February Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on January 30, 2025 by mcginnessalex

Hoch Ybrig Alpine Cheese Cow’s Milk Switzerland

Hoch Ybrig is like Gruyère’s little brother—crafted with a similar recipe but in a smaller, more manageable wheel. Named after the towering Swiss ski slopes, this Alpine cheese packs bold, savory onion notes alongside a surprisingly fruity finish, thanks to regular washes in a cider-infused brine during its 8–10 months of aging. Firm yet creamy, with scattered eyes—or holes—and a delicate crystalline crunch, it’s a true reflection of its mountain origins. The Hoch Ybrig recipe was crafted by Swiss affineur Rolf Beeler and in collaboration with cheesemaker Josef Werder. Melt it into fondue, or pair it with Northwoods Apiaries Buckwheat Honey to highlight its subtle sweetness. Aged: 8 – 10 months Milk: Cow’s milk, unpasteurized Rind: Not edible Region: Switzerland WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: For wine, reach for a Riesling with bright acidity and a touch of sweetness to balance the cheese’s savory depth. Or, try with a Chardonnay to compliment its nutty complexity. For beer, try with a Belgian Dubbel for a richness with a subtle spice. WINESTYLES: Crisp or Rich wines BEERSTYLES: Fruity & Spicy beers Information © Murray’s Cheese. – All Rights Reserved.

Molinari & Sons Italian Dry Salami San Francisco, California

This dry-cured Italian dry salame from San Francisco-based Molinari is made in the Milanese style. It is a finely minced mixture of 80% pork and 20% beef spiced with pepper and garlic. It’s a classic salami with subtle hints of roasted nuts, medium body, a mix of salt, sweet and butter; overall very well balanced. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: For wine, pair this salami with a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Noir. For beer, try with a Wheat Beer or a Pilsner. *BONUS PAIRING* For cheese, try this with a Cheddar, a Comte, or our cheese selection of the month – Hoch Ybrig Alpine cheese. Also great in sandwiches, salads, pastas, and antipasti dishes. WINESTYLES: Crisp or Mellow BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean About Molinari & Sons: Founded in 1896, Molinari & Sons has carried on the traditional Italian art of sausage-making in the cool climate of San Francisco. As a family-owned company with over a century of tradition, Molinari is renowned for its dedication to quality, using time-honored recipes and the finest ingredients to produce rich, flavorful salumi. From classic dry-cured salami to specialty artisan varieties, each product reflects a commitment to craftsmanship and authenticity. Whether enjoyed on its own, paired with cheese and wine, or incorporated into recipes, Molinari salami delivers a true taste of Italian heritage. Learn more here. Information © Zuercher & Co. & Molinari & Sons Salame – 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 >

May Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on April 26, 2024 by mcginnessalex

Le Superbe Jura Montagne Switzerland

Although many mountain cheeses have a similar basic nuttiness, they all have amazing subtleties of flavor and texture. Jura Montagne has a profoundly beefy, and savory smell with hints of toasted bread and grass. Jura Montagne is a small wheel in comparison to many mountain cheeses. The wheel has a natural rind that is formed from salting, turning and then brining the outside during affinage which gives the wheel its piquant finish. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Enjoy with Rich style white wines, or pair with a craft beer Ale. WINESTYLES: Rich BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean Information and photo © Zuercher & Co. and Le Superbe – All Rights Reserved.

Fior delle Alpi (Flower of the Alps Switzerland

Fior delle Alpi or Flower of the Alps, is a deliciously flavorful raw cow’s milk cheese from the mountains of Switzerland. Made with milk from cows who graze on lush mountain grass and meadow herbs results in a fruity and gently spiced cheese with a subtle crunch. Fior delle Alpi, is matured for up to 12 months and has a rich oniony flavor, very savory, like a brothy stew. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Enjoy with lighter white and red wines or Pilsner craft beer. WINESTYLES: Crisp & Mellow BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean Information and Photo © Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

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

April Beer Club: Iowa

Posted on March 28, 2023 by mcginnessalex

Brouwerij Kerkom
(Bink de) Reuss
Belgium

Reuss was the name of the first beer brewed at Kerkom in 1878. It is produced for the Bink festival. It’s a Belgium style Blonde Ale blended with Lambic. Marc Limet blends the lambic with a less bitter version of Bink Blonde (which has 38 IBUs versus 52 IBUs).

