarpone cheese is a rich, triple cream cheese that is most commonly encountered in Italian desserts such as tiramisu or zabaglione. The cheese is creamy white, smells like milk and cream, and has the consistency of a sticky pudding.

Mascarpone pairs well with fruit. For example, Wegman's supermarkets in western New York sell a Red Raspberry Mascarpone Mousse at their cheese counters that is made from mascarpone, crème fraiche, raspberry preserves, sugar, and vanilla extract. It is heavenly.

My wife, Wendy, found the following fruit and mascarpone recipe on PBS. It has a fabulous, sophisticated flavor but is very easy to make.

Brandied Roasted Pears
Ingredients:

3 ripe Bartlett pears (peeled, cored and sliced in half)
1 1/4 c. Brown sugar (packed)
1/3 c. Unsweetened apple juice
2T (or more) Brandy
8 oz. Mascarpone
1/4 c. Clover honey
1/2 c. Toasted pecans (finely chopped)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.
Grease an 8"x8" pyrex dish.
Cover bottom of dish with brown sugar.
Lay pear halves on brown sugar.
Combine brandy and apple juice. Pour over pears.
Bake at 400° for 20-30 min.
While pears are cooling for 3-4 min, thoroughly mix honey and mascarpone.
Place pears in dessert dishes and top with mascarpone mixture and pecans.
Drizzle pears with extra juice from baking dish and serve.

I'm going to experiment more with mascarpone around the house. I think something as simple as toast topped with mascarpone (perhaps mixed with maple syrup) and fresh fruit would be great. A tasty-looking French toast with Mascarpone and Blueberries recipe from FoodTV can be found here.

Rating Wine Preserver Products

2007-10-06T14:25:00.000-04:00

As soon as a bottle of wine is opened, it begins to oxidize. 24 to 36 hrs after being opened, most table wines have lost much of their flavor. After 48 hrs they can be almost undrinkable.

You don't need to be a wine snob to notice and be concerned about the effects of oxidation. As a complete wine novice buying my first bottles of wine, I could tell without any training that the flavor of the wine was different the day after it was opened. Several wine preservation products are available that help to minimize the effects of oxidation.

The best household wine preservation system is The Keeper (above left). I use this product with every bottle of wine I open at home. The stopper-faucet that dispenses the wine is connected to a nitrogen cylinder. Nitrogen (an inert, non-oxidizing gas) fills the space inside the bottle as the wine goes out. This device prevents oxygen from coming into the bottle and thus keeps oxidation from occurring.

A widely used but significantly less effective product is Private Preserve inert gas spray (pictured to the right). Each time a bottle of wine is opened or reopened, you are supposed to spray Private Preserve (a combination of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon gas) into the bottle. These gases are allegedly heavier than other gases and are said to lay down a protective blanket over the surface of the wine, keeping oxygen at bay.

I used Private Preserve for years, and it certainly slows down the oxidation process. It is better than nothing and something you might want to consider buying, if you're not ready to spend money on The Keeper. However, it is only marginally effective at preventing oxidation. The money spent on several bottles of Private Preserve would be better spent on The Keeper.

A completely worthless product that is commonly seen in wine shops is the Vacu Vin Vacuum Wine Saver (pictured at left). This was the first wine preservation product I ever tried. A dinky little pump is supposed to extract most of the air inside your bottle of wine, again slowing down the oxidation process. The pump, however, is exceptionally weak and the stopper that goes on top of the bottle does not form a very tight seal. Vacu Vin may remove some oxygen from the inside of a bottle, but it is an almost completely ineffective product. Don't throw away your money on this one.

Ken Shockley laughs at my Keeper wine system every time he comes over to my house. I must admit that it looks rather odd, but it has been a wonderful investment. It can keep opened bottles of wine fresh for weeks, allowing me to enjoy wine at my leisure. I highly recommend it.

Wine Links

2007-09-30T22:11:00.000-04:00

Here are some interesting wine links from around the web:

1. Grape-by-grape wine and cheese pairings at Winemonger.com.

2. Wine and cheese pairing suggestions from Laura Werlin.

3. Wine & Spirits' Top Ten lists. Each issue of Wine & Spirits focuses on one variety or group of related wines and selects the best wines tasted in that category in the past year. The linked page is a compilation of Top Ten lists from the last six years.

Autumn in Vermont

2007-09-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

Autumn in Vermont means beautiful fall foliage and scenic drives. It can also mean enjoying tours of some of the best creameries in America. My wife and I are considering taking a trip down the Vermont Cheese Trail during mid-October to soak up the autumn colors and the cheese.

