Terroir and Cheese

The Lady asked that she write this entry about “Terroir” and since, as a superior feline, I find it humorous that there is a need to explain “Terroir”; I told her to go right ahead…

DPI, the distributor that sells us our cheeses, had a seminar recently at the Portland Convention Center. The morning featured four speakers who each spoke about “Terroir” as it pertains to their cheese.

Terroir is French and explores the concept of how various elements of a region contribute to the final agricultural product; in our case, the cheeses of certain regions. Wikipedia has an interesting article about Terroir:

view link

The first speaker of the day was Allison Hooper, owner of Vermont Butter and Cheese and outgoing President of the American Cheese Society. She presented a plate of four goat cheeses and one butter from her creamery (which we sampled) and explained how terroir contributes to the success her cheeses and butters have found in the market.

Second to speak was Lionel Giraud of FROMI Cheese, a true Frenchman in the finest sense of the word. His presentation included several Bries and a Comte – all fine French cheeses. Lionel was also a pleasure because he fancied himself to be a fledgling comedian…I liked him.

Andy Lax from Fresca Italia spoke about Robiolas and we sampled three including a Two-Milk that was the best Robiola I have ever tasted.

The last speaker, and by far the most impressive, was David Gremmels, one of the owners of the Award-Winning Rogue Creamery and the newly elected President of the American Cheese Society. His sample plate included 3 cheddars and 3 Blues.

After the seminar we attended the trade show and I sampled a 5 year old Aged Gouda – oh my!!

As soon as I can consult with Spaulding Gray, he will be posting reviews of some of the cheeses that I sampled at the seminar.

Triple Creme Cheeses

The Lady loves Triple Crème Cheese…what’s not to like? It’s got lots and lots of cream to make it, well… creamier than most cheese. The word decadent really does describe this style cheese quite well.

The Lady has three favorites in this category that she sells at her Cheese Kiosk and asked me to taste each and give my thoughts on each. She has a fourth as well, Cambozola, which I have reviewed in an earlier posting about German Cheeses.

First of all, according to French law, for a cheese to be called a Triple Crème it must contain at least 75% butter fat per gram (Double Crème must contain 60%). It is quite yummy when spread on crusty French bread and with fresh seasonal fruits, except for citrus. Sometimes it is herb-flavored; however, the Triple Cremes I will discuss here are not flavored with herbs because they are divine without any added flavors.

Pierre-Robert

 

Pierre Robert Triple Creme

 

Pierre-Robert is a Triple Crème that has the added benefit of Crème Fraiche to make it even richer and creamier. Legend has it that Robert Rouzaire and his friend, Pierre began tiring of the Triple Crème creation of Brillat Savarin and decided to cave-age their own Triple Crème longer to further develop the flavors and make it richer in texture. It has a snow white moldy rind and the soft pate is similar to a mousse in texture.

I give Pierre-Robert 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Delice de Bourgogne

 

Delice de Bourgogne

 

Delice de Bourgogne from the Burgundy region of France was created by Brillat Savarin who combined full-fat cow’s milk with fresh cream. This created a rich full-flavored cheese with a smooth, velvety texture. It has a pungent, moldy aroma that disguises the subtle triple crème punch that this cheese delivers to the palate.

The outer layer is soft and smooth and white in color. The inner pate is more consistent with the texture of a cream cheese. The mixture of the outer pungent taste and the delicate inner taste delivers quite a wonderful cheese that has a faithful following.

I give Delice 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions for both Pierre-Robert and Delice:

Best when spread on a fresh French Baguette and served with some seasonal fruits. I tried it with a pate of Tamias rufus and was quite surprised at how compatible the two were.

Wine Pairings: Champagne, Dry Riesling, Rose, Sauterne. You should avoid red wines with these Triple Cremes. The mushroominess tends to draw out the tannins of the red wine and interfers with the enjoyment of the cheeses.

Source: Cow’s Milk

St. Andre

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

Saint Andre Triple Creme

 

This is The Lady’s favorite. In addition to loving its taste, she also thinks it is a “pretty” cheese. It is made as a small wheel that is twice as tall as a traditional Brie wheel and looks like a beautiful slice of cheesecake when cut into a wedge. It has a stark white bloomy, moldy rind and is so fatty that it goes better with a light beer or a slice of pear as opposed to even a white wine.