ABV: 6.5% alcohol / volume
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Beer Style at WineStyles: Fruity & Spicy

ABOUT BROUWERIJ KERKOM BREWERY:
Founded by Evarist Clerinx in 1878, the brewery has been passed down to trusting hands since it’s birth (with some time away when they were forced to close the brewery in 1968, like so many others). In 1988, the Jean Clerinx opened the brewery again, and it didn’t take long for the town and its surrounding areas to fall in love with their beers all over again. The farmhouse has become the road house of dreams from walkers, cyclists, beers lovers and more. Kerkom Brewery is 100% traditional and proud of it! From the hops to the Bink Beer, every step of the process is still done manually, one by one, made with love. Learn more about the brewery here, and follow them on Untappd.

Brasserie Trois Dames
Exaltée
Switzerland

In this bière de coupage, the brewery used a blend composed of 75% fresh saison and 25% foudre aged mature sour beer. This allows the acidity, funkiness, and tropical flavors found in the aged portion to cut through the dry, bitter, young saison. The result is a bitter, dry, sour, and funky beer that is an instant classic.

ABV: 5.2% alcohol / volume
Style: Farmhouse Ale – Brett Saison
Beer Style at WineStyles: Fruity & Spicy

Brasserie Trois Dames
Fiancée Chasselas
Switzerland

This beer is a marriage between dry saison and the Chasselas grapes found in the heart of Romandy (French-speaking area in Switzerland). For this hybrid beer, we used grapes from their friends, the 4th generation winemakers of Domaine de Boulaz in Bonvillars on the southwestern shore of Lake Neuchâtel. This beer is an invitation to gather with friends and family to share a good bottle. Naturally bottle conditioned, unfiltered, and unpasteurized.

ABV: 5.9% alcohol / volume
Style: Dry Saison with Chasselas Grapes
Beer Style at WineStyles: Fruity & Spicy

ABOUT BRASSERIE TROIS DAMES:
Founded in 2003, by Raphël Mettler, the brewery is named after three ladies at home, his wife and two daughters, thus the name “Trois Dames”. Raphaël and his team crafted beers made to surprise their consumers – both in terms of their audacity in taste and their appearance. This is a limited item beer club, as Brasserie Trois Dames decided to close their doors in September 2020. The brand is still linked to the family and will not be sold, so it can continue to be at the disposal of the three ladies for future collaborations or other projects that may come to life. Learn more about the brewery here, and follow them on Untappd.

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December Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on November 29, 2022 by mcginnessalex

Lustenberger & Dürst : LeSuperbe Antique Langrüti 1862 Gruyère AOP Switzerland

Aged for 12+ months, this Alpine cheese is highly aromatic and full-bodied with plenty of character. The texture and mouthfeel are rich, granular, and firm with a crystalline tyrosine formation. As for the flavor, it is meaty and earthy with notes of caramel and pear, with a lingering finish. The Antique Gruyère received the highest rating from Luercher & Co.’s evaluation panel. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: This cheese pairs beautifully with a rich white such as a domestic Chardonnay or an off-dry Gewürztraminer. A Red Bordeaux will play up on the earthy qualities in the cheese, while an Oloroso Sherry, Tawny Port or Bourbon will bring out its sweeter, caramel notes. For beer, look for a Belgian Dubbel Ale or a Bock beer, such as our December Beer Club selection. WINESTYLES: Rich, Mellow or Nectar BEERSTYLES: Malty & Sweet or Fruity & Spicy ABOUT LUSTENBERGER + DÜRST: For over 160 years, Lustenberger & Dürst and their LeSuperbe brand have valued and upheld the fine art of Swiss cheese-making. This dedication to excellence is one of the reasons why they are still one of the oldest cheese maturing companies in Switzerland. Cheese specialties are produced exclusively for Lustenberger & Dürst by partner cheese dairies and are carefully matured in their aging cellars in Central or Western Switzerland. More than 8,100 tons of cheeses are produced annually – with exports to over 40 different countries worldwide – all while maintaining sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. To learn more about the company, click here.