The Vermont Cheese Council offers an interactive map of the Cheese Trail that includes links to all of the participating farms and creameries. Among the more famous Vermont cheesemakers are Cabot Creamery and Grafton Village Cheese (about whom I have blogged before).

If you're looking for a fall getaway, consider a culinary adventure down the Vermont Cheese Trail during the most beautiful time of the year to be in Vermont. Few things are better than good food and good conversation in a lovely setting. (And if you live in Buffalo, consider telling my wife that we should go ahead and spend the money on the trip.)

Grilled Cheese: Literally

2007-09-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

Halloumi is a traditional cheese from Cyprus that does not melt when cooked. It can be placed directly on a barbecue grill. I grilled mine in a bit of extra virgin olive oil on the stove and drizzled it with lemon juice. My entire family loved it.

A couple of weeks after I read Jamie Forrest's post about Grilled Halloumi over at Serious Eats, Halloumi showed up in my local cheese shop, Premier Gourmet. Either the cheese buyer at Premier or some other customer must read the same blogs I do.

Halloumi is traditionally made from sheep and goat's milk. It is sold vacuum packed in a bit of its own whey. The true flavor of Halloumi is revealed only when it is cooked. Uncook Halloumi is plain and rather tart. Its texture most resembles mozzarella.

Halloumi served with salad, hummus and pita bread is a tasty treat. Here are some other recipes for Halloumi:

Shopping tip for Buffalo readers: Halloumi is currently available at Premier Gourmet, but I don't expect it to be a regularly stocked item. If your local cheese vendor doesn't carry Halloumi, you can always purchase some at igourmet.com.

Although I originally bought Halloumi solely for its novelty, I'm going back to buy some more because it is delicious. I recommend trying this unique cheese.

Niagara Wine Festival

2007-09-09T18:51:00.000-04:00

The 56th Niagara Wine Festival will take place from Sept. 21st through Sept. 30th in the Niagara region of Ontario. Although Ontario is best known for its icewines, the festival features the full range of wines produced by the region.

There are two primary venues for the festival. One is the historic Montebello Park in St. Catharine's, ON, which will feature 30 award-winning wineries, Niagara cuisine and live entertainment each weekend and each evening during the week.

The weekend entertainment times on Sept. 22-23 and 29-30 are 11am to 10:30pm. Midweek entertainment times Sept. 21 and 26-28 are 5pm to 10:30pm. Admission and parking are free. I plan to enjoy the festivities at Montebello Park on one of the weekends.

The other "venue" for the festival is comprised of all the Niagara wineries. The wineries will be hosting special tastings, wine and food pairings, and other educational events at their various locations. See the Events Page of the festival website for details of these events. Further details about events at Montebello Park and about the festival in general can be found in the festival program guide.

Water Buffalo Milk: Yum!

2007-09-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

Would you believe the world's greatest mozzarella cheese is made from the milk of water buffaloes? That's right. Mozzarella di bufala, which comes from the region of Campania in southern Italy, is made from the milk of these ugly ungulates.

The best buffalo mozzarella is made from unpasteurized water buffalo milk and is usually served on the day it is made. It does not keep for more than 18 hours. This cheese is not available in the U.S. and cannot be made here because of regulatory reasons. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture requires that any cheese sold in America that is made from unpasteurized milk be aged for at least six months. Consequently, while buffalo mozzarella can be found in America, it is always made from pasteurized milk.

Because mozzarella is not aged, it is considered a "fresh" cheese. It also counts as a "spun cheese" because the curds are dipped into heated whey or water and then stretched and kneaded until they become elastic and stretchy.

True, "fresh" mozzarella should be distinguished from the low-moisture, tasteless, rubbery dairy product that passes for mozzarella in most American grocery stores. Fresh mozzarella can be found soaking in vats of salted water or whey at better cheese stores. Some fresh mozzarellas are sold in vacuum packed packages containing liquid to keep the mozzarella from drying out. Fresh mozzarellas have a slightly sour tang and are squishier than most Americans expect.

Fresh mozzarella can always be served in a classic Insalata Caprese. Here are some further serving suggestions (thanks to Bel Gioioso):

Top Italian bread with grilled eggplant, tomato, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
Top your roast beef sandwich with roasted red peppers and sliced fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil.

Because mozzarella does not have a strong flavor, consider using smoked mozzarella in oven-baked recipes that call for plain mozzarella. It can add an extra dimension of flavor.

Mildly Aged Gouda: Vintage Van Gogh

2007-08-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

In a previous post I raved about a certain kind of aged Gouda--viz., Saenkanter--that is one of the most intensely flavored cheeses on the planet. The problem with Saenkanter, however, is that it's not widely available. I don't like to write about products that readers cannot easily find. The trouble with the aged Goudas that are widely available--e.g., Beemster, Old Amsterdam--is that they simply do not taste as good as Saenkanter. They are more interesting than delicious. In fact, many people find them quite difficult to eat.

