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
had colorful masks in the middle as a playful decoration. Two dimensional paper maiche pig heads hung from the ceiling and appeared to have been crafted at the Solstice workshop where floats and masks are made for Saturday’s parade. 
perfect opportunity to recognize and sample new releases that we have available at 
The first plates came out of the kitchen at 7:30. Actually, the tapas size portion was served in a small convex glass (which tasting room associate Alan Shapton referred to as an “upside down lampshade glass”). A Tiger Shrimp Ceviche with mango and ripe avocado was served with the 2007 Pinot Gris and was probably my favorite pairing of the night. Mouthwatering tropical fruit and complementary acidity cleansed the palate for what was to come. The 
fattiness of the avocado cut through the Pinot Gris’ racy acidity and also brought out elements of sweet fruit when put together with the mango. 
Next out of the kitchen was a Saffron Bouillabaise and 
wine. The Rose of Syrah allowed the dish to shine through and was a beautiful magenta pink in the crystal stemware against the flickering candlelight. 
mustard rice wine vinaigrette. Three crusted scallops were placed softly on the bed of lettuce and provided a nice crunchy texture to the salad. Again Josh played with the element of pairing hot and cold placing warm scallops on cool lettuce, which really brought forward the salads earthy flavors. 
Leading up to the main course these three lighter dishes paved the way for Steak Filet Mignon and 
After all of this food it was not a surprise that the choice of dessert was more of a delightful cleansing palate refresher than a decadent sweet. A sorbet was paired with our
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