News From The Cheese Caves

Further cuts to the price of milk expected to occur on August 1^st has had a cascade of effects in the UK. The pressure from activists and protestors seems to be working. Mostly recently, the massive supermarket entity Asda agreed to give a “winter feed supplement” to farmers, at least until next year. Other milk processors may follow suit on the way towards a sustainable price for local dairy farmers.

Farmers have, in particular, been making a loss on the milk that is used to create products like cheese and butter; further cuts risk harming 27% of producers and 25% of the milk market volume. One of the UK’s leading producers, Stephen Britten at Arla, said of his plant in Leeds, “We can’t go on any longer.”

Last week, hundreds of farmers blockaded milk processing plants with their tractors. Farmers for Action threatened that their members may not put their milk on the market. There was even talk of pouring milk into the streets. At least one dairy farmer took a different approach.

Simon McCreery, a dairy farmer from East Lothian, made a “secret milk round” with NFU president Nigel Miller. Together they delivered milk from McCreery’s cows to 300 homes in Edinburgh last Friday on July 20^th.

After the “secret milk round” McCreery is being called “the dairy godmother.” McCreery’s actions actually speak louder than his charming new moniker: those deliveries in Edinburgh were even nobler than charity, and McCreery exemplifies something more human than the supernatural help that saves Sleeping Beauty—gratitude. That, say the milk advocates, was the point of delivering all those pints of milk; to say thank you to the Scottish consumer on behalf of their local dairy farms.

There is, perhaps, no greater cohesive force than gratitude. It is there at work within all the other more conventional virtues; it is the sentiment that endows each with creative potency and steadfast possibilities. Perhaps more focus on gratitude is what is missing from so many social movements.

Paul M. Capobianco

Sources

Dairy Godmother Delivers Milk to Protest Prices

Farmers Demonstrate Against Supermarket Milk Prices

Supermarket Giant Asda Agrees to a Higher Milk Price

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Last week I attended the 3rd Beer Bloggers Conference in Indianapolis. The camaraderie and shared experiences continue to be ones that I will treasure and relive through every craft ale or lager I taste. Though I have attended the two previous conferences only as a craft beer advocate, this year I also participated as a passionate employee of Artisanal Cheese.

My tenure with Artisanal thus far has shown me some surprising parallels between craft beer and the local cheese movement here in the United States. While artisan cheesemakers are not fighting for market share as craft brewers do with gargantuan operations like A-B/InBev, the small producers are in battle of finances, awareness and distribution. The labor of love that farmers, dairies and artisans have for their art truly shines in the ever more delicious product cheese-lovers taste everyday just as it does for the craft brewers.

During the past few years, I have witnessed the ongoing evolution and deepening of the relationship between the craft beer industry and the bloggers that support it. By utilizing the audiences and channels of bloggers, the smaller craft breweries are tapping into not only the interests of people already highly involved with the segment, but introducing new people to an alternative to mass-produced and adjunct-filled American lager.

To the same end as the craft beer bloggers, Artisanal is stepping up to become THE central rallying point of the American artisan cheese movement to support the “craft” cheese producers. By working collectively with the entire local cheese industry, we can further boost the awareness, promotion and access to great products.

I love being able to locally taste some of the incredible craft beer from across the US, though I do love travelling to meet my fellow bloggers to enjoy them.  A favorite annual conference event is “The Night of Many Bottles”.  Picture a banquet room with tables lining three walls filled with bins of ice with incredible (and in some cases) very rare craft beer from all over the US. Now imagine yourself sampling these tasty brews with fellow craft beer advocates as well as industry professionals. In addition to being led by fellow “citizen” or non-industry bloggers, I also had the pleasure of tasting beer from representatives of RAM Brewery & Restaurant, Green Flash, Florida Beer Company, Flying Dog and beer guru and author Randy Mosher’s new endeavor, 5 Rabbit Brewery. The discussion of the nose, taste, mouthfeel and the crafting of these beers creates an energy that must be experienced to be believed.

Now think of a similar setup, but with 150 different American artisan cheeses. That scene became Artisanal’s Media Day on June 27th, where we replicated the energy of “The Night of Many Bottles”, though on a much smaller scale. I hope in the future that I will be able to participate in a “Night of Many Cheeses” on a similar perspective, and I anticipate that Artisanal will be at the heart of it. I would love if everyone could do the same with artisan cheese in their personal spaces. Just think of all the pairing parties, gatherings and events that could be enjoyed in the company of friends and family!