I am pleased to announce I have discovered an aged Gouda-style cheese that is both delicious and widely available: Vintage Van Gogh from Roth Käse in Monroe, Wisconsin. Made from full-cream cow's milk, this mild Gouda is aged only six to eight months--in contrast to the three to five years of more "serious" aged Goudas. The cheese has a wonderfully mellow and creamy texture, with only a slight hint of caramel.

Ordinary Gouda, double-cream Gouda and Gouda Lite are almost completely tasteless. I am of the opinion that Goudas need to be aged or smoked before they become interesting. The short amount of aging Vintage Van Gogh receives provides it with just enough flavor to be tasty, yet not so much that it becomes dry and harsh. To give you an idea of how accessible this cheese is, my three-old daughter loves it. I'm going to serve Vintage Van Gogh at my next dinner party.

Roth Käse recommends serving Vintage Van Gogh with dried cherries, cranberries, cashews, almonds, or pecans. Roth Käse also offers a delicious array of cheese-based recipes on their website.

Shopping tip for Buffalo readers: I bought my Vintage Van Gogh at Wegman's, which is fast becoming my favorite place to buy cheese.

Wine Markups at Restaurants

2007-08-19T17:01:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered what the markup is on the wine you buy at your local restaurant? Because my most disappointing Buffalo dining experience occurred at the Empire Grill on Hertel Avenue, I have chosen them as the focus of my post on wine markups in the restaurant business.

Below you will find the price Empire Grill charges per glass of wine. Under this price you will find how much it would cost you to purchase an entire bottle of each wine. A standard 750ml bottle holds 25.368 fluid ounces of wine. Restaurants usually serve 4 to 6 ounces of wine per glass. So, you can take one bottle to hold roughly 4-5 glasses of wine.

Whites:
Woodbridge White Zinfandel
Empire Grill price: $5 per glass
Premier Wine price: $9 for a jumbo 1.5L bottle

Jekel Riesling
Empire Grill price: $7 per glass
Wine.com price: $10 per bottle

Francis Coppola Bianco Pinot Grigio
Empire Grill price: $6 per glass
Premier Wine price: $9 per bottle

Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc
Empire Grill price: $5 per glass
Premier Wine price: $7 per bottle (regular price); $4 per bottle (sale price)

Sebastiani Chardonnay
Empire Grill price: $8 per glass
Premier Wine price: $13 per bottle

Reds:
Beringer "Founder's Estate" Pinot Noir
Empire Grill price: $7 per glass
Premier Wine price: $13 per bottle

L de Lyeth Merlot
Empire Grill price: $7 per glass
Premier Wine price: $9 per bottle

Francis Coppola Rosso
Empire Grill price: $6 per glass
Premire Wine price: $10 per bottle (when it's not on sale)

Gallo Family Vineyards "Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon
Empire Grill price: $8 per glass
Common internet price: $10-12 per bottle

One interesting feature of the Empire Grill's wine prices (and those of other restaurants as well) is that the lower the quality of wine you buy, the higher the markup percentage is. You can see why I much prefer to drink wine in the comfort of my own home. I get a great deal more wine for my money.

Readers from Buffalo may wonder what was wrong with my dining experience at the Empire Grill. Like many others, I waited with anticipation for what Buffalo Spree called an "architecturally gorgeous restaurant" to open on one of North Buffalo's best strips of restaurants and bars. When my wife and I sat down to eat there for the first (and last) time, we couldn't find a single dish we were interested in ordering. Almost every one of the appetizers was deep-friend, and the rest of the menu looked straight out of Chili's or Applebee's. My wife and I ordered a single bowl of soup and left without eating dinner there.

Myths About Moldy Cheese

2007-08-13T09:38:00.000-04:00

Cheese Myth #957: "If there is only a small amount of visible mold on a cheese, it can always be scraped off and the remaining cheese salvaged."

Some supporters of this myth think that cheese cannot be ruined by mold because in some sense cheese is mold or at least is derived from mold. While it is true that molds are often used in cheesemaking, it is not a necessary ingredient.

Cheese is simply what you get by isolating the solid material in milk. Separating the curds (the solid part of milk) from the whey (the liquid part) most often begins with the addition of a starter culture to fresh milk. Starter culture is always a kind of bacteria, whereas mold is a kind of fungus. I think Myth #957 gains some of its support from the conflation of mold with bacteria.

