Tag Archives: wine cheese pairing
Tomme Saint Georges
Romero Fino-Buenalba
Toledo, SpainSeptember Cheese Club: Iowa
Shopshire Blue
Blue Cheese
Leicestershire, UK
Made of pasteurized cow’s milk, this semi-firm blue cheese is described as a cross between Stilton and Cheshire. Within 10-12 weeks, it forms an orange-brown, natural rind and smooth texture. It has a sharp, strong flavor and a bit of a tangy aroma, with a fat content of 48%. This cheese is vegetarian friendly and has won many medals including silver at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.
WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
For wine, pair with a Port Noir or a Riesling. For beer, pair with any of our stouts or ales featured in our September Beer Club.
WINESTYLES: Silky or Mellow
BEERSTYLES: Malty & Sweet or Fruity & Spicy
Red Dragon Cheese
Cheddar
Wales, UK
Made from pasteurized cow’s milk, this smooth, firm, tasty cheddar is made with Welsh brown ale and mustard seeds making it a buttery and spicy cheese with plenty of bite, but without being too hot. The mustard seeds give the cheddar marvelous flavor and texture, while the brown ale makes the cheese moist and tangy. This vegetarian cheese is aged for three months. Serve as a table cheese or melted on toast.
WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pair with a Shiraz or a Sauvignon Blanc blend, such as our September Wine Club Selection. For beer, pair with a dark ale, such as those featured in our September Beer Club.
WINESTYLES: Silky or Bold
BEERSTYLES: Malty or Fruity & Spicy
Information © cheese.com and igourmet.com – All Rights Reserved.
Don’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 >
September Sweet Club Iowa
Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof
Riesling
Estate Bottled from Old Vines
Saar Valley, Germany
NECTAR WINE STYLE
The nose is fruity and floral, while on the palate the elegant mouthfeel is dominated by fresh and fine flavors of ripe stone fruits, such as peaches and yellow plums. The minerality of the slate soils delivers a salty and spicy character that goes perfectly along with the lively acidity and delicate medium sweetness.
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Analysis: 11.5% alcohol / volume (approx.)
Trellising: VSP and single post trellising
Age of Vines: 40-60 years
Production: Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks
Serving Temperature: 46.4ºF
Food Pairing: Dishes like Thai curries poultry in piquant sauces, sweet and sour pork or game are delicious accompaniments to this classic Riesling.
Highlights / Ratings:
– Up to 80 years old vineyards in the Mosel and the Saar Valley
– Traditional Mosel style Riesling with a subtle residual sweetness and a radiant minerality
– Wine Spectator: Top 100 the most exciting wines of 2018 (#44)
– Wine Spectator 100 Top Value Wines for 2020 (#90) (JG 2018)
– Robert Parker: 90 pts. (JG 2017)
– Yves Beck: 90 pts. (JG 2019)
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
THE VINEYARD:
© Photo by: Jon Wyand
Nik Weis is one of the few winemakers in his region to make wine from the Mosel and the Saar Valley. Half of his 111 acre property is located in the Saar Valley, a sub-appellation, where the microclimate is even cooler than in the Mosel area. This means that the difference between warm days and cool nights is more extreme and causes even better conditions for the development of many flavors in the skins of the berries. In comparison to the Mosel Valley, with its rather soft and blue slate soils, the slate in the Saar Valley is either red or grey, causing a distinctive smoky and almost salty minerality.
Old Vine © Photo by Jony Wyand
Another particularity of Nik Weis is the wide spectrum of the age of his vines that goes up to 130 years. Having many old vineyard parcels is another key for making authentic and long-lasting wines since old vines root much deeper into the ground and gather more nutrients and minerals than young vines do; they also have a better water uptake which prevents them from drought and water shortage in warm summers. In addition to that, the grape clusters also change within the years, and for that, old vines produce smaller berries with thicker skins. This results naturally into lower crop yields with a higher aromatic concentration and complexity.