I give St. Andre 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: It spreads well on a French Baguette or a very bland cracker. It also goes well with a slice of pear.

Beer Pairing: Light Beer, Red Hook IPA (Indian Pale Ale)

Source: Cow’s Milk

Government Designations to Control Food Product Quality

In the previous post about French cheeses, I touched on the designation of “AOC” which in French is Appellation d’origine controlee. Translated this means “controlled term of origin” and is the French government certification granted to certain French geographical indications for cheeses, butters, wines and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau, Institut National des Appellations d’Origine.

The INAO guarantees that all AOC products adhere to a clearly defined set of standards and guarantee that the products will be produced in a consistent and traditional manner with ingredients from specific producers in the designated geographical areas. Also, the product must be at least partially aged in the designated area.

Roquefort, in 1925, was the first cheese to receive the AOC designation. Now there are over 40 cheeses with that designation.

Italy uses a similar designation known as DOC, Denominazione di origine controllata. It is modeled after the French system; however the DOC has three levels of labels. In addition to DOC, the other two levels are DOCG and DO. While the DOC designation is used on Italian cheeses; it is far more associated with Italian wines.

Spain, Germany, Portugal and Austria all have similar systems.

Since the inception of the European Union (EU), a new designation has been developed to cover all high-quality food products under the designation of PDO, “Protected Designation of Origin.

For more information, please visit wikipedia, which covers all of these designations extensively.

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Six French Cheeses

The Lady was explaining to The Man how the cheese kiosk is laid out and I thought I might use her “blueprint” as the basis for my next set of reviews. Today, I’d like to talk about French cheeses.

In a previous life, I lived in the Mountain Quadrant of Europa where many cheeses were created and have become famous earthwide. I heard The Lady mention there are more than 25,000 cheeses that originate in France; from the softest and yummiest of triple-crèmes to semi-hard cheeses and every kind in between. I plan to discuss triple-crèmes and Bries in separate listings.

Chaumes

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

Chaumes

 

Based upon traditional Trappist-style cheeses, Chaumes is a popular cheese with children. It is a semi-soft cheese with a mild flavor. It is creamy and has a somewhat rubbery texture. It has a bright tangerine-orange rind that appears after several washes of the crust. It is also brushed with ferments, which adds to its light, pleasant aroma.

The Lady says that everytime they “sample” Chaumes at the kiosk, they sell at least two wheels. Holy catnip, that’s a lot of this yummy, creamy cheese.

It is matured for four weeks.

I give Chaumes 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: The Lady serves it with rice crackers but I much prefer to eat mine with a charcuterie that includes smoked passerines. I also find that taurine-rich spiders make a nice garnish for any cheese platter. Chaumes is also good for grilling.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Mellow dry to sweet white wine such as: Jurancon, Rosette or Haut-Montravel. Or Dry red such as: Marmandais, Frontonnais, Bergerac,Tursan., or Valpolicella, or even a strong dry cider

Beer Pairings: Boris, Full Moon, Guinness,

Source: Cow’s Milk

Morbier

 

Copyright 2009 interfrance.com

 

Morbier is an aromatic and mild cheese with the dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through its middle of ivory-colored pate. The streak is homage to how it was produced in Franche-Comté when it was actually two layers of cheese. The bottom layer was the morning milk and the top layer was the evening milking. Aged at least 60 days, Morbier has a nutty aftertaste. This is an AOC-protected cheese.

I give it 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Serve with a mild bead, crackers nuts and grapes.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Burgundy, Red Beaujolais, Sancerre

Beer Pairings: Velvet Fog

Source: Cow’s milk

Raclette

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

Copyright 2009 raclette.us

 

Raclette, known as the melting cheese, is a semi-firm, salted cheese. Varieties exist made with white wine, pepper, herbs, or smoked. The cheese originated in the Swiss canton of Valais, but is today also produced in the French regions of Savoie and Franche-Comté. In Europe there are grills manufactured especially to melt the cheese and grill vegetables, charcuterie and sometimes seafood. Diners create their own little “packages” of food, top them with the raclette and place them in the grill to melt and brown the cheese. Think of this as a fondue meets a Korean BBQ. Sometimes, they simply put the cheese on bread and grill that in the machine. Restaurants in Europe offer “raclette evenings” for dining parties. You can buy a raclette machine at Sur La Table for around $75.00.

