Tag Archives: January Cheese Club

January Cheese Club: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Posted on by

Cheese ClubLaClare Family Creamery Maple Bourbon Goat CheeseLaClare Family Creamery
Maple Bourbon
Goat Cheese
Malone, Wisconsin

LaClare’s original goat cheese is blended with sweet maple and is complemented by an aromatic bourbon flavor. Enjoy as a delicious snack spread on crackers or paired with fresh fruit.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
This cheese pairs beautifully with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon. For our beer lovers, pair this goat cheese with stouts and dark ales.

WINESTYLES: Bold
BEERSTYLES: Dark & Roasty

About the Creamery:
LaClare is one of the only 100%-domestically produced goat cheese brands in the country; milk is sourced exclusively from local dairies. With respect to sustainability, transparency, and tradition, their innovative cheesemakers create unrivaled cheese to please palates with clean, fresh flavor profiles that cannot be imitated. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © LaClare Family Creamery. – All Rights Reserved.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Toma Background RemovedPoint Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
Toma
Cow’s Milk
Point Reyes Station, California

In Italian, “Toma” often refers to a wheel of cheese made by the farmer herself… a perfect way to describe this cheese. It is Point Reyes’ most versatile, any time, any table cheese. All natural, pasteurized, semi-hard table cheese with a waxed rind.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
This cheese can pair well with a variety of flavors… try serving with hop-heavy beers, Pinot Noirs or a barrel-aged scotch.

WINESTYLES:Bold or Mellow
BEERSTYLES:Hoppy

About Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.:
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company is a culmination of a family’s agricultural legacy. Founded by their great-grandfather, their California dairy farm has transformed over the years. In the 1990s, seeking a more sustainable path, the Giacomini sisters returned to the farm and transitioned it into an artisanal cheesemaking operation. Their handcrafted cheese, like the signature Original Blue and Toma, continues the family tradition of producing high-quality products while honoring their love for the land. In July 2013, Point Reyes story was featured on Jane Pauley’s segment on NBC’s Today Show (video below). Learn more here.

The Giacomini family.

The first day of cheesemaking, August 1, 2000

Bob Giacomini, 1980

Information & Photos © Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

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 >

January Cheese Club: West Des Moines, Iowa

Posted on by

Cheese ClubJura Montagne Le Superbe
Jura Montagne
Cow’s Milk
Switzerland

Strong winds sweep across the rugged Jura plateau, shaping a landscape of high moors, rocky outcrops, dark forests, and meadows filled with aromatic herbs. In this remote setting at La Tourbière, Jura Montagne takes its character from the land itself.

Its defining quality comes from intensely flavorful mountain milk. Long, snowy winters allow hardy alpine herbs to thrive, giving the milk depth and aroma. Made from untreated fresh milk sourced from cows fed only hay and herbs from mountain pastures, Jura Montagne is still crafted by local cheesemakers using traditional methods handed down through generations.

The wheels are then given time to mature in traditional cellars, where they are regularly turned and washed with a special brine. After six to ten months of careful aging, Jura Montagne emerges as a distinctive cheese shaped by its natural surroundings.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Enjoy with Rich style white wines, or pair with a craft beer Ale. Enjoy with one of these delicious recipes from Le Superbe>

WINESTYLES: Rich
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

Fior delle AlpiLe Superbe
Fior delle Alpi
Cow’s Milk
Switzerland

Pure mountain air, fertile soils rich with wild herbs, and fresh alpine milk come together in a small mountain dairy where tradition still matters. From this setting comes Fior delle Alpi, a Swiss mountain cheese wrapped in a distinctive black rind.

Its aroma recalls warm milk from childhood kitchens, while the flavor carries gentle crystals of salt that slowly dissolve on the tongue. Fior delle Alpi has a clear, unmistakable character shaped by its remote alpine home. Cows grazing on herb-filled pastures produce milk with a naturally spicy, rounded aroma, which defines the cheese’s depth and maturity. In the steamy, smoke-filled mountain dairy, each wheel is still made by hand, following a time-honored recipe.