As I always say, “Life’s a tap…drink up ‘til it’s dry.”

Daniel Fisher
Customer Service Manager
Artisanal Premium Cheese

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We recognize the cheese excitement occurring right here within our shores. While there are marvelous developments occurring elsewhere, what is happening with cheese here in the States is especially dramatic. Most of these developments are positive: a tripling of per capita consumption since 1970 (with a continuing rise), a growing connoisseurship, and remarkable improvements in cheese quality. All this bodes well, though there are some major challenges yet to be overcome.

The slowly growing recognition that dairy products are actually beneficial to health along with accurate information replacing prejudice about cheese’s supposed health risks is, I believe, a major contributor to this movement. At the same time, this recognition of dairy-sourced nutritive values has led to increased standardization and blind acceptance that all dairy products can offer these benefits in abundance.

What has passed as milk in this country is a shadow of its former self. Organic or not, that milk is usually depleted of its beneficial fats, is invariably homogenized (an energy-wasting process that denatures fats, making them more susceptible to attack and breakdown by enzymes, all with the goal of making the resulting milk “nice”). Even worse is what happens to the other nutrients: the proteins that are denatured through excessive heat treatment via ultra-pasteurization, the loss of fat-soluble vitamins (up to 80% of vitamins A & D) by the par-boiling of the milk, and the significant depletion of B vitamins and minerals. Is this really what we should be recommending to health-conscious consumers? A low-fat, homogenized, ultra-pasteurized, nutritionally depleted white liquid with little flavor and virtually no aroma?

Fortunately we have some outstanding artisan cheeses available in America, and more and more of them crafted from uncompromised milk. All the same, we should not be glib when we promote raw milk products. After all, bacteria recognize nourishing foods when they see it far better than we do as a species. Here, it is worth noting that cheese enjoys a stellar track record for food safety. As a food category, there are far fewer food-borne illnesses caused by cheese than can be attributed to other food groups, fruits and vegetables included.

I see farmland across this country that could be used for artisan dairying, quite a lot of it. With a growing hungrier planet we have an excellent opportunity before us to grow the artisan cheese industry here in the U.S. Many have already seized this opportunity with wonderful results. The states that recognize cheese is a value-added commodity also recognize cheese as a commodity that adds revenues to municipal coffers and benefits local economies by creating jobs.

Most people that go into cheese making go into the field (literally) to make a living, while producing what can be the world’s greatest food – cheese. I recommend that we choose a variety of cheeses, and that we consume as much as we can, not only American-made cheeses but also some of the old-world types that are barely hanging on.

Max McCalman

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This is a question I recall asking myself years ago when I was rethinking the description I wrote the day before. The cheese sample was wrapped correctly and set in the cave with its ideal temperature and humidity. The cheese changed noticeably; it had become better balanced. When I asked an industry veteran, Debra Dickerson, about the altered state, she told me she believes the enzymes played a role. After all, cheese is a living food, lest we forget.

Sometimes those changing profiles are noted in how a cheese pairs with a wine: same cheese with the same wine, slight differences one day to the next. In those instances other external factors may influence those relative successes. The time of day may be different; the temperature of the wine and cheese, or the ambient temperatures might be different; different flavors may linger on the palate; or even how well we may have slept the night before could be a game-changer. Yet the cheeses do change themselves; the wines too. The younger softer cheeses will change more dramatically than the aged ones; they are still in their “formative years,” so to speak.

Another factor altering our assessments of the same cheese will be our familiarity with it. A first impression may be a little jarring. On second taste on another day, we may be better acclimated. Those heady aromas may be a little easier to ingest if we remember that the flavors are actually rather tame. This is one of the biggest reasons why cheeses taste different on different days. The aromas become less volatile as a cheese matures. This can make a cheese less challenging to wines; or this can give them enhanced synergies with a particular wine.

This is one of the thrills of tasting artisan cheeses: that you can expect the unexpected. This can cause angst for makers entering their cheeses into competitions. They are generally forbidden to take samples from their entries; they have to analyze their candidates from their outer appearances and aromas only; they must hope for the best. In our Best in Show class we sample cheeses the way judges analyze them: visually, aromatically, by flavor and texture. One difference is that we assess those cheeses while enjoying wines alongside. Remember, those wines can place a spotlight on nuances in a cheese, and those subtleties may be a little different from one moment to the next.