I give Raclette 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: It is perfect melted on slabs of bread.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc

Beer Pairings: Belgium Blonde Beers

Source: Cow’s Milk

Cantalet

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

Cantalet

 

Cantalet is an ancestor of the traditional British Farmhouse Cheeses. It is a wonderful, semi-hard cheese from the central mountainous region of Auvergne, Cantalet is a cheddar-like cheese cured with salt, which brings out its full flavor. Heavy and moist, young Cantalet has a sweet, milk flavor; well-aged, it has a sharper flavor. This cheese is also protected by the AOC.

I give Cantalet 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Because it is a cheddar-style cheese, it melts well in sandwiches. You can also crumble it into salads or serve it sliced with pears, apples and grapes.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurztraminer

Beer Pairings:

Source: Cow’s Milk

Comte

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

Comte

 

Comté is another AOC-protected cheese (The French take their cheeses very seriously and this distinction is kind of like a copyright for cheeses). Italy, Spain and England are also into protecting their cheeses; both in name and how they are made. The consumer can rest assured that an AOC-protected cheese will taste the same regardless of what decade, or even century it is made.

One of the most popular cheeses in France, Comté is produced in the rich mountain pastures of the Jura. Its firm and supple pâte, with tiny holes, has a nutty, slightly salty yet sweet taste. Small, cooperative dairies known as fruitières produce Comté year-round. As this cheese ages, the taste of hazelnut and nutmeg makes its way into this cheese.

I love this cheese and anytime The Lady brings it home; I fight The Man two falls out of three for the last morsel.

I give Comte 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: This cheese is great alone, served with grapes and also melts well and is excellent in potato or other veggie gratins. It is also a perfect cheese to top French Onion Soup.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Dry whites or Light Reds

Beer Pairings: Anchor Porter, Rogue Shakespeare Stout, Brown Ales

Source: Raw Cow’s Milk

Fol Epi

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

Fol Epi

 

Fol Epi’s rind is made from toasted wheat flour. This pressed, uncooked French gourmet cheese is produced in Pays de Loire, an area long known for its dairy produce. In French, Fol Epi means ‘wild wheat stalk’, a fitting name for this unique loaf with perfect eye formation.

Fol Epi is matured for three months and has a pleasant, nutty and fruity taste. Although similar in taste to a Swiss Emmental, Fol Epi is sweeter and less bitter, making it ideal for a sensitive palate. Fol Epi is very protein-rich; a perfect choice for the health-conscious gourmet cheese lover.

In order to comply with US FDA regulation for export to the USA the maturation of this cheese has been extended to over 60 days.

I give Fol Epi 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: This cheese goes well with Crackers and Bread, Fruits and melted like other Swiss-style cheeses. Because it is a bit on the mild side, I prefer pairing it will with jerked Sus scrofa scrofa.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: White Burgundy, Chenin Blanc

Beer Pairings: Wheat Beers

Source: Raw Cow’s Milk

Rogue Creamery Blues

Located in Oregon’s Rogue River Valley, the Rogue Creamery has produced extraordinary Artisan cheeses since 1935 when Tom Vella began making cheese from milk he bought from the local dairy farmers. The creamery is now run by Ignazio (Ig) Vella, the son of the founder. In 1998 when Ig took over, he decided to return the creamery to an artisan cheese creamery and was booed by the industry. However, it turned out that his vision was correct as Americans began to turn more and more to small handmade cheeses. As his success grew, he was dubbed “The Godfather of Artisan Cheeses”. The creamery was even named the best small blue cheese plant in the US by the USDA, FDA and the State of Oregon.

In the early part of this century, Ig joined with David Gremmels and Cary Bryant to catapult the Rogue Creamery into a state-of-the-art and Award-winning creamery. Since this new partnership, they have won 4 trophies and 30 medals and awards.

