Tag Archive for 'gruyere'

More Cheeses

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joanie
on November 2, 2008
in Cabernet Sauvignon and Joanie Hudson
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Cheese is similar to wine in that to think about all of the different cheeses produced in the world, in each and every town, can be very intimidating. But, the subject becomes more approachable when you don’t immediately look to the big picture, but instead break it down and learn little by little. Last week I attended my monthly Spiritland Bistro Wednesday Wine and Dine dinner and was introduced to three new cheeses that were paired as a starter course with the West Coast Cabernet Sauvignon themed tasting: Queso de Valdeon, Chaource, and Comte.

Queso de Valdeon is produced in Spain and can also be called Valdeon Cheese here in the States. It is named for Valdeon, the town that it comes from. It is a salty blue veined cheese with a strong flavor profile. Made from a blend of cow and goat’s milk it gets its characteristic earthy taste from being wrapped in a layer of sycamore leaves prior to aging. I have heard that it is excellent when melted on hangar steak.

Chaource is an ancient cheese that has been named for the small town in France where it has been made since the early 14th century. The village of Chaource is located in the Champagne-Ardenne region. This is a cow’s milk double cream cheese similar to Camembert but with an even creamier texture that is absolutely mouth wateringly delicious. Its rich ripe flavor is offset by its mushroom scent, giving it a very unique profile. It is produced in elegant small discs of soft centers surrounded by a white rind.

Comte comes from the Franche-Comte region of eastern France and is also called Gruyere de Comte. This cows milk semi-firm cheese has an underlying nutty sweetness (think almond skins drizzled with a hint of honey). A delicious cheese to eat on its own, it is also a notoriously fantastic melting cheese.

I brought along a 1999 Santa Barbara Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) to the dinner, and it is at prime drinking age. We currently have it available in our cellar selections and it can be ordered by phone or in the tasting room

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Fontina Val d Aosta Cheese

Published
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joanie
on May 18, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Restaurant News, Santa Barbara Winery and Special Events
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Another yummy sandwich featured on the Pierre Lafond Bistro’s Thursday night Grilled Cheese menu is Fontina pressed between two slices of artisan sourdough bread with prosciutto.  The suggested wine pairing is Pinot Noir, but I would also say you could go with our off-dry Riesling.  

Fontina is an Italian cheese made from cow’s milk of which there are many variations produced throughout the world.  Originally and famously it is produced in the Alps, specifically in Italy’s Aosta Valley (Val d’Aosta) bordering France and Switzerland.  Additional areas of production include other parts of Italy as well as Denmark, Sweden, and France.  Its creamy texture morphs with age - softer in its youth and progressively firmer as it matures.  The 45% milkfat content lends to its buttery richness.  Like Gruyere, Fontina cheese melts well and is great for grilled panini sandwiches and fondue.  The peasized holes scattered throughout the cheese are a classic characteristic as well as its earthy and nutty flavors, both of which become more prominent with age.  The color is reminiscent of the sun beating on straw and along with its mild fruitiness there is a sweet hint of honey that is left to linger.  

The Italian variation of Fontina is typically aged for longer periods of time than, for example, the Danish version.  The aging affects the texture, making the Danish version more of a semi-soft creamy cheese.  The darker the rind gets the older it is.  When buying the cheese, look out for the Italian stamp of quality on the label. 

Another ingredient in the Fontina sandwich is prosciutto, whose saltiness cuts right through the fattiness of the cheese and adds a meaty quality to the mix.  A nice and mellow Pinot Noir is a great complement as the raspberry notes work well with the nuttiness of the cheese, and its acidity also slides right through the fat.  Mushroom notes in the cheese (which really presents itself in an aged Fontina) work well with Pinot Noir’s characteristic earthiness.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Gruyere Cheese at GCN

Published
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joanie
on May 15, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Restaurant News, Santa Barbara Winery, Sauvignon Blanc and Special Events
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The Pierre Lafond Bistro’s Grilled Cheese Night (GCN) features five different cheeses on Thursday evenings.  Each sandwich offers unique flavors and textures, which call out for an appropriate wine pairing as a complement.  Most people, me included, don’t know very much about cheeses.  For example, I know that there are a lot of different types of cheese produced throughout the world, but until recently I never would have guessed the daunting nature of cheese production. 

And since wine and cheese go hand in hand, knowing which wine to pair with specific cheeses is very useful information for wine lovers like ourselves.  We carry a variety of cheese books at the winery if you are interested in learning more.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will focus on one of the cheeses available on the Bistro Grilled Cheese menu and discuss why we chose the “suggested wine pairing.”  First is Gruyere cheese and our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc.  Gruyere cheese is pressed and melted to perfection on crisp sourdough artisan bread with sweet grilled peppers, which add a silky caramelized texture swimming in melted cheese.  This semi-hard cheese is made exclusively from whole cow’s milk, giving it a richly dense and compact texture that is less tangy than Cheddar.  Its slightly sweet saltiness (the result of the brine used to create it) is smooth, nutty and not overpowering. 

Traditionally used in the classic French Croque Monsieur (a melted cheese and ham sandwich) as well as a main ingredient in fondue, it is a notoriously great melting cheese.  It can be cooked without becoming rubbery or oily.  Sauvignon Blanc is a wonderful complement for a few reasons.  First of all, its cleansing acidity offsets the richness of the fatty milk.  A slightly salty cheese like Gruyere is perfect with the sweet tropical and citrus fruits that are in the wine.  Ever wonder why Bleu cheeses are commonly paired with dessert wines?  It is because the saltiness offsets the sweetness (think about Kettle Corn).

To make Gruyere, raw milk is heated up to 93 degrees F, and then the producers curdle the cheese.  Afterwards the curd is cut into small pieces that are stirred and release whey (the liquid portion).  Curd is cooked and quicly raised to a temperature of 130 degrees F.  The cheese is finally pressed to remove moisture and then salted in brine for 8 days followed by a ripening and curing period that lasts 4-10 months.  The longer the curing period lasts the higher quality cheese produced (cheese.com).

Like many cheeses and wines, true Gruyere is part of the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) legal system, which guarantees that products from a specific region carrying its name really do originate there.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager Santa Barbara Winery

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