5th Annual Winter Wine Night! And Cheese!
Our 5th Annual Winter Wine Night is just around the corner on Saturday! Five years down, a thousand to go (hopefully). In case you haven’t been before, here’s the dealio: wine experts stand at tables around the store giving tastes of their wines that are perfect for the holidays and beyond. There are wines of all kinds – stunners, showstoppers, party sippers, everybody pleasers – to fit all needs – a brother-in-law’s birthday, your childhood friends all getting together, a cookie swap, a tree trimming, the third night of Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve eve. And because you will be trying and perhaps buying wines with different tastes, I want to make sure you’ll have the cheese to support them all. Maybe you’re having a dinner party where you start with a white Burgundy, move on to a smooth Pinot Noir, and finish with something big and bold from northern Italy (2013 Dirupi Valtellina Superiore, perhaps, which we’re not showing at Winter Wine Night but will be showing at on 12/13 next Friday from 5-7PM). So here are some cheeses that could play well with our 5th Annual Winter Wine Night 2019!
Chebris – I’m sure I’ve mentioned this workhorse in the newsletter a few times before, but it bears repeating that this sheep and goat’s milk cheese is an easygoing, French delight. And just like a delightful human, it gets along with everyone (wines) at the party.
Flory’s Truckle – Unlike Chebris, I don’t think I’ve given our house cheddar enough airtime here. Perhaps I take it for granted because it’s around all the time and always good. But Flory’s Truckle is a clothbound cheddar with a balance of sweet, savory and earthy and can certainly pull its weight next to any wine. Cheddar with wine? Is that really the best idea?, you might be thinking. I wasn’t sure what wines paired with cheddar because I thought of it as a cheese to eat with beer. This summer, I was like, yes, I’m going to find the perfect wine pairing! Turns out, not that difficult. I tried it with whites, rosés, reds and it always worked! So I’m officially putting cheddar on the “pair with wine” list.
Foxglove – This funky little number from Indiana is pink and square and gooey gooey gooey. While funky softies can be hard to pair with wine because they can get too animal-y or bilious (yummy), Foxglove has a sweetness that steers it clear of unpleasant flavors and makes it much easier to eat with a variety of wines. This is a cheese with personality, but it also has an approachable side, making it an excellent guest at your party that would happily hang out with anyone.
Mycella Blue – Blue cheese, another tricky category, but I have confidence in this Danish cheese because it is one of our friendliest blue cheeses. This cheese also has a pleasing mixture of sweet and savory. Writing this, I’m starting to sense a pattern…Maybe you’ve spotted it already but this is a revelation for me! Cheeses that have some sweetness in combination with savory flavors make easy wine pairings! A discovery that’s probably been made many times before but is new to me! WOW what a day!
All right, all right, all right, make your way to Winter Wine Night this Saturday from 3-6PM, or really any of our smaller, complimentary tastings on Fridays between 5-7PM and Saturdays between 4-6PM. And when you want cheese, these will always have your back.
For the love of cheese and Winter Wine Night,
Kiri