Rindless Cheddars:
Pressing the cheddar curds in hoops or molds will produce a wheel which will go through an aging process. Cheddar is a perennial favorite pairing well with a full bodied red wine. A good cheddar is full bodied, alive with character and complexity. When paired with a wine of the same complexity, the combination is superb.
Bloomy Rinds:
Known as Camembert and Brie in the French regions, these cheeses are some of the more difficult to produce. As with many other things in life, timing is everything. To make this complex cheese, typically made of cow’s milk, white mold is added during the make procedure. This mold comes to life in the form of a velvety coating covering the exterior of the cheese. Careful monitoring of humidity and temperature during the aging process ensures an even and full covering of this bloomy rind cheese. Sometimes fruitiness will develop, other times a mushroom like character will be apparent. Various conditions can alter the final product. Changes in the diet of the cow, the point in the lactation period and the season of the year all serve to change the outcome to some degree. When properly aged, this cheese will have the interior consistency similar to that of butter. A true art form in the cheese making world, bloomy rinds are versatile in pairing.
Chevre:
This fresh cheese made of goat’s milk is one of the simple pleasures of cheese making. Goats’ milk is pasteurized, and then culture and enzymes are added. The milk then rests overnight while the cultures perform their magic. The next day, the cheese maker will ladle the curds and whey into finely perforated mesh bags and allow them to drain for 24 hours. The result will be a soft cheese which has a distinctive tang. This comes from caprylic acid, which is only present in goat milk. This element will become more pronounced if the cheese is allowed to age. However, in the first days after production the flavor is quite mild. The addition of black pepper, herbes de Provence and local condiments make this a very regional product. Chevre can be served at any course as it works well as an appetizer, an addition to a fresh green salad, or as a complement to cooked vegetables. Chevre can even be served as a dessert course and nothing is more elegant than chevre sliced with fresh pears then drizzled with honey. Hermann wines complement this cheese perfectly.
Hermann Muenster:
Paying tribute to Hermann’s German heritage, the Muenster is a regional favorite. This cheese will be washed throughout the aging process to encourage the development of flavor and pungent nose. Beer enhances this cheese, especially beer made from Hermann hops, barley and wheat.
Trappist Cheese and Port Salut:
Trappist monks traditionally made this cheese for their own consumption. The curd is actually washed during the production process. This cheese is semi-soft with a mild, savory flavor. The curds are pressed into 9” disks with a finished weight of about 5 pounds.
Emmental:
Made from partially skimmed cow’s milk, Emmental is brushed and oiled during the ripening process. Eye development is evident with large holes throughout the finished cheese. Nutty flavor complemented by a substantial red wine such as a Norton completes the flavorful experience.
|