In any case, starter bacteria is not even strictly necessary to cheesemaking. Its primary role is to increase the acidity of milk, so that the separation of curds and whey happens more quickly. Some quick and easy cheesemaking recipes bypass the starter culture and call for adding lemon juice to fresh milk to increase its acidity. This doesn't result in the best cheese, but it illustrates how starter bacteria is not absolutely essential to the process.

After curds are isolated from the milk, you've got cheese. The curds they can be cut, pressed or enriched with various additional flavors without molds ever entering the picture.

Molds do play an important role in the production of blue cheeses and soft-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert. Penicillium roqueforti, for example, is used in the production of Roquefort and other blue cheeses, and Penicillium camemberti and Penicillium candida are used in Brie and Camembert. (A different variety of Penicillium is used to produce penicillin.) Most types of cheese, however, do not require the action of any kind of mold.

In my early days as a cheese taster, I made the mistake of buying some blue cheese from an ordinary grocery store instead of from a specialty cheese retailer or an upscale grocer. Unsurprisingly, the cheese was nasty. Who knows how long it had been languishing in the display case. When I returned the cheese to the store, one of the workers was reluctant to give me my money back for the following reason: I complained that a blue cheese smelled and appeared nasty, but blue cheese is supposed to smell and appear nasty.

The grocery clerk's mistake lies in thinking that any kind of nastiness is appropriate in a blue cheese because allowing the cheese to mold is an essential part of its production. The fact is, however, that only a carefully selected strand of mold was introduced into the cheese--and this under closely monitored conditions. It is not the case that any old mold will do.

Some think of the growth of mold on cheese as a kind of controlled spoilage. One should not forget, however, that it is controlled rather than indiscriminate spoilage. Cheese Myth #957 fails to separate controlled spoilage from spoilage due to incorrect storage, refrigerator mold, bacteria or other foreign pathogens.

I don't think the 'controlled spoilage' motif is a very good one because 'spoilage' wrongly suggests destruction. The biochemical processes involved in mold growth on cheese, however, are productive. Baker's yeast (another kind of fungus) doesn't spoil flour and oil. It makes certain kinds of bread possible. Do the yeasts that turn grape juice into wine "spoil" the grape juice? Not if your intent is to make wine. In that case, it's an important part of the production process.

If you find a small amount of mold growing on a hard cheese (e.g., Cheddar, Parmesan), you can generally scrape it off and the cheese will be OK to eat. To some extent, then, there is a grain of truth in Myth #957. Unwanted mold on soft cheeses, however, is more of a problem. One reason is that the molds can more easily penetrate into the heart of soft cheeses than they can into harder cheeses. This causes spoilage from within that cannot be scraped away.

When buying soft or blue cheeses, there are several things you should look for. First, look for grey or pink discoloration around the edges. Fresh, unspoiled cheeses never display these colors. Also, look to see how many wedges of the cheese you want to buy are in the display case. Never buy one of the last wedges of a cheese round. In ordinary grocery stores, blue cheeses do not sell quickly. In fact, even at Premier Gourmet, where I buy most of my cheeses, the blue cheeses move rather slowly. In such a store, the last wedge of a blue cheese will likely be spoiled before anyone buys it. One nice feature of Wegman's grocery stores is that they put the date a wedge is cut on the label of the cheese.

Don't be afraid to ask the person behind the cheese counter to cut you a new wedge of cheese, even if several can be found in the display case. Also, feel free to ask them to remove an unwanted outside portion of a cheese round if it doesn't look like something you want to eat.

Finally, if you didn't already think America had enough pointless holidays, here is one more: October 9th is officially Moldy Cheese Day.

Vin de Pays D'Oc Pinot Noir

2007-08-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

When people tell me they know of a great tasting $5 wine, I never believe them. Well, I'm here to tell you that I know of a great tasting $5 wine. (Actually, it normally sells for $9, but I bought it on sale for $5.)

I never buy wines under $10. So, when I saw that Prime Wines had bottles of Baron Philippe de Rothschild's Vin de Pays D'Oc Pinot Noir on sale for $5, I paused over it briefly but kept on walking. I thought that no matter what name may appear on the bottle, it would always be a $5 bottle of wine.

Well, thanks to a party at David and Rose Hershenov's--home of western New York's most popular floating bar--I got to try some. I couldn't believe how drinkable this wine was. And by 'drinkable' I don't mean "drinkable by those who don't know good wine from a Dr. Pepper." I have since bought half a case, and I may go back for more.

The Rothschild Pays D'Oc Pinot Noir had a deep red color and a fruity nose, the latter being dominated by black cherry with some hints of violets. It had a smooth but firm tannin structure. I can't imagine a better $5 wine.