I believe this is one thing that makes artisan cheeses especially exciting; they are always evolving.

Max McCalman

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The Comté Cheese Association has invited me to come by for a visit. This will be my first visit to this land of cheese royalty so I am particularly excited; this mountainous region is home to heavenly cheese. The name is virtually synonymous with “fromage;” Comté is what many Frenchmen think of when they think of cheese. Were we that lucky!

Edward Behr, publisher of the excellent the Art of Eating called me down for not including Comté in Cheese, a Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best. This was a gross oversight of course. Maybe I took Comté for granted; the flavors may be quite familiar if it is a cheese that has been widely imitated. Yet if you close your eyes and take in all that a morsel of Comté can deliver, those flavors and aromas can resonate distinctly, delicious all the way through to the “finish.” Each wheel is unique, which is part of the beauty of this cheese – it would be difficult to ignore the differences among wheels of Comté, some more subtle than others. These variations make it a little difficult to generalize about what kinds of wines work with Comté; then again it also makes it a little easier to recommend a wine: try any of your favorite wines and see what happens when you pair it with Comté.

I recall experiencing more successes with white wines, more than reds, with Comté. I believe this is due to the many flavor/aroma dimensions of Comté; elevated tannins in the red wines can be a bit fussy with all that complexity. The white wines can be a little more tolerant of those layers of flavor; the tannins do not get in the way.

Comté is used extensively in cooking, able to add a profound accent on many dishes. The cheese can be enjoyed on its own, which is the way I have had Comté most every time. I recall seeing an older woman walking up to a cheese stall in a market in Nice. The fromagère knew exactly what her customer wanted – 100 grams of a young Comté. Today, many cheese lovers have acquired a taste for the more aged versions; the younger cheeses may seem to lack that “wow” factor.

On another occasion I witnessed a couple of Bordeaux wine makers snacking on Comté and fresh baguette. They were not having a glass of their lovely red Bordeaux with the cheese and bread; these two young ladies were having a soft drink instead. I thought it would have been lovely to see how the cheese and wine paired, right there by the vineyard. Then again it was early afternoon.

The A.O.C. rules define Comté rather strictly; the production rules are some of the strictest ones of France. You might think that they would all taste the same. It is precisely those rules that help give wheels of Comté their uncompromised and rather individual signatures.

Max McCalman

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When we first contemplated the idea of pairing Scotch whisky and cheese we were optimistic that it might succeed, though I admit we had reservations. It was not some zany new idea that had never been experienced before; after all, when the purity of water available was questionable, Scotch would serve us well. Or adding a little Scotch to that water might kill off some of the pathogens.

Eating savory cheese elevates thirst. Be careful slaking thirst with Scotch. Know your capacity! However, if you have a hard time appreciating Scotch you may want to try a little artisan cheese alongside it. Cheese has a special way of softening the jolt.

In a recent Single & Blended Scotch with Cheese class, we were impressed with the pairings: not a bad match among the 28 combinations, and several of them were remarkably delicious. The quality of the whiskeys had something to with this of course, and the selection of cheeses had at least as much to do with the many good matches.

The Isle of Arran 10 y.o. Single Malt was the leadoff Scotch – pairing well with Royale, Laguiole, Prima Donna, Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar, and exceptionally well with Sbrinz.

For anyone who insists that it be single malt, the blended 12 y.o. Isle of Skye was a little better with the Royale, and very nice with the Laguiole, Prima Donna, Sbrinz and the bold Prattigauer.

We were able to detect nuances in the cheeses by taking small sips with each of the whiskeys. Adding just a little water to each Scotch helped open up the flavors. It seemed that everyone in the class was in agreement about the relative successes, more so than in most wine or beer classes.

The star Scotch of the evening was Chieftain’s Glen Moray 18 y.o. from Speyside, which scored exceptionally well with most all of the cheeses including the Berkshire Blue. Only the Laguiole fell a little flat, not bad, but not nearly as thrilling as all the others. The Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddarwas a little dominating with this beautiful blend.

