Exploring the Summer Pairings
The summer is a time to stay away from heavy foods. We have a preconception that cheese is a fatty food that is more appropriate for the cooler months, but this is entirely wrong. The summer is a time when animals are going through a natural lactation process which produces some of the best young fresh cheeses which can be enjoyed with a fine glass of crispy white or light red.
My favorite cheeses during July and August are the Loire valley and Vermont Goat cheeses. They have beautiful acidity with grassy undertones which are very enjoyable with a light Albarino from Galicia or Muscat from Alsace. Try the Saint Maure.
The other cheeses which are really at their peak right now are the soft Torta’s from Spain and the Serra’s from Portugal which work with one of the few reds which should be drank chilled, fruity Beaujolais from Southern Burgundy. Artisan cheeses are seasonal products which have time and place throughout the year, so don’t spend a summer with out some chilled wine and great cheese!
- Gabriel Edelman
Culinary Advisor