The 'Vin de Pays' label denotes an intermediary quality level that lies between the Vin de Table category and the class of wines that receive the appellation d'origine contrôlée certification. The Pays D'Oc region is located in the south of France and encompasses Languedoc and Roussillon. It is the largest Vin de Pays region, accounting for 70% of Vin de Pays wine production.

In 1995 Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A., maker of the world-renowned Château Mouton Rothschild, expanded beyond its traditional châteaux-based wine production into the varietal-based wine market. It now offers eight varietal wines from the Pays D'Oc. The Pinot Noir in this family of wines is the perfect party wine--tasty and inexpensive. It's a good bet the other Rothschild Pays D'Oc wines are good buys as well.

Real Parmesan Doesn't Come in a Green Can

2007-07-27T12:21:00.000-04:00

Parmesan cheese is made in Argentina, Australia and the U.S., but nothing else can compare to Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of Italian cheese. Parmigiano-Reggiano is a full-flavored, hard, dry cheese with a unique granular texture. Start using Parmigiano-Reggiano in your recipes instead of lesser Parmesans, and you'll be amazed at the difference.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is made from the raw milk of
grass-fed cows in the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena. Its distinctive dryness and firmness result from (i) the fact that the curds are cut into very fine pieces to increase the amount of liquid whey that is drained off and (ii) an aging process that lasts from two to seven years. Before aging, wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano float in a brine bath for 20 days to soak up salt.

Because the name 'Parmesan' denotes a protected designation of origin in the European Union, the EU is campaigning to get cheesemakers outside of Italy to stop using the Parmesan name. Don't expect the Kraft Corporation to acquiesce any time soon.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is used primarily for grating and baking. I just finished working my way through a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano, eating the cheese by itself on Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins. I enjoyed the experience, but I don't recommend it. Parmigiano-Reggiano is a salty, acidic, strongly flavored cheese. It is not an easy cheese to eat by itself. I strongly recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano for cooking but not for party cheese trays.

You may be saying to yourself, "I don't really need to buy Parmigiano-Reggiano. I already buy higher quality Parmesan from the gourmet cheese aisle and haven't bought a green can of Parmesan in years. Surely the quality of the Parmesan I buy is good enough." Think again. Accept no substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Most grocery stores sell pre-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. I recommend buying a wedge and grating it freshly yourself.

Here is an oddball collection of commercials for Parmigiano-Reggiano, presumably produced by the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano for Italian television:

Did you notice the bodiless hand making grated cheese fall like snow upon all below? Don't ask me how this is supposed to sell cheese.

Château Tour Léognan

2007-07-21T18:33:00.000-04:00

I realized earlier this year that I was in a New World wine rut. I had been drinking Cabernets, Pinot Noirs, Syrahs and Merlots almost exclusively from the U.S. (mostly Napa and Sonoma) and Australia, with the occasional Tempranillo from Spain. I have now resolved to drink my way across the Old World, beginning with Bordeaux and Tuscany.

The first stop on my current wine journey through Bordeaux is a 2003 red wine from Château Tour Léognan. The château is located in Pessac-Léognan, a sub-region of the larger Graves winemaking district just south of the city of Bordeaux. The name 'Graves' derives from the intensely gravelly soil of the region, which imparts a distinctive flavor to its wines.

Unlike most Bordeaux reds, which are made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the Château Tour Léognan uses only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine had a deep ruby color and was wonderfully soft on the palate. It had aromas of red fruit and cinnamon.

Although some aspects of the flavor of the Château Tour Léognan reminded me of a California Cab, there were other aspects of its flavor I was not prepared for and am not familiar with. So, although my original plan was to buy a single bottle from a variety of châteaux in Bordeaux, I'm going to buy more Château Tour Léognan in order to get a better handle on its character. I highly recommend this very affordable ($18) and tasty French wine.

Wine exports from Bordeaux have plummeted in recent years, due to competition from New World wines. You can read about some of the drastic steps some French officials are taking to address the problem here and here.

Don't Put Your Cheese on That!

2007-07-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Ideally, one should serve good cheese with good bread. Some soft cheeses even make interesting substitutes for butter. For example, I recently bought a double-cream cheese from Fromager d'Affinois and spread it on my bread instead of butter. It was a nice change of pace. This French Brie-like cow's milk cheese would not have tasted well on a cracker.

Fromager d'Affinois is one of the biggest sellers of soft cheeses in the U.S. I recommend trying it.

