NOVEMBER 2023 CHEESE CLUB

 
 

 WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 CHEESES:

Shelburn Farms 2-Year Cheddar is a raw cow’s milk, Vermont cheddar that doesn’t make its way to the Pacific Northwest, so we are lucky to have it! This cheddar is smooth on the palate with twangy citric notes and a savoury, scrambled-egg-ness that is due to the sulfur compounds that exist in all cheddars.
From this month’s wine club lineup, this cheese pairs well with: 2020 Pascal Aufranc En Rémont Chenas

Roncal is a raw sheep’s milk, Spanish mountain cheese that hails from the northeast. This is Spain’s first place/name protected cheese. It’s a classic! A rustic, natural-rinded, hard, table cheese is simple to make, has aging ability, and requires little to no refrigeration after production. This is why so many historic cheeses are made in this style. They are built to last.
Try it with: 2022 Masseria Li Veli Orion

Weyeland Rijck is a mature, Dutch Gouda produced at a production facility that utilizes milk from local, small, sustainable farms. The production of this cheese has been around for more than a hundred years, so these cheese makers have perfected this recipe. This cheese is a testament to the efforts of these producers to utilize the best milk, which starts with maintaining a healthful grazing environment and humane treatment of the cows. Happy cows=delicious cheese (or kaas in Dutch).
Try it with: 2022 Château les Croisille “Cocori Cot”

6-CHEESE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3:

Buche du Chévre is a pasteurized goat’s milk, bloomy rinded cheese from the Loire Valley in France. This cheese ripens like a brie, which means ripening occurs from its downy, bloomed rind on the outside-inward. The soft, gooey layer under the rind, known as the creamline, is the ripest part of the paste. It will have more nuance than the rich, creamy, warmed milky paste in the center. Note the textural complexity in this cheese that elicits a whole lotta “mmmmm’s”.
Try it with: 2021 Lelievre Gris de Toul Rosé

Domaine du Vallage is pasteurized cow’s milk, bloomy-rinded triple créme from the Champagne region of France. The rule by law for this kind of cheese is that it must be, at minimum, 75% butterfat. In most cases, cultured cream, like crème fraiche, is added to the vat of milk during cheesemaking. This helps to encourage microbial development and up the fat level to a gloriously lipidous state. This cheese does not soften up quite like most triple crémes, which makes it more substantial and butter-like. It is sweet, voluptuously rich, and clean (never bitter!). The rind-to-paste ratio is perfection, so do not skip out on tasting the rind, too. This cheese loves a good, traditional method, sparkling wine. Try it with Cava.
Try it with: Vinicola Nulles ‘Aderats’ NV Cava Brut Nature

Zamorano is a pasteurized sheep’s milk queso from Zamora, Spain, in Castille-y-León. This cheese has been rubbed in olive oil, which creates a darker, harder exterior, while the paste is soft and supple. The flavor profile is milky, floral, verdant, and just slightly wooly. The pate disintegrates on the tongue, leaving your mouth coated with salt and grass.
Try it with: 2017 Prieto Pariente la Provincia

 
 

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).