PRODUCTION:
The Riesling Estate Bottled from Old Vines unites all particularities of Nik Weis. It is grown on different kinds of slate, comes from the old vineyards in the Saar valley, and was fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks in order to keep the fine and elegant body.
Nik Weis © Credit Peter Kunz
Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof
Urban Riesling
Mosel, Germany
NECTAR WINE STYLE
This Riesling is honest, authentic and made with true origin. It has a complex, smoky and floral nose, and a juicy, fruity, and elegant mouthfeel with minerality that leaves a desire for the next sip. It reflects the traditional taste profile of top quality Mosel Riesling wines, in that it has brilliant fruit and lively acidity.
Varietal: Riesling
Analysis: 10.5% alcohol / volume
Trellising: VSP and partly traditional single post system
Serving Temperature: 46.4ºF
Food Pairing: Delicious on its own, or a perfect accompaniment to light or spicy dishes.
Highlights / Ratings:
– Wine & Spirits: Top 100 Values of the Year | 2020 – Urban Riesling 90 pts.
– Wine Enthusiast: Top 100 Best Buys | 2017 & 2018
– Wine Spectator: Wine of the Week | January 2022
– James Suckling: Vintage 2021 | 90 pts
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an aged cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
Background:
Nik Weis © Photo Credits to David Weimann
Inspired by the ‘urban lifestyle’ of many cities like New York, London, or Paris, winemaker and globetrotter, Nik Weis wanted to create a wine whose individual character would stand out against the average mass of wines – even in famous cities with genuine character and flair. But how could one combine an urban lifestyle with a rather rural region like the Mosel valley? Luckily, Mosel Riesling is one of the world’s most famous wines and has been consumed in the world’s best restaurants and hotels for more than a century. Nik soon knew that his wine would bring the Mosel ‘zest for life’ to the world’s biggest cities back again.
Today, Urban Riesling has become a well-known and regularly-awarded wine that never forgot about its roots: The soil on which the vines grow consists of blue, highly decomposed slate rocks that give the wines their great minerality- a somewhat salty finish. The temperatures vary from warm during the day to cold at night; this lets the grapes keep their elegant and fruity acidity and makes them produce a wide range of beautiful flavors. The vinification takes place in a minimalistic way in order to make the wines as authentic as possible.
ABOUT NIK WEIS – ST. URBANS-HOF:
Nikolaus (Nik) Weis is the third generation of his family to tend the vines since his Grandfather, Nicolaus Weis founded St. Urbans-Hof Estate in 1947. Nicolaus was awarded the prestigious title “Oekonomierat” (Chancellor of Agriculture) in 1969 for his dedication to the wine culture of the country; his name and title have since become a suffix to the estate’s name. Today, Nik oversees the estate’s 111 acres in the Mosel and Saar Valleys. Since 2000, the Riesling winery has been a member of Germany’s renowned VDP (Association of German Quality Wine Estates). Learn more about their story here.
Mosel between Leiwen and Trittenheim – © Photo by David Weimann
© Information from Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof.
Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!
August Cheese Club: Iowa
Vermont Creamery
St. Albans
Websterville, Vermont
The St. Albans cheese is a uniquely American take on the French St. Marcellin. It is an aged cows’ milk cheese and takes its name from the town of St. Albans, Vermont. Hand-shaped and aged for eleven days, these delicate cheese disks are packaged in sturdy ceramic crocks that double as baking vessels.
INGREDIENT INFORMATION:
Pasteurized Cultured Milk, Salt, and Enzymes
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- Share on a cheeseboard alongside other fresh and aged cheeses
- Spread it on a seeded cracker or crostini
- Melt and drizzle on top of baked potatoes or roasted corn on the cob
- Other pairings: Pickled Eggs, Pomegranate Molasses, Sweet & Sour Pickle, and Pea Shoots
- 2017 US Championship Cheese Contest – Third Place
- 2017 Sofi™ Awards – Best New Product – Cheese Category
- 2016 World Cheese Awards – Bronze
ABOUT VERMONT CREAMERY:
Founded in 1984, on a chance interaction between two young entrepreneurs, Allison Hooper and Bob Reese. Allison learned how to make cheese during an internship on a farm in Brittany, France. Bob was working for the Vermont Department of Agriculture when he was in charge of organizing a dinner featuring all Vermont-made products. The French chef of this dinner requested fresh goat cheese, and Bob scrambled to find a local producer. He was able to find Allison, who was working in a dairy lab and milking goats, and asked her to make the cheese for them. The dinner was a success and the cheese was a hit – and so, Vermont Creamery was born that night.
