Stinky Cheese Reco Diary Entry #2: Artisinal Cheeses

Perfect Pairing:  Loupiac and Stichelton 

Last Monday, my friend, Sacha, and I attended a wine and cheese tasting class, called "Perfect Pairings" at Artisinal. This is the rundown what we sampled and some of my favorite pairings.  

Wines/Beer

• Sauvignon Blanc, New Harbor Marlborough, New Zealand 2007: Crisp, grapefruity, light yellow. Nice enough.  
• Pinot Noir, Barton & Gustier, Vine dePays de L'Le de Beaute France, 2007:  Drinkable. Slightly too much acid for my taste. Didn't really like this one too much. 
• Juniper Pale Ale, Rogue Ales: Very bold flavor.  Very hoppy and bitter aftertaste. However, went well with several of the cheeses.  
• Loupiac-Gaudiet, Bordeaux, France 2003:  Lovely dessert wine, not overly sweet. Deep yellow. Like drinking melted caramel. Complimented the sharper, high saltier cheeses.
  

Cheese 

• Nettle Meadow Kunik: Triple creme, made with mostly goat's milk and some cow's milk. So rich and delicious. Not too goaty.  
• Chabichou di Poitou: Another goat cheese but firmer and more dense. Not as young as the Nettle Meadow. I would buy a wedge of this to eat for breakfast. 
• Majorero: Sharper, crumbly goat cheese. Not my favorite of the night.  Didn't have the flavor that the other cheeses had. 
• Bianco Sardo:  "Italian sheep's milk cheese--nutty!" That's what I jotted down, but to be honest I can't recall this cheese, so it probably wasn't a stand-out or didn't offend me.  
• Montgomery's Cheddar: Deep golden color, sharp. Tasty.  Aged 2 years. Went well with the Juniper Ale. 
• Sbrinz: A cow's milk cheese from Sweden. Really wonderful flavor.  Lots of tyrosine crystals that gave it crunch, and according to the instructor "packed with nutrients and proteins" .
• Stichelton:  Amazingly creamy blue cheese, slightly grassy. Very flavorful.  

Out of the 35 pairings, the best pairings, in my opinion are....

1. Loupiac and Stichelton - Unreal!  
2. Sbrinz with the  Ale and Loupiac
   
3. Montogomery Cheddar and Juniper Ale
   
4. Stichelton and Ale
   
5. Loupiac and Nettle Meadow
   
6. Bianco Sardo and Sauvignon Blanc

At the instructional level, the powerpoint lecture was a bit tedious at times, but I appreciated the informative tidbits here and there.  Major downside: the location--a  major pain to get to (10th Ave and 36th Street). But generally, the experience made for an enjoyable Monday night! 

Artisinal Cheese 

500 W 37th Street 2nd Fl New York NY 10018

Stinky Cheese Reco Diary: Gris de Vosges

I stopped by Murray's Cheese Shop, while I was in the West Village, to look for a Livarot, which is a stinky, soft, cow's milk cheese with a striped, orange rind. Usually, I can never remember the names of cheeses, but I remembered this one, because it was part of the classy, schwag bag doled out at an Artisinal tasting I attended. The guy behind the counter didn't have the Livarot in stock, but recommended that I try the Gris de Vosges. The Gris de Vosges isn't nearly as pungent as the Livarot, but still quite flavorful and creamy. I had it with dried fruit and a light, wafer cracker. Delish.


Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY 10014
888.MY.CHEEZ or (212) 243.3289

Store Hours:
Mon - Sat: 8am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-7pm