If you are going to serve cheese with crackers, what kind of cracker should you buy? My two favorites are Reduced Fat & Sodium Breton wheat crackers and Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins. The former has a more buttery flavor than the latter. Sometimes I can tell that a cheese will taste better on the buttery Bretons. I wish I could give you a general rule for determining when to go with buttery crackers, but I cannot. Other cheeses go well with the more neutral, hearty Red Oval Farms crackers.

Good cheese crackers should not be flavored with garlic, herbs, peppercorns, too much butter, or too much salt. I don't even care for toasted sesame seeds. Strongly flavored crackers mask the subtle flavors of a good cheese. If you've bothered to purchase a good cheese, you should be able to enjoy its full flavor without distraction.

Both the Breton and Red Oval Farms crackers serve as fairly neutral platforms for quality cheeses. Although Carr's Table Water Crackers seem to dominate the cracker-upon-which-cheeses-are-put market, I think they have a bit less flavor than some types of cardboard. A good cheese cracker can be neutral without being completely tasteless.

I also think that Ritz crackers contain too much butter and probably too much salt. The right amount of salt is already added to most cheeses during the course of their production, so they don't need any extra from crackers. In addition, a lot of cheeses--e.g., Cheddars and especially any hard, dry cheese such as Dry Jack or aged Gouda--have a fairly high acid content. A high acid cheese on a highly salty cracker is an unpleasant combination.

My recommendation is to stick with either good bread or Reduced Fat & Sodium Breton wheat crackers and Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins. Happy munching.

Le Volte: A Tuscan Treat

2007-07-10T14:52:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend I attended an informal tasting of Tuscan wines at Prime Wines (also mistakenly known as Premier Wines) in Kenmore. All of the wines were made primarily from the Brunello grape, which is a clone of Sangiovese. The name 'Sangiovese' derives from sanguis Jovisi, which means "blood of Jove."

The term 'clone' does not have the same meaning here that it does in the biotechnology sphere. Rather, just as different varietals of a single species have distinctive characteristics but are not sufficiently different to be considered separate species, different "clones" (in the enological sense) are distinctively different types of grapes within a single varietal category but are not so different that they are considered different varietals.

According to philosopher of science and wine connoisseur Peter Machamer, the Italians have a saying about wine: "There is vino bianco, and then there is vino vero." (Translation: There is white wine, and then there is true wine.) I don't know whether any Italians have ever actually said this, but I certainly agree with its expressed preference for reds over whites.

Brunello-based wines reign supreme in Tuscany. There is much more to the wine of Tuscany wine than low-end bottles of Chianti covered in straw baskets. (See my previous post on Brunello di Montalcino.)

I purchased a bottle of Le Volte at the Tuscan wine tasting on Saturday (on sale for $17.99). It is made from 50% Brunello, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The laws governing wines in Italy have changed in recent years to allow winemakers to use non-native grapes like Merlot and Cabernet in some of their wines. Le Volte has soft, pleasant aromas of cherries and plums. One of the managers at Prime Wines thought she could detect sweet shiitake mushrooms in the nose. It paired very well with the Asiago cheese and beef tenderloin hors d'oeuvres served at Prime Wines. It is a very nice wine.

Pata Cabra: Olé!

2007-07-05T11:37:00.000-04:00

I recently enjoyed a tasty new Spanish cheese while listening to some really bad music at Niawanda Park near the Erie Canal. Pata Cabra (alt., Patacabra) is a semi-soft, aged goat's milk cheese made in the city of Zaragoza (traditionally known as Saragossa) in the Aragon region of Spain. I thoroughly enjoyed it--the cheese, that is, not the music.

Pata Cabra is a washed rind cheese, meaning that its rind has been rinsed and scrubbed with brine several times during the aging process. In addition to keeping unwanted bacteria from growing on the outside of the cheese, this process also gives the cheese a mildly pungent flavor. It is rich and creamy and has a slightly sticky texture. This cheese would pair well with crusty breads, nuts and tapenades.

There are over 60 cheeses that are unique to Spain, but few of them are known to the tasting public. I highly recommend trying this little-known gem from Spain. I bought mine at Premier Gourmet.

NPR contributor Betsy Block offers the following Honey and Cheese Recipe as an alternative way to enjoy Pata Cabra. She says it is "absurdly easy" but "unbelievably delicious."

Ingredients:

4 slices of good bread (baguette, sourdough, something hearty and crusty)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 pound Pata Cabra cheese (or another mild Spanish goat or sheep's milk cheese, e.g., Navat)
Acacia honey

Directions:

Brush the bread with olive oil, then toast or grill it. Cover with a slice of cheese and drizzle with honey. Makes 4 servings.