Today, these two business owners continue to make consciously-crafted, delicious dairy in Vermont. Their cheeses and butters have won hundreds of national and international awards and their team remains the most valuable resource of them all. Learn more about their story here.
Beehive Cheese
Seahive Cheddar
Uintah, Utah
Seahive is a true expression of the flavors of Utah. This sweet and creamy Utah Cheddar’s rind is rubbed with local wildflower honey and ancient salt harvested from a pristine ocean deposit in Redmond, Utah giving the cheese its signature pinkish hue. The honey on the rind elevates its inherent sweetness, without becoming cloyingly sweet.
INGREDIENT INFORMATION:
Vegetarian rennet, cow’s milk, all ingredients rubbed on the rind are organic and this is a gluten-friendly product.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- Pair with stone fruits, berries, charcuterie, and toasted nuts
- Top with jam
- Sidecar with your apple pie.
- 1st Place International Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA) 2021
- 2nd Place World Cheese Awards (WCA) 2021
- 3rd Place American Cheese Society 2011
- 3rd Place WCA 2018, 2019
ABOUT BEEHIVE CHEESE:
In 2005, Tim Welsh and his brother-in-law, Pat Ford, had a vision of opening a creamery in the mountains of Northern Utah. With no more than eight days of cheesemaking experience between the two of them when they first began, the two broke tradition without even realizing it. They enjoyed the freedom to experiment and created their own rules about what artisan cheese could be. With their families by their sides, they built a company grounded in independent thinking, connectedness, and authenticity. They partnered with some of the best cheese researchers and creameries the western U.S. had to offer. Today, Beehive Cheese continues to produce award-winning cheeses that bring family and friends together. Learn more about their story here.
Photos and information © Vermont Creamery and Beehive Cheese – All Rights Reserved.
Don’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 >
August Sweet Club Iowa
Quinta de La Rosa
Extra Dry White Port
Douro, Portugal
NECTAR WINE STYLE
This Extra Dry White Port is a first class aperitif wine with a beautiful amber/honey color. It showcases excellent fruit, as well as hints of pear drop, on the palate, all while maintaining the quintessential La Rosa long, dry finish.
Varietal: Mainly Viosinho, Gouveia, Rabigato and Malvasia Fina
Analysis: 19.5% alcohol / volume
Total Acidity: 3.00 g/dm3
Residual Sugars: 20-30 g/dm
pH: 3.8
Aging: 2-3 years in large ‘tonels’ (large 550L pipes)
Production: Regularly
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Enjoy on its own as a chilled aperitif. Or serve with roasted almonds and olives, terrines and pâtés. Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an aged cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
TERROIR:
Still largely unexplored, the terroir in the Douro offers incredible opportunities. La Rosa’s vines rise dramatically out of the river with the imposing Vale do Inferno vineyard, and climb majestically up to an altitude of 500m. The estate’s grapes are category A – the very best the Douro has to offer. The remarkable freshness and minerality that Quinta’s unique terroir provides, along with a steadfast desire to ensure their brandy is will integrated, means that all of Quinta de la Rosa’s Ports are made in drier ‘house style’ without any overpowering sweetness.
PRODUCTION:
The first pressings of the grapes are fun off and used in their white wines. When then pH starts to rise, the last approximately 10% of the juice is drawn off into stainless steel vats, to be made into white port, stopping the fermentation by adding brandy. The Extra Dry White Port is blended from stocks held at La Rosa and is aged in large “tunnels” for an average of 2-3 years.