After production, the cheese is cared for patiently in the cellars of Lustenberger & Durst, where it rests for at least twelve months. Only when it has fully developed its character does the master affineur approve it for release, ensuring every wheel reaches its true expression.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Enjoy with lighter white and red wines or Pilsner craft beer.  Enjoy with one of these delicious recipes from Le Superbe>

WINESTYLES: Crisp & Mellow
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

ABOUT LE SUPERBE:
For over 160 years, Lustenberger & Dürst and its LeSuperbe brand have stood for the fine art of Swiss cheese-making, making Lustenberger & Dürst SA one of the oldest cheese maturing companies in Switzerland with almost 100 employees. The cheese specialities are produced exclusively for Lustenberger & Dürst by partner cheese dairies and then carefully matured in the ageing cellars in Hünenberg (ZG, Central Switzerland) or Heitenried (FR, Western Switzerland). More than 8,100 tons of cheese are processed annually with modern packaging systems in Hünenberg and exported to over 40 countries. Learn more here.

Information and photo © Zuercher & Co. and Le Superbe – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

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 >

January Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on by

Cheese ClubPetit-agour-cheese-wheelAgour Petit Agour Pur Brebis Semi-hard Sheep’s Milk Cheese France

Made from pasteurized sheep’s milk from the Basque Pyreness region, it boasts a sweet, subtle flavor and a creamy yet sturdy texture. Its bright orange rind, dusted with the region’s speciality, Espellettes pimento, giving it a distinctive rusty red appearance, can be brushed clean before slicing. The method used making this cheese is claimed to be the oldest surviving tradition in the world, dating back 4000 year. Petit Agour offers a distinctly sheep-y character, with floral, nutty, and lanolin notes typical of rustic sheep’s milk cheeses—without veering into overly sharp or barnyard flavors. Pair it with cherry spread for a classic combination, or try shaving it over roasted vegetables or a salad of bitter greens. It’s equally delightful on its own, sliced wafer-thin. Aged: 3 months Region: Basque, France WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: For wine, pair with a Merlot or Pinot Grigio. For beer, reach for an amber or brown ale, the malty sweetness and caramel notes of an ale harmonize beautifully with the cheese’s subtle, nutty flavors. WINESTYLES: Mellow or Crisp wines BEERSTYLES: Dark beers Information © Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

La-Petite-Cave-Roquefort-cheeseGabriel Coulet Roquefort La Petite Cave Sheep’s Milk Cheese France

Gabriel Coulet is a family business and a well regarded cellar which proudly preserves an age old tradition. In 1872, Guilhaume Coulet built a wine cellar that later became a cheese aging cave. Roquefort is the undisputed king of French blue cheeses, and they don’t come much better than Gabriel Coulet. Their Roquefort has a wonderful creamy paste with a buttery texture, a peppery bite from the veining, and a nice salt finish. Aged: 4+ months Region: Auvergne, Midi Pyrenees Protection: AOC Fat: 52% WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: For wine, try this cheese with a Port. A ruby or tawny Port offers a bold, sweet profile with notes of dried fruit and nuts that counterbalances the salty, tangy richness of Roquefort. For beer, try with an Imperial Stout; the roasted malt flavors, dark chocolate, and coffee notes of an Imperial Stout will also pair beautifully with Roquefort’s salty and tangy intensity. WINESTYLES: Nectar wines BEERSTYLES: Malty & Sweet Information © Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!Match Made in Heaven!

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 >

January Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on by

Cheese ClubBelletoile-cheese-wheelBelletoile Triple Créme Brie Lorraine Valley, France

In 1960, Belletoile was the first triple créme Brie exported to the USA.  It sets itself apart from traditional Brie and Camembert by incorporating extra cream in the production process, resulting in a delightful, creamy, and mellow texture.  Its protective rind allows for prolonged enjoyment, as it softens and ages.  Evolving flavor profiles start out fresh and mild, then transforms into a creamier and more aromatic taste as the cheese matures.  This triple cream cheese is light, airy and mild with 70% fat. It’s more savory and buttery than a traditional brie. Enjoy with this recipe for a crostini topped with cherry jam. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Pair with an unoaked Chardonnay or our January White Wine Selection. For beer, look for a crisp wheat beer, such as a Hefeweizen or an ale such as a saison.  WINESTYLES: Silky BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean, or Sour, Tart & Funky Information and photo © Belletoile – All Rights Reserved.

