Igor
Provolone Valpadana Dolce
Cow’s Milk
Piedmont, Italy
Igor’s mini torpedo-shaped Provolone Valpadana DOP is a semi-hard stretched curd cheese made from cow’s milk. Its curds are submerged in hot water then pulled, stretched and dipped in brine, roped, then hung to age. The rind is smooth, thin, slightly straw-yellow in color. The paste is generally compact, it may have some sparse holes and slight flaking with a short maturation. The taste is mild, milky and delicate in flavor with creaminess after aging 30 days. Crafted in Northern Italy, its great for melting atop baked pasta dishes, cubed for a charcuterie board with antipasti, olives, or crusty Italian bread.
PAIRINGS: Best paired with Italian wines (what grows together, goes together). Enjoy with Prosecco or sparkling Franciacorta for a more complex pairing. The lively bubbles and refreshing acidity cut through the cheese richness. For red or white wines, enjoy with a glass of Barbera d’Asti or Vermentino. For beers, reach for an Italian Pilsner, Belgian Saison or Amber Ale.
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean
ABOUT THE IGOR GORGONZOLA:
Founded in 1935, among the Novara hills, the passion for the art of cheese-making and the knowledge that grandfather Natale passed on to the Leonardi family have reached the fourth generation. They have shared this deep bond with the land together with many other families, some of whom still follow this journey. It is through these bonds that renews Igor Gorgonzola’s promise of quality every day, transforming the best milk of Piedmont into an excellence appreciated all over the world. Learn more about Igor Gorgonzola and their committment to sustainability>
Information and Photos © Igor Gorgonzola – All Rights Reserved.
Cravero
Parmigiano Reggiano
Raw Cow’s Milk
Bra, Italy
The milk for Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano comes exclusively from cows that eat flora harvested from the nearby mountains of Benedello di Pavullo. Not all Parmesans are made in the mountains, but it makes a difference. The diverse mountain ground covers gives these cheeses a distinct terroir, a flavor that can’t be replicated from lowland grasses. Cravero’s Parmigiano Reggiano is a softer, creamier texture, boasting notes of pecans, cooked pasta, grapes, and butterscotch. Pairs well with a charcuterie board of fresh pears, apples, dried figs, honey drizzle, toasted almonds, walnuts, hazelnut and rustic Italian bread.
WINE AND BEER PAIRINGS: Prosecco is the perfect wine accompaniment. For beer pairings, reach for a Belgian Blonde Ale. It offers a gentle fruitiness, light spice, soft malt, and lively carbonation, which complements the cheese’s buttery sweetness and nutty complexity without overwhelming it.
WINESTYLES: Mellow red wines or Silky white wines.
BEERSTYLES: Fruity & Spicy
Giorgio Cravero’s family has selected and aged Parmigiano Reggiano in Bra, Italy since 1855. Just off the main drag of the town of Bra, home to Slow Food’s biennial Cheese festival, lie the halls of Cravero. Twenty-foot high rooms that hold five thousand wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano. Cravero’s wheels rest on pine and they turn their wheels more frequently than other agers with an aim to make a softer, less cakey texture.
Aging rooms like Cravero’s have long been a part of the cycle of making and selling Parmigiano Reggiano, much like they are for other long-aged cheeses like Comté and Gouda, cheeses whose lengthy affinage represents a real cash flow issue to farmers and cheesemakers. Learn more>
Information and Photos © Cravero and Essex Street Cheese – All Rights Reserved.
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If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >
