Cheese: Livingstone Gold

Livingstone Gold is a distinctive North Otago sharp flavored cheese produced in a traditional open vat. A natural additive, annatto is added to produce its golden color, inspiration for naming it Livingstone Gold after North Otagos historic Livingstone goldfields.

Cheese: Huntsman

Huntsman Cheese

Huntsman is the marriage of two delicious British classics; Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton, brought together through a complex layering process. Creamy, forceful Stilton is sandwiched between an exterior of mellow, Double Gloucester. The result is an excellent flavor combination that is as delicious as it is beautiful.

With the 2 layers of Blue Stilton you will take full advantage of the combination of Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton. Perhaps the best description is found in prose for Stilton as composed by G.K. Chesterton;

Stilton, thou shouldst be living at this hour
And so thou art. Nor losest grace thereby;
England has need of thee, and so have I–
She is a Fen. Far as the eye can scour,
League after grassy league from Lincoln tower
To Stilton in the fields, she is a Fen.
Yet this high cheese, by choice of fenland men,
Like a tall green volcano rose in power.
Plain living and long drinking are no more,
And pure religion reading “Household Words”,
And sturdy manhood sitting still all day
Shrink, like this cheese that crumbles to its core;
While my digestion, like the House of Lords,
The heaviest burdens on herself doth lay.

My personal wine pairing favorites with Huntsman cheeses are aged,  mellow Cabernet Sauvignon for reds and bright, crisp acidic Sauvignon Blancs for the white wine.

Cheese: Beecher’s No Woman Jerk Spiced Cheese

Beecher’s No Woman Jerk Spiced Cheese

Adding Jamaican Jerk spices creates a cheese with a warm, nutty, spicy flavor. It’s smoky and earthy with a touch of brown sugar and cloves. No Woman’s unusual and satisfying flavor is sure to excite your taste buds.

Serving Suggestions:

• Pair No Woman on a plate with dried mango and roasted almonds
• Melt on a shaved pork or turkey sandwich
• Use half No Woman and half Just Jack to make a sultry macaroni and cheese

Pairing Suggestions:

• Beer complements No Woman’s flavor, especially a Hefeweizen or Red Ale.
• Zinfindel is surprisingly delicious and peppery.

Cheese: Appenzeller

Appenzelle

Appenzeller is a classic Swiss “alpage” cheese that receives its unique flavors from the herbs, liquors and wines that comprise the solution in which the wheels are bathed. The wheels are washed frequently and aged for a minimum of four months until they develop an herbaceous, nutty flavor and a smooth, milky finish. Appenzeller, Emmenthaler, and Gruyère form the classic Swiss fondue trio. Our Appenzeller is selected and ripened by Maître Fromager Rolf Beeler. We recommend that you try pairing this cheese with Merlot or an Alsatian white wine.

Cheese: Tarentaise

Tarentaise

Vermont Tarentaise has been made by John Putnam from organic cow’s milk at Thistle Hill Farm in Vermont since July 2002. Based on the Alpage-style cheese Abondance, Tarentaise is fairly firm and aged for at least six months. The flavor is grassy, nutty and buttery; as the wheels age in our caves, the flavor becomes more assertive. Tarentaise was awarded the prestigious honor of “Best Farmstead Cow’s Milk Cheese” at the 25th American Cheese Society Conference and, with over 45% butterfat, makes a perfect melting cheese as well! Medium-bodied, fruity red wines pair well with this cheese – try it with Rich Pinot Noir or Velvety Cabernet Sauvignon.

25th Annual Conference, American Cheese Society’s Winner.

Cheese: Mimolette

Mimolette

This hardy cheese from Normandy couldn’t be more different from its neighbor Camembert more. Looking like a cratered, dusty cannonball, Mimolette is infamously difficult to open for its super-hard, craggy countenance. Inspired by Dutch Edam, it has since gone in a unique direction; the appearance and floral aroma of the rind is the work of tiny mites, specially evolved to cheese. The French call them ‘tiny affineurs’ for their important role in the aging process. Its electric-orange paste has sweet, caramelized depth and smooth, fudgy finish – maybe a little Calvados will help you forget about the bugs.

Botter Prosecco

This is a nice pairing before dinner with (brace yourselves) a nice Italian (yep, not French) Prosecco, such as Botter Prosecco!