ABOUT QUINTA DE LA ROSA:
Located along the river, a short distance from Pinhão, in the Cima Corgo subregion of the Douro, Quinta de la Rosa is a Single Quinta winery famed for its premium wines and ports. Having been family owned and run since 1906, La Rosa is committed to respectful innovation in its pursuit of excellence. All of the estate’s grapes are category A – the very best the Douro has to offer. La Rosa’s wines and ports continue to receive 95+ points and they have been invited to join the top 273 wineries in the world at Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience. Quinta de la Rosa has a commitment to sustainable farming and winemaking, as well as sustainable tourism, that shows in their efforts at their hotel and restaurant. Learn more about their story here.
© Information provided by Quinta de la Rosa
Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!
July Cheese Club: Iowa
Sawatch Artisan Foods
Baby Gouda
Colorado Springs, Colorado
This Gouda is a satisfying cheese that everyone will love. It’s made by hand, brined and aged for 2-4 months on traditional Dutch pine planks. The result is a creamy bite and a mild flavor that makes this cheese an easy crowd favorite.
WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pair with a light wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or glass or Champagne/Sparkling White Wine. For beer, look for a light or pale lager or ale.
WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean
Sawatch Artisan Foods
European Style Butter – Unsalted
Colorado Springs, Colorado
This European Style Butter isn’t your run-of-the-mill butter you would find in the grocery store. Containing a minimum butterfat content of 85%, this is butter that’s made the way it should be: with fresh, local cream, churned daily in small batches. The result becomes a satisfying, creamy, high quality butter that makes everything you put on it, or in it, that much better.
ABOUT SAWATCH ARTISAN FOODS:
We are so excited to showcase Sawatch products for our Cheese Club this month, it’s the first time they are sold outside of Colorado! This high-quality Colorado dairy produces handcrafted products with care, time and good taste. They believe in simple, wholesome ingredients… nothing else. They work in small batches with only the freshest local dairy and commit to a slow, artisan, handcrafted process, even though it takes more time. They aim to produce creative flavors, while also maintaining their high-quality staples. Learn more about their story here.
Don’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 >
July Sweet Club Iowa
Confetti!
Sweet Pink Rosé
Trentino, Italy
NECTAR WINE STYLE
Bright rose color with aromas of fresh strawberries. Deliciously sweet with a lively frizzante and flavors of red berries and watermelon. Light bubble is perfect as an aperitif or pairing with summer picnics and sweet celebrations!
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an aged cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
Confetti!
Sweet Red
Trentino, Italy
NECTAR WINE STYLE
Ruby red color with aromas of blackberries and plums. Flavors of sweet, ripe blackberries and plums with a delicate frizzante. Nicely balanced with sweetness and the dryness of the tannins. Trentino, located in Northern Italy, has a long tradition of cultivating and producing quality wines.
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with a fresh, young, soft cheese – such as a Brie. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!
June Cheese Club: Iowa
Beehive Cheese
Queen Bee Porcini Cheddar
Uintah, Utah
The rind of this rich and creamy Utah cheddar is hand-rubbed with Porcini mushrooms, imparting an earthy, umami notes throughout the paste of the cheese. On the palate, you can expect all the creaminess of the Beehive Cheese’s award-winning Promontory cheddar to be combined with savory notes from the Porcini mushrooms.
Production: Regalis Porcini mushrooms are pulverized into a fine power, rubbed on the rind of the cheese, and then aged. During the aging process, the earthy flavors permeate throughout the 20-pound wheel of cheese and marry beautifully with the natural sweetness of the cheddar.
The Gist: Aged for 6-8 months; Vegetarian Rennet; Cow’s Milk
Serving Recommendation: Salami, assortment of pickled/brined veggies or olives. It has superb melting capabilities, perfect for risotto or mac and cheese.