The Lady’s cheese kiosk features four of their Award-winning blues and a customers’ favorite Gorgonzola. A couple of them are seasonal and not available year round.

Blue cheeses are not really of much interest to me; but The Lady and The Man sure do seem to enjoy these cheeses.

In no particular order…

Rogue Oregon Blue

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

Oregon Blue

A rich, creamery and slightly sweet blue cheese.

In the seasonal version of this cheese, the wheel is covered in grape leaves that have been macerated in Oregon pear brandy which adds a nice fruitiness to the cheese. This is a seasonal cheese and available late fall.)

Using the reaction of The Lady and The Man, I give Oregon Blue 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I got).

Serving Suggestions: Wonderful with pears and groups and crackers. Also quite wonderful in salads. This cheese makes a mean “blue cheese dressing”.

Wine and Beer Pairings

Wine Pairings: Sauternes and other Dessert Wines and Champagnes

Beer Pairings:

Source: Cow’s Milk

Awards: 2004 – Best Blue Cheese – London’s World Cheese Awards (It was the first time an American cheese beat the Stiltons and Roqueforts that had dominated this class.)

Crater Lake Blue

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

Crater Lake Blue

This cheese is firm and moist; sweet and creamy with a complex taste that balances the blue taste with the salty taste. And yet, you can taste the milk at the same time. Ig crafted this blue-green veined cheese after a now-discontinued Danish cheese he admired.

I give Crater Lake Blue 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Same as its sister cheese above.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

This cheese not only pairs well with dessert wines but also with other reds and whites. It even goes well with beer. A testament to the complexity of this cheese.

Wine Pairings: Sauternes, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Beer Pairings: Rogue Imperial Stout, Old Stock Ale

Source: Cow’s milk

Awards: 25th Annual Conference, American Cheese Society’s Winner

Rogue Smoked Oregon Blue

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

 

 

Smokey Blue

 

 

This is Oregon Blue smoked over hazelnut shells for sixteen hours. It has a creamy sweetness and is made from the 100% natural full cream of the sustainable Bonanza View Dairy.

I give Smokey Oregon Blue 3 1/2 Paws (ouch) out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Goes well with fruits and nuts.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine: Sauternes, Merlot, Syrah

Beer Pairings: Rauch

Source: Cow’s Milk

Awards: Best New Product in the World at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade Food Show in New York.

Oregonzola:

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

 

 

 

Oregonzola

 

 

This is an gorgonzola-style cheese that is aged a minimum of 120 days in the Rogue Creamery caves (which were man-made by the founder right after WWII). It has slight veins of mold and has a creamery, buttery texture. The Lady says it is the most popular of the Rogue Cheeses that she sells. She thinks it is the best as well.

Based on her comments, I give Oregonzola 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Fruits and nuts and salads both as a dressing and crumbled with a light vinegarette.

The Lady found a recipe using Oregonzola, warmed cherries and hazelnuts.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Erath Vineyards Willamette Vally Pinot Noir

Beer Pairings: Hair of the Dog Fred Old Ale

Source: Cow’s Milk

Awards: Best Blue Cheese in the World – 2003 – London Cheese World Cheese Awards

The 5^th Blue is Echo Mountain, another seasonal cheese made from a combination of cow and goat milk, is not available this time of year and will be reviewed later.

Rogue Creamery also makes several Cheddars and Cheese Curds.

Olive Bar Now Open at the Cheese Kiosk

The Lady has made another video; this time highlighting the new Olive Bar just added to her Cheese Kiosk.

Olives, Schmolives…they don’t do a thing for me; I prefer catnip with my cheese.

Aged Goudas

Aged Goudas

This is The Lady’s favorite cheese and there’s a reason for that. The two she brought home for me to sample and review almost spoiled me for any cheese she might tempt me with in the future.

There is just no way to explain how delicious this cheese is.

Aged Gouda started out as regular Gouda and was allowed to age; sometimes as long as eight years.

The first one we sampled was Parrano.

