Gettin’ Edubacated

Monday night I went to a class, Cheese 101- Pairing Wine and Cheese at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center in Manhattan. Taught by the cheese man himself, Max McCalman gave us new ways to pair cheese with wine. When we got there, there was a spread of artisanal cheeses, fondue and Cava. We spent the first half hour drinking and eating while the staff prepared the classroom. When we finally entered the classroom a place setting was set up for each of us containing three different wines and seven different cheeses.

The three wines (left to right) were a 2007 Trimbach Alsace Riesling from France, a 2005 Menguante Carinena Garnacha from Spain and a French Merlot/ Cabernet 2006 Bordeaux Chateau Peychaud Cotes de Bourg (say that ten times fast, or even once). The pairing method was that first we tasted all of the wines. Then, we started with the cheese at 6 o’clock (moving clockwise) tasted it alone first and then with each wine, then moved on to the next cheese tasted it alone and then with each wine and so on and so on. The idea was to see which pair was harmonious and which were flops. Here are the cheeses that we ate in order:

1.) Queso de Aracena- This Spanish goat milk is raw with clay like texture. When you first bring it to your nose, the smell is much different then the initial taste or finish. I enjoyed it most with the Bordeaux. I think it will be hard to find this cheese since it is rarely exported.
2.) Queijo Serra da Estrela- It’s a little ironic that the Spanish word for, “I want” (Quiero) is very close to the name of this cheese because after one small bite I wanted more and more and more. Extremely oily, this cheese has a custardy texture and with a soft finish. For once I didn’t need any wine. The cheese stands alone!
3.) Robiola Rocchetta- Oh how I wish I were living in Piedmont, Italy so I could eat Robiola straight from the vat or hide in the caves and spoon it out while nobody is looking. This bloomy mixed milk cheese is absolutely exquisite. By the end I was licking it straight off the knife. I didn’t care who was looking.
4.) Tomme de Savoie- One of France’s oldest and most known cow milk cheese is the Tomme de Savoie. Made in the French Alps, the nutty flavor melts in your mouth and lingers for what you would wish would be eternity. This cheese needs a wine that can keep to its grandness which I didn’t think was provided at this particular tasting.
5.) Idiazabal- If I could swap my boyfriends cologne for the smell of the Idiazabal, I would. Extremely smoky, this cheese is lightly smoked over beechwood or cherry for 10 days. Because it is made from sheep’s milk and has a grainy texture, you are getting more nutrients and protein from this cheese. Hallelujah! Screw you protein shake!
6.) Prattigauer Beermat- This cheese from Switzerland (not Swiss cheese) comes in a range of colors with a very nutty flavor. The woman sitting next to me had a piece that was a beautiful orange, while mine was more yellow or cream colored. The Bordeaux was big enough for the cheese and maybe my favorite it terms of pairing.
7.) Fourme d’Ambert- This French blue cheese has a much more intense smell then taste. When I first gave it a whiff, my nose hairs screamed, but when tasting it, its earthy and smooth paste definitely reminded me of why my motto is “the bluer the better.” There were no wines that harmonized with this cheese. It needed a Sauterne or Moscato.

All in all, the class was a lot of fun and I learned many new things about tasting cheese and pairing cheese with wine. I will definitely go back for some more classes with Max. I also bought two of his books that he personalized and signed for me. I am now indefinitely entering the world of cheese.