DECEMBER 2021 CHEESE CLUB

 
 

 WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 CHEESES:

Rulo de Cabra Fresco | Spain

Pasteurized goat's milk cheese
This young, rindless freshy is everything you want — it’s lactic, tangy, rich, moreish, and easily pairs with a spectrum of wines.
From this month’s wine club lineup, this cheese pairs well with: 2019 Domaine de l’Amauve La Vigne de Louis Vaucluse

Tomme de Brebis Caussenard | Aquitaine, France

Raw ewe's milk
Next up we have a natural-rinded Frenchie that boasts floral, vegetal, and peanut-ty notes, and it prefers to be coupled with plush, full-bodied reds with ripe tannins.
Try it with: 2019 Chateau Fontaine de Penot Rouge

Schorren Gouda | The Netherlands

Pasteurized cow's milk
This organic gouda has a sensational chew and buttery, salted caramel, grassy notes.
Try it with: 2020 Janvier Jasnieres

6-CHEESE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3:

Monte Enebro | Castilla y Leon, Spain

Pasteurized goat cheese
The rind of this goat wonder is covered in Penicillium Roqueforti, which makes for a peppery, piquant exterior, and a warmed milky, fudge-textured interior.
Try it with: 2019 ColleStefano Verdicchio di Matelica

Filomena | Enumclaw, Washington, USA

Raw cow's milk
Up next is a nuanced washed local rind. It’s Raclette-esque in its meltability and has meaty, roasted cruciferous, savory nuances that go great with pickles, potatoes, and a crusty baguette.
Try it with: Domaine d'Orfeuille Brut Rosé

Mimolette | Normandy, France

Pasteurized cow's milk
This one-year-aged edam style originated in Holland, but this version comes to us from Normandy. Because of its complicated aging process, this cheese has a praline, nutty, salty character and a reputation for unique excellence.
Try it with: 2015 De Vescovi Ulzbach

 
 

AND SOME TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CHEESE HAPPY AT HOME

  • Protect your cheese from drying out by keeping it in your fridge in a lidded container (like tupperware), a plastic baggie, or the crisper drawer.

  • After opening, always use fresh plastic wrap for any cheese you’re not planning to eat within a day, unless it’s being kept in a container (which we recommend).

  • In general, we suggest eating your cheese within a week or so of purchasing. Some cheeses will last longer, but, you know, why wait!

  • Keep bloomy rinds and blues separated when possible. The molds are quite zealous and will grow on any cheese they can latch onto, so just keep them in separate containers and you’ll be fine.

  • A word about mold: If it’s growing on your semi-firm or firm cheeses, just cut it off and eat it! This white and blue mold is just fine — these cheeses lack the water to host the nasty molds. But if mold is growing on your fresh mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, or fresh chèvre, throw it out.  The amount of water in these cheeses provides a great environment for the nasty stuff. If you start to see mold, you can be sure that the filaments are already running throughout the cheese :(

  • For the best flavors, take your cheese out of the fridge for an hour or so before serving. When cheeses are too cold, all their delicious flavors, aromas, and textures get shy. Serve at room temperature to enjoy to the fullest.

This month’s cheese was carefully curated by Seattle’s Resident Cheese Lady, Rachael Lucas, ACS CCP, CCSE. Rachael is a cheese buyer for the Ballinger Thriftway in Shoreline, a fromage writer for tastewashingtontravel.com, and she’s on the Board of Directors for WASCA (Washington State Cheesemaker’s Association).