Urnäscher Käse Hornkuhkäse Urnäsch, Switzerland

Made from horned Appenzell cows milk, the Hornkuhkäse is a six to eight-month-ripened whole milk cheese made in a small town of Urnäsch, Switzerland. Here, it is tradition for almost all cows to still have their horns (as opposed to the 20% in other Swiss agriculture). All milk suppliers for Urnäscher Käse are proud keepers of these horned cows; they take good care of them, and it shows. This cheese showcases flavors of a true Alpine cheese, its high fat content and its long maturing period allow the cheese to be pleasantly nutty, aromatic, roasted, creamy, slightly spicy and sharp in taste. The texture is creamy and velvety smooth, melting in your mouth. AWARDS:

2018 – Diploma at the Swiss Cheese Awards
2021-2022 – Silver at the World Cheese Awards in Spain
2016 – Vice World Champion at the World Championship Cheese Contest

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Pair with a Riesling or a fruity red variety, such as a Pinot Noir or a Rhone. As for beer, look for a hard cider to complement this cheese! WINESTYLES: Crisp, Silky or Fruity BEERSTYLES: Fruity & Spicy ABOUT URNÄSCHER KÄSE: Founded in 2007 by 37 farming families from Urnäsch and the surrounding area, the team’s mission was to process and market their milk themselves to preserve as much added value as possible in the Urnäsch region. Today, the company maintains their customs and are proud to produce and sell typical Appenzell milk and cheese specialties made from almost 100% local milk from horned cows. Learn more about their story here. Information, Photos & Videos © Lustenberger & Dürst, LeSuperbe, Urnäscher Käse, and Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

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January Cheese Club: Iowa

Posted on December 31, 2020 by mcginnessalex

Blumenkäse Switzerland

An alpine cheese covered with wildflowers from the meadows of Switzerland. This floral beauty isn’t just pretty on the outside, it’s packed with flavors of French onion soup and sweet carrots on the inside. The rind is decorated in a long list of herbs and flowers, including: winter savory, dill, garlic, caraway, lovage, marjoram, mint, leek, chive, parsley, juniper berries, onion, marigolds, cornflower, roses, and strawberry leaves. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRING: When pairing wine with this cheese, reach for a Chardonnay, Viognier, Bubbles or Fruity Red Wines; for beer, look for something Hoppy and Bitter, such as an IPA. WINESTYLES: Crisp, Fruity, and Bubbly BEERSTYLES: Hoppy and Bitter Blumenkases

Marcel Petite Sagesse 24-Month Comté France

Selected by Essex St. Cheese Co., Sagesse Comté (formerly “Symphony”) represents the highest level a wheel of Comté can achieve at Marcel Petite; only 2% of all production reaches this point. Sagesse Comté is selected in line with the Essex flavor profile, but is bigger and broader in taste with a darker paste and immense tyrosine crystallization. This is an unpasteurized cows’ milk cheese with a powerful depth of flavor, similar to a great piece of dark chocolate. Sagesse Comté is available only once a year. WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRING: When pairing wine with this cheese, reach for a Champagne, aged Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir; for beer, look for something Malty & Sweet such as a Milk Stout. WINESTYLES: Rich, Mellow, or Bubbly BEERSTYLES: Malty & Sweet

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Tag Archives: Switzerland

February Cheese Club: Iowa

Hoch Ybrig Alpine Cheese Cow’s Milk Switzerland

Molinari & Sons Italian Dry Salami San Francisco, California

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