The Islay Smokehead single did not disappoint with any of the cheeses, and showed best with the two strongest cheeses in the group: Prattigauerand Berkshire Blue.

Conversely, the cheese standout partners for these various whiskeys were Royale and Sbrinz. These two cheeses have proven to be reliable partners for just about any beverage we have thrown their way, often yielding those elusive “marriages-made-in-heaven.”

The first time you try pairing Scotch with cheese you may miss some of the finer points of the exercise, especially if you guzzle the whisky. Having more than one Scotch helps to distinguish the cheeses one from another, just as having more than one cheese helps distinguish the whiskeys.

Max McCalman

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Sangiovese is a varietal we often overlook; it could be partly because there were many inferior wines produced from this grape in the past, or because it is often blended with other high-pedigree varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, diluting its own characteristics. It has been blended with other varietals to yield some delicious wines. However part of the appeal of Sangiovese is its easy-drinking character, its graceful acceptance of other varietals in the mix, and its harmony with many foods, cheeses included.

Some Sangiovese successes have been noted recently in Napa yet the grape does not seem to grow quite as successfully much of anywhere else outside Tuscany, so it may also suffer from a lack of recognition on the worldwide stage. We are offering Sangiovese wines in more classes here at the Artisanal Cheese Center, not only the classes focused on Italian cheeses and wines, but in other classes too. This will allow us to pair our cheeses produced outside Italy with several Sangiovese wines. As the weather warms up, Sangiovese is sounding rather appealing, like a nice bottle for a picnic, accompanied by a little cheese and a crusty baguette.

Fortunately, some of the many cheeses that happen to pair well with Sangiovese make good picnic cheeses: goat, sheep, cow and mixed milk cheeses; from the lighter styles all the way up to and including some blues. These are some cheeses we have enjoyed with this varietal recently:

Abbaye de Belloc, Barely Buzzed, Cantalet, Cremont, Garrotxa, Gorgonzola Piccante, 4 y.o. Gouda, Gruyère, Hittisau, Hoja Santa, Ibores, Manchego, Le Moulis, Pecorino Foglie di Noce, Pecorino Sardo, Roncal, Roquefort, Scharfe Maxx, Terraluna, and Vacherin Fribourgeois.

Considering how easy Sangiovese is on the pocket book you may want to add an extra wedge of cheese to your picnic basket. There is a good chance that it will make a nice match.

Max McCalman

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I recall enjoying a Valpolicella at a northern Italian style restaurant several years ago. What is northern Italian style food, you may ask? Whether you are speaking of the cuisine of the Veneto where Valpolicella is produced, or you are speaking of the cuisine of the Piemonte, or the Val d’Aosta; whichever region: you will find a broad mix of locally produced agricultural products, cheeses and wines included.

The “king” of Italian wine varietals is Nebbiolo, the noble grape whose juice goes into the production of Barolos and Barbarescos. This “king” status for Nebbiolo (Barolo in particular) makes these wines a little pricey. For a more “every-day red,” the more affordable Chianti Classico (made from Sangiovese) makes for a familiar style of red wine – nice, though technically not “northern” Italian. Somehow I knew that the Valpolicella would make a more suitable wine for the delicious food we selected; or was that the waiter’s suggestion?

The first sip of Valpolicella may catch you off guard, especially if it is a little aged. The more aged ones such as Ripasso della Valpolicella offer more depth than the “nouveau” styles, though they are not nearly as massive as the Amarones. The lighter Valpolicelli are easy-drinking and are relatively low in alcohol. In the production of Ripasso the wine maker adds the leftover grape skins and seeds for extra maceration. This makes for a “bigger” wine, a type that can hold up to many of the more assertive cheeses.

A large part of the success of Valpolicella must be credited to the winemakers, whose blends of the grapes (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara) shape the flavors of their wines. The blended wines often succeed as partners for cheeses, more often than the 100% varietal wines. Kind of like the “best-of-both-worlds” in cheese making: cheeses crafted from mixed milks are usually successful with a broader variety of wine types.

We found several lovely matches for a Valpolicella Ripasso recently: Formaggio Capra, Pecorino Sardo D.O.P., Fontina Val d’Aosta, Capra Ubriaco al Traminer, Ubriaco Prosecco, Piave, and Gorgonzola Piccante.