Carr Valley Billy Blue

2007-06-30T11:13:00.000-04:00

Carr Valley has quickly become one of my favorite cheesemakers. I've raved about their fascinating Mobay Cheese before, and this past week I discovered their Billy Blue goat cheese. I highly recommend it.

Unlike most blue cheeses, which are made from cow's milk, Billy Blue is made from Wisconsin goat's milk. Carr Valley also makes Ba Ba Blue, a blue sheep's milk cheese. The tremendous variety of cheeses made at this single creamery is amazing.

The chèvre and blue in Billy Blue make for an interesting combination. The white part of the cheese has many of the typical features of chèvre--a fairly bright white color, a soft, crumbly texture and a mild flavor. The mildness of the white portion contrasts nicely with the sharpness of the blue veins.

Billy Blue is aged only four months and took 3rd place in the "New Cheese" category at the 2006 American Cheese Society Competition.

Shopping tip for readers in Buffalo: The Wegman's by the Boulevard Mall has a small display case devoted to Carr Valley cheeses. Other Wegman's stores in western NY may have similar displays. Carr Valley cheeses are well worth investigating.

1989 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine

2007-06-25T09:54:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend my family and I enjoyed a picture-perfect picnic at Niagara-on-the-Lake, the capital of Ontario's icewine region. The weather could not have been better, and the peaceful view of Lake Ontario was unbeatable.

We also stopped by Inniskillin, producer of both the highest quantity and the highest quality of icewine in the world. While we were there, we had the special privilege of tasting the icewine that garnered the highest award any Inniskillin wine has ever received. It was a 1989 Vidal Icewine. In 1991 at the VinExpo Bourdeaux, an international panel of judges awarded this wine Le Grand Prix D'Honneur, the fair's highest award. However the wine may have tasted to the judges in 1991 was surely nothing like what it tasted this weekend. Sixteen years of bottle aging had given the wine greater subtlety and an amber color one simply doesn't see in icewines. The fruity, apricot and tangerine aromas of its youth had given way to unique butterscotch and caramel aromas with quiet hints of raisins. It was truly a unique experience. A half bottle of this particular wine sells for $500, so don't expect me to bring it to your next party.

If you are interested in buying some icewine, I strongly recommend that you buy something from Inniskillin. Of the four primary varieties of icewine they market, I most strongly recommend their basic Vidal Icewine. It sells for around $50 for a 375ml bottle. Inniskillin also sells a more expensive, oak-aged version of this same wine, but it is less fruity and not worth the extra cost.

Inniskillin also makes a Cabernet Franc Icewine. It has a unique rhubarb and organge nose and is quite tasty. But it costs twice as much as the basic Vidal without being twice as good. Inniskillin also makes the only sparkling icewine in Canada, but again I think their basic Vidal Icewine remains the best buy.

Icewine pairs well with fruit-based desserts and strong, rich veined cheeses. Avoid serving it with extremely sweet and chocolate-based desserts. Because of its syrupy sweetness, icewine can also serve as a dessert all by itself.

Saenkanter: An Incomparable Gouda

2007-06-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

OMG (Oh, My Gouda), Saenkanter is the most intensely flavored cheese I have ever tasted. Made in north Holland, this cheese has a rich, nutty, butterscotch and caramel flavor with subtle hints of sherry. Aged at least 3 years, it is rock hard and has a deep amber color. Crystalline protein structures scattered throughout this cheese give it an interesting crunch.

This Dutch Gouda is made from pasteurized cow's milk, but don't let the fact that it's a Gouda fool you into thinking it's a boring cheese. Gouda, Double Cream Gouda and (heaven forbid) Gouda Lite are among the dullest, least flavorful cheeses in the world. Aged Gouda, however, is another story.

Although I've never seen Saenkanter in Buffalo (I bought mine at the Dean & Deluca store in Napa Valley), Wegman's carries a small but interesting selection of aged Gouda. Look for the names Beemster, Old Gouda and Old Amsterdam. I recently bought a five-year-old Gouda from Wegman's that didn't quite measure up to Saenkanter but was nonetheless pretty interesting. Aged Gouda is like nothing you've probably ever tasted.

A few days ago I cooked the following scrambled egg dish (from Cheese 'n Things) using the aged Gouda I bought at Wegman's. The egg dish was rather strongly flavored but quite interesting:

INGREDIENTS:

6 Eggs
1/2 c Saenkanter cheese (or other aged gouda)
1 Shallot
1/8 c. Cream
Butter
Coarse sea salt
White pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Mince shallot and sauté in butter until translucent and golden brown. Set aside. Cool frying pan and pour 1/8 cup cream in. Then crack 6 eggs into the pan, making sure nothing's cooking yet. Turn heat to medium low, and gently blend eggs and cream until mixture is a consistent pale yellow color. Grate 1/4 cup Saenkanter into egg mixture. Adjust heat to lowest flame and stir continually. Summon your patience and keep stirring until serving–it takes a little while. If you see scrambling action before thickening, your flame is too high. Add two pinches of coarse salt and a few shakes of white pepper. When your eggs are properly cooked (moist but not runny), stir in the shallots. Top with one quick grating of the cheese. Serve with toast that cuts the richness like toasted sourdough or rye.