Awards: Super Gold WCA 2021, 2022
WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pairs well with a Sangiovese or Pinot Noir, such as our June Wine Club – La Montage Pinot Noir. For beer, reach for an American Pale Ale.
WINESTYLES: Mellow
BEERSTYLES: Crisp and Clean
Beehive Cheese
Teahive Cheddar
Uintah, Utah
This Utah cheddar rubbed with Earl Grey is a “feel good” cheese. The soothing qualities of tea and the relaxing properties of bergamot combine to produce a lovely cheese with rich fragrances of orange blossoms. On the palate, it is sweet and creamy. This Jersey cow’s milk cheese immediately delights the palate and the complexities of the tea-rubbed rind continue through the finish.
The Gist: Aged for 6-8months; Vegetarian rennet; Cow’s milk; Gluten-friendly product; Organic, non-GMO ingredients in the rub
Serving Recommendation: Pair with stone fruits, berries, charcuterie, toasted nuts, or top with honey or jam. This cheese is perfect on scones, baked into shortbread biscuits, or sliced on a sandwich.
Awards:
- 1st ACS 2012
- Silver WCA 2017, 2018, 2019
- 2nd ACS 2015
- 2nd IMPA 2018
- 2nd British Empire Cheese Competition 2018
ABOUT BEEHIVE CHEESE:
In 2005, Tim Welsh and his brother-in-law, Pat Ford, had a vision of opening a creamery in the mountains of Northern Utah. With no more than eight days of cheesemaking experience between the two of them when they first began, the two broke tradition without even realizing it. They enjoyed the freedom to experiment and created their own rules about what artisan cheese could be. With their families by their sides, they built a company grounded in independent thinking, connectedness, and authenticity. They partnered with some of the best cheese researchers and creameries the western U.S. had to offer. Today, Beehive Cheese continues to produce award-winning cheeses that bring family and friends together. Learn more about their story here.
Don’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 >
June Sweet Club Iowa
San Antonio Fruit Farm Wines
Blackberry Orange
Piedmont, Italy
NECTAR WINE STYLE
The San Antonio Fruit Farm Blackberry-Orange wine is made with white moscato grapes that are harvested from the northern hillside vineyards in Piedmont, Italy, when the warm days and perfect nights bring them to optimal maturation. Blackberry-orange juice is then blended to create a delicate yet rich flavor profile. This wonderfully light, fruity and sparkling beverage will complement any moment. Serve chilled with light snacks.
Varietals: Brachetto, Malvasia
Analysis: 6% alcohol / volume
TA: 4-6 g/L
pH: 3.15-3.60
Residual Sugar: 90 g/L
AVA: Piedmont, Italy
Natural Grape: 100%
Additional Facts: Vegan, Gluten Free, No Artificial Additives, Female Winemakers
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an aged cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
San Antonio Fruit Farm Wines
Strawberry Guava
Piedmont, Italy
NECTAR WINE STYLE
This semi-sweet Strawberry Guava Wine is handcrafted with White Moscato and Brachetto grapes that are harvested from the northern hillside vineyards in Piedmont, Italy. Strawberry-guava fruit juice is then blended to create a delicate and rich flavor profile. This wine is also perfect for any occasion as it is wonderfully light, fruity and sparkling.
Varietals: White Moscato, Brachetto
Analysis: 6% alcohol / volume
TA: 4-6 g/L
pH: 3.05-3.40
Residual Sugar: 90 g/L
AVA: Piedmont, Italy
Natural Grape: 100%
Additional Facts: Vegan, Gluten Free, No Artificial Additives, Female Winemakers
WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with a fresh, young, soft cheese – such as a Brie. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
ABOUT THE WINERY:
For over a century, the Riboli family has family has been carrying out the tradition of creating best-selling wines in the market. Paula and Ivana – Italian female winemakers specializing in quality management and new product development at Riboli Family Wines – sought out to craft a new varietal with distinctive flavor profiles. San Antonio Fruit Farm is a new semi-sweet varietal with dual fruit-forward flavors. It was created for those looking