Max McCalman

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Many people dismiss Riesling, some people refuse the noble grape. It reminds me of how some people feel about goat cheeses, the number one no-no I hear from people contemplating a selection of cheese. They will accept any type except for goat. Not that some people may have an aversion to Riesling the way some people have an aversion to goat cheeses, yet many people skip right over the Riesling section of a wine list and choose any other white wine instead. This aversion could be partly due to the many inferior versions produced from this grape; most of them produced in the past, thankfully.

One reason Riesling is often called a sommelier’s grape is because of its versatility with many foods, cheeses included. When few other wines make suitable matches for the different courses served to a party of four, Riesling may be the right call.

As with other varietals, it is a grape that can yield different styles, though in the case of Riesling especially, they will be recognizably “Riesling.” Rarely found in blends, it is aged in stainless steel more often than oak barrels. This gives a more recognizably “Riesling” aroma and flavor to the wines. The leaner vinifications will have their successes with lighter cheeses, while the bigger and botrytized versions will pair better with the bolder cheeses. Regardless, Riesling will come through for you more often than not.

Some recent cheese successes include Alp Drackloch, Appenzeller, Beaufort, Beermat, Comté, Fontina Val d’Aosta, Gruyère, Hittisau, Hoch Ybrig, La Peral, Le Moulis, Manchego, Morbier, Mousseron Jurassien, Pawlet, Piave, Pecorino Foglie Noce, Swiss Raclette, Sainte-Maure, Sbrinz, Scharfe Maxx, Selles sur Cher, Stanser Rotelli, Tarentaise, Thomasville Tomme, Toma Maccagno, Tomme Fermier d’Alsace, Tomme de Savoie and Vacherin Fribourgeois.

By the way, if you happen to be someone who is not so fond of Riesling, try one of those stinky wash-rind cheeses with the orange rinds. No other varietal will match this family of cheeses nearly as well. You may become a new fan for Riesling.

Max McCalman

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Picholine restaurant’s guests who were considering a cheese course usually wanted to try a variety of cheese types (with my encouragement) and they usually wanted to try several (ditto); the average number being about five. Some people would have as many as nine or more cheeses, while a few guests wanted only one or two. Once the selection was determined the question arose, which wine to have with their cheese course. I recommended certain cheese types if they had wine in their glasses, or if they indicated a preference for a particular wine type. Usually however the focus was on the cheese selections, with wine as an after-thought. This was how most people approached this course – with the cheese selection preceding that of the wine.

This happens in other situations: the wine “person” counterpart asks me which cheeses I want to use at an event so they can select the wines around my choices. I let them know that the wines should be chosen first, as diplomatically as I can, that the wines should “drive the bus.” Besides, the cheeses tend to show up when they want to, whereas you can secure the wines well in advance.

A few Picholine diners asked for an appropriate “dessert” wine: port, Sauternes, Madeira sweeter Muscat, etc. Most people chose to stick with table wines, and if they did not already have a glass of something else they would usually ask for a red. Whenever this happened (which was very often) I would look over the several cheese types and think: that cheese pairs well with most Pinot Noirs, that one is better with Merlot, that cheese is nice with Cabernet Sauvignon, and that one does not work with any red, except maybe a Zinfandel. Ah yes, a Zinfandel, which would actually hold up well with all of those cheeses!

Zinfandel became the default red wine partner for those mixed groupings of cheeses. As I looked over my catalog of cheese and wine pairings, I found successful matches with a full range of cheese types: fresh cheeses, aged cheeses, goat, sheep, wash-rinds, bloomy rinds, Goudas, and blues. Several pairings were outstanding and only a very few disappointed.

Its twin sister, the Primitivo of southern Italy, has similar successes with cheeses, though not nearly as many as the California Zinfandels. This follows the relative successes for other varietals, those of the New World and those of the Old. The more austere styles of the Old World are just that, a little more austere compared to the more gregarious wines of the New.

Some recent successes we have enjoyed with our Zinfandels include Manchego, Idiazábal, Appenzeller, Gorgonzola Piccante, Gruyère, Mahón, Le Moulis, La Peral, Parmigiano Reggiano, Piave, Prattigauer, Quicke’s Cheddar, Stanser Rotelli, Taleggio. The Gamay grape is another red varietal that marries well with many cheeses, though most people seem to prefer reds with a little more backbone, like a Zinfandel.

Max McCalman

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