Cecilia-cheeseCastellano Cecilia de Castilla Castile-León, Spain

A traditional Spanish sheep’s milk cheese from the Castilla y León region. This cheese has a rich, complex flavor with buttery, nutty and sweet undertones – everything you love about Spanish sheep’s milk cheese! Aged for 12 months, it has a deep ivory to light yellow color with a firm and almost crumbly texture. The flavors are complex, deep and nutty with a slightly sharp and tangy finish. WINE & CRAFT BEER RECOMMENDATIONS: Enjoy with a fruity red such as a Tempranillo, or a bubbly wine such as a Spanish Cava. For beer, grab a Basque Cider.  WINESTYLES: Fruity & Mellow BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean Information and Photo © Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!Match Made in Heaven!

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 >

January Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on by

Cheese ClubZamorano-cheeseCecilia Zamorano D.O.P. Sheep Semibold Cheese Castile-León, Spain

Aged for 3-9 months, this DOP cheese is made from raw milk of its namesake region’s Churra and Castellano sheep. The rind has a familiar zigzag pattern – typical of many Spanish cheeses – but its flavor is all its own. This cheese is deliciously sweet and nutty with a touch of salt. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Pair with a fruity wine such as a Tempranillo or a mellow wine such as our January Wine Club wines: Chateau Govain Merlot and the Domaine de Lilotte Bordeaux. For beer, grab something fruity and spicy, like a Belgian-Style Wheat Ale. WINESTYLES: Fruity or Mellow BEERSTYLES: Fruity and Spicy

Tomme-Pur-Chevre-cheeseOnetik Tomme Pur Chèvre Goat Cheese Pyrenees, France

This natural rinded Tomme cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk. Similar in texture to Onetik’s Ossau-Iraty Cheese, however, the flavors here are clearer and brighter, with cool herbal tones to replace the nuttiness that you would get from a sheep’s milk Tomme. This is a great addition to any cheese board. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Pair with a crisp wine such as a Sancerre or a Sauvignon Blanc – try with our January White Wine Club wine – Chateau Le Prieur Cuvée Passion. For beer, pair with a crisp Basque Cider from the Basque region of Europe (think: “what grows together, goes together”). WINESTYLES: Crisp BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean Information © Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Cheese_springDon’t let your Wine Club go home alone! Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

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 >

January Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on by

cheese_club_logo-1240x1240Ubriaco-pinot-RoseUbriaco Pinot Rosé Veneto, Italy

This semi-firm cheese is crisp and salty in flavor with a light fruity aroma, highlighting notes of berry sorbet and ripe peach. It is soaked in organic La Jara Pinot Grigio rosé, retaining the flavors of the wine without the sharp, alcoholic bite being too present or overpowering. The blush colored rind is topped with dried rose petals, making it almost too pretty to eat. Milk Type: Cow – Pasteurized Rennet Type: Traditional Aging: Minimum 10 months Serving Suggestion: Enjoy crumbles of Ubriaco Pinot Rosé on a cheese plate with fresh strawberries, dark chocolate, and a Sparkling Rosé. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Pair with a Prosecco wine or any crisp and clean beer like a Pilsner. WINESTYLES: Bubbly BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

Brabander-reserveFromagerie L’Amuse Brabander Reserve Gouda (Black Betty) Holland

Also known as Black Betty, the Brabander Reserve is produced by world-renowned affineur, Betty Koster of Amsterdam’s L’Amuse Cheese Shop. Betty hand-selects a very limited number of wheels of Brabander (which are normally aged for 6-9 months) and ages them an additional 6 months, creating this ‘black-label’ version of her goat milk gouda that is only available from November to January. This Brabander Reserve has brown-buttery notes and a creamy bite with additional rich flavors of licorice, caramel, and pineapple. Each shop is only allowed a certain number of wheels each year… so, when it’s gone, it’s gone until next year! Milk Type: Goat – Pasteurized Rennet: Traditional/Hard Average Age: About 16 months WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Pair with a fruity red wine, such as a Cru Beaujolais, or a dark, malty beer with bite such as a Doppelbock. WINESTYLES: Fruity BEERSTYLES: Malty & Sweet

Cheese_springDon’t let your Wine Club go home alone! Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

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 >