(Photo credit: D. Ryan Anderson)

Is Sake Wine?

2007-06-15T17:36:00.000-04:00

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: Even though sake is often called 'rice wine,' something can be wine only if it is made from the fermented juice of some fruit. So, strawberry wine, plum wine, apricot wine and [insert gagging sounds] even watermelon wine are all genuinely wine (even if not all genuinely good). Since sake is made from a grain rather than a fruit, it has much more in common with beer than with wine.

Whether a distilled spirit is made from a fruit or a grain is also what determines whether it counts as brandy or whiskey. Brandy (from the Dutch word brandewijn, meaning 'burnt wine') is any distilled spirit made from fermented fruit juice, whereas whiskey is any distilled spirit (with the exception of vodka) made from fermented grain sugars.

The primary distinctions between types of sake are based not on the varieties of rice that are used but rather on how much each grain of rice has been milled or polished. The core of a rice grain has a greater concentration of starches than the exterior region or "husk." Rice grains that have greater percentages of this exterior portion removed through polishing can produce sakes with more intense and complex flavors. Serious sake begins when at least 30% of the rice grain has been removed. 40-50% polishing is common. Less polishing results in a cheaper, lower quality sake with less flavor and complexity.

Good sake should be served chilled. Cheap sake is often served hot at sushi bars to mask the poor quality of the product being served.

Suggestions on Serving Cheese

2007-06-09T11:13:00.000-04:00

Here are some suggestions that can make serving cheese a more enjoyable experience:

1. Serve a cheese plate to your guests. Instead of placing a few large wedges of cheese on a platter that everyone must hack away at, provide your guests with pre-cut servings of cheese on plates of their own. Although the French traditionally serve a cheese plate at the end of a meal, I think it works much better as an appetizer course.

2. Select cheeses with contrasting flavors. One kind of contrast can be effected by serving cheeses made from the milk of different animals--e.g., sheep, goats and cows. You might also consider some combination of the following: (i) one blue cheese, (ii) one hard, dry cheese (e.g., Parmigiano-Reggiano), (iii) one flavored cheese (i.e., a cheese to which something like fruit, herbs or beer has been added) and/or (iv) one soft-ripened cheese (i.e., a mushy cheese with a fuzzy, white rind like Camembert or Brie). Arrange the cheeses from mildest to strongest and instruct your guests to enjoy them in this order.

3. Offer a selection of fruit and nuts on your cheese plate. You can include fresh fruit (e.g., pears, apples, honeydew melons, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), dried fruit (e.g., dates, figs, cranberries, cherries, raisins, prunes), and/or toasted nuts (e.g., black walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pecans). The Lexington Co-Op has an interesting selection of dried fruit. I especially enjoy their dried figs on a cheese plate.

4. Other items. Olives, roasted sweet red peppers, and paperthin slices of prosciutto can also go well on a cheese plate. Serve your cheese with warm, fresh bread instead of crackers.

MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir

2007-06-04T22:02:00.000-04:00

Each time I've had lunch at Brodo, my favorite lunch place in Buffalo, I've enjoyed a glass of MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir. This affordably priced wine is a pleasure to drink.

MacMurray Ranch is located in the heart of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, about 70 miles north of San Francisco. The Ranch takes its name from the late actor, Fred MacMurray, star of My Three Sons and Billy Wilder's classic film noir Double Indemnity. MacMurray owned the ranch for 50 years. After his death it was sold to E & J Gallo.

The freshly harvested grapes for the MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir are cold soaked for several days before primary fermentation, giving it the deepest ruby color I have ever seen in a Pinot Noir. According to winemaker Susan Doyle, this process also results in an optimal extraction of flavor.

I don't know whether the dark color of the wine is fooling me into thinking this or not, but the MacMurray Pinot Noir seems to have a thicker consistency than other Pinot Noirs. Aromas of blackberries and raspberries can be detected in the wine, along with hints of vanilla from the oak aging.

This tasty wine comes in two primary varieties. One carries the 'Sonoma Coast' label and sells for about $20, and the other carries the 'Russian River Valley' label and sells for around $35. I highly recommend buying it.