Dutch Parrano

Aged for five months, this Gouda combines a slight nutty parmesan flavor with the firm, smooth texture of a young Gouda. You can eat it, grate it and melt it. There’s just about nothing you can’t do with this cheese. It is an excellent choice in a trap to catch a Peromyscus leucopus. After grilling the little critter, you can enjoy it with this tasty Gouda. You can learn more at the Parrano website.

I give Parrano Gouda 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: With fruit and crackers; grated over pasta; melted on a nice thick slab of Artisan Bread.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Chianti, Pinot Noir, Red Zinfandel, Port

Beer Pairings: Lagers, Ales, Lambics

Source: Cow’s Milk

Rembrandt Aged Gouda

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

The second Aged Gouda The Lady brought home was Rembrandt, which is, in my opinion, far superior to the Parrano. Rembrandt is aged at least 12 months using the traditional techniques rather than “forced aging” as some commercial cheesemakers in Holland use.

This Award-winning, semi-hard cheese has these crunchy crystal bursts throughout which are filled with extra flavor. This cheese tastes like butterscotch with a spicy finish like an aged whiskey. I have to tell you; it doesn’t get any better than this cheese. If you only buy one cheese this month; make it Rembrandt. The black-waxed wheel has a picture of the Artist that is its namesake.

I give Rembrandt 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got) and a Cattail salute to set it apart and above other cheeses I’ve recommended.

Serving Suggestions: Cubed as an appetizer with veggies and fruits; grated over pasta.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bold Reds

Beer Pairings: Dark Beer

Source: Cow’s Milk

Awards: 2004 – World Champion – World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin; 2002 Nantwich International Cheese Show (UK) – The H.T. Webb Trophy for Best Continental Cheese

More Beecher’s Cheeses

Copyright Beechers Handmade Cheeses 2009

The Lady brought home two more cheeses made by Seattle’s Beecher’s Handmade Cheeses:

Beecher’s Marco Polo and Flagship

Kurt Beecher Dammeier sure knows how to make cheese. Located at Pike Place Market in Seattle, this cheesemaker crafts his Handmade Cheese using the same techniques that have been used for thousands of years.

On his website, he tells how his mother encouraged him to buy premium cheese at a time when processed cheese was taking over the market. His great-grandfather bought Stilton by the wheel. You can read more about Kurt and his philosophies regarding cheese at the Beecher’s Website.

Copyright Beechers Handmade Cheeses 2009

Marco Polo, named after the Italian who brought the spices back from China, is Beecher’s creamy cheese with green and black peppercorns added to give it a little “kick”, It is delicious.

It is almost as good as Beecher’s No Woman cheese, which I also love and have reviewed earlier on this blog.

This one is close but because I like No Woman better, I give it 3 ¾ Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I got).

Serving Suggestions: Beecher suggests you melt it on a grilled burger or grate it and mix it with a baked potato. I like it grated on my Mixed Grill Classic Pate. I have also nibbled it while tearing the flesh off the Aphelocoma californica californica while sitting on the back deck.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Merlot

Beer Pairings:

Source: Cow’s milk

Awards: 2008 American Cheese Society – First Place – Flavored Cheeses; Gold Medal 2007 World Cheese Awards: Bronze Medal – 2005 World Cheese Awards.

Copyright Beechers Handmade Cheeses 2009

Flagship:

Kurt began his career with Flagship in 2003. This is a semi-hard cheese that is robust and nutty. It crumbles slightly and goes well with crackers or alone.

You can also add it to your favorite Mac and Cheese recipe or use the one that Martha Stewart has featured on her show and that she and Kurt call, “The World’s Greatest Mac n Cheese”.

It’s hard for this feline to pick a favorite of the Beecher Cheeses; they are all quite divine; but No Woman still has my heart.

I give Flagship 3 ½ Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: You will enjoy this on a Beecher’s Cracker; in an omelet or in your favorite Mac n Cheese.

Wine and Beer Pairings:

Wine Pairings: Pouilly Fuissee; Syrah

Beer Pairings: India Pale Ale; Hefweisen

Source: Cow’s Milk

Awards: Best Semi-Hard Cow’s Milk Cheese – 2007 American Cheesemaker Awards.