May 2010 Cheese Feature
Country: France Milk Type: Cow Type: Firm Wine: Rieslings |
COMTÉComté is a firm pressed cheese made from the raw milk of red and white Montbeliard cows in the Jura Mountains of France in Franche-Comté. The cheese is produced in small, cooperative dairies, known as “fruitières” which collect the milk from farms within 15 miles distance only. Comté is the most popular DOP cheeses in France, and it is claimed that there are more than 83 distinct flavors in Comté, including apricot, chocolate, butter, cream, and grilled bread. Jura wines make a classic pairing for Comté, as well as Rieslings, Muscats, Gewürztraminers, and many of the softer red Bordeaux blends. |
Country: France Milk Type: Cow Cheese Type: Semi-Firm Wine: Riesling |
RACLETTERaclette is a mountain style of a cheese that has a milky flavor and a silky, smooth texture. Younger and a bit softer than most other Alpine styles of cheeses, Raclette is delicious melted over potatoes, vegetables or bread. Raclette is an elegant cheese, exceptionally well-suited for cooler weather. Because this cheese is relatively graceful, this buttery cheese pairs well with many wine types |
Country: United States Milk Type: Cow Cheese Type: Firm |
SEAHIVESeaHive is hand rubbed with wildflower honey and local Redmond RealSalt. The honey is harvested from a local farm where the bee’s visit wildflowers and fruit orchards. The salt is from an ancient sea bed near Redmond, Utah and contains unique flecks of color that are the result of more than 50 natural trace minerals. This cheese is a true expression of local flavors. |
Country: Spain Milk Type: Goat Cheese Type: Semi-Firm Wine: Chardonnay |
MAJORERO PIMENTÓNMajorero Pimentón is a firm, unpasteurized goat’s milk cheese made from the Majorera breed of goats on Fuerteventura, the Canary Island closest to Northern Africa. It is coated in Pimentón, a pepper type that is frequently used in Spanish cuisine and is applied to many of the mainland cheeses. The pimenón was originally used to help protect the rind of the cheese from unwanted mold and bacteria. In this case, it gives a unique appearance to the rind and a smokey, spicy flavor to the paste. The name Majorero comes from the ancient word for a shoe made with goat’s skin, “mahos,” which evolved into Mahorero, the word used to describe contemporary inhabitants of the island as well as the ancient people who called Fuerteventura home before the European invasion. Most Majorero cheese production is artisanal, and over half the goat milk produced on the island is converted into Majorero cheese. The dry, pleasant climate produces a rich, fatty milk ideal for cheesemaking, and the milk is coagulated with animal rennet. Majorero Pimentón is an amazingly versatile cheese partner; it pairs well with most all white wines, sparkling wines, sherries, Cognacs, and many reds. |
