WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 CHEESES:

Grana Padano | Northern Italy

Raw cow’s milk
This cheese hails from all over northern Italy, including the stunning Trentino Alto-Adige. A lot of people think of grana styles like this as something you’d only use in cooking, but Italian folks consume it as a table cheese and even put it on their cheese boards. And why not?! While this cheese isn’t quite as intense or firm as Parmigiano Reggiano, it’s still a beast that’s loaded with notes of brothy umami, citric tang, toasted nuttiness, and so much more.
From this month’s wine club lineup, this cheese pairs well with: Château Sicot Cremant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut

Tomme Corse du Chévre | Corsica, France

Pasteurized goat’s milk
This natural-rinded tomme is an excellent representation of its terroir — rocky minerality, brushy browse, grassy notes, and an herbaceousness that will linger with you for awhile. Corsican cheese is rare to find stateside, so this is an absolute treat.
Try it with: 2021 Château Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc

Fougerus | Ile-de-France

Pasteurized cow’s milk
Next up is this brie-style from the north of France. The rind-to-paste ratio is the perfectly supportive couple, with neither overshadowing the other. You’ll get whispers of clean button mushrooms, alliums, and cruciferous veggies in the bite, and the pate will, at peak ripeness, be reminiscent of a gob full of gelatinous, umami crème (in the best way possible).
Try it with: Château Sicot Cremant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut

6-CHEESE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3:

Ashbrook | Vermont, United States

Raw cow’s milk
This washed-rind, alpine-style cheese is produced in the style of Morbier, which is a classic French fromage made in the thick of the Savoie mountains. Though Ashbrook is less funky than the cheese it's modeled after, it still has an earthiness that’s reminiscent of its old-world counterpart. Nowadays, the ash line you see in the center is meant for aesthetics, but way back when, a layer of ash was placed on top of the morning milk to protect it from debris, insects, and other things we generally don’t want in our cheese. The evening milk then got poured on top, and eventually the curds all knitted together for this visually-stunning, yet functional line.
Try it with: 2018 Château Sauman Cotes de Bourg

Le Ghisoni de Chévre | Corsica, France

Pasteurized goat’s milk
Another Corsican treat for our lineup this month — this washed-rind cheese with a whole lot of pizazz. Its semi-soft, aromatic puck boasts earthy, savory, breathy notes that are dying to be coupled with pickles, mustard, and autumnal fare. Don’t be intimidated by the tacky rind. This is just the result of regular salty-brine washings (the brine creates a hospitable environment for salt-loving microbes to do their thing and, ultimately, create its signature orange rind and stinky, savory nuances).

Important note: Smear-ripened cheese like this develops benign surface mold on the rind that contribute aromatics and flavor. If it weirds you out a little, just cut around it, but you should know that it’s completely safe to eat it, so feel free to go for it!
Try it with: 2020 Domaine les Carmels 'Les Caprices' Cadillac Bordeaux

Appenzeller | Switzerland

Raw cow’s milk
Last up is this alpine-style cheese with a round flavor profile of roasted nuts, flowers, and dried herbs. The paste is silky smooth, and quite “swissy” in its flavor profile. It’s a classic mountain cheese with meltability suitable for fondue, but it’s as tremendously tasty al fresco with some cornichons. Soak up these last sunny days!
Try it with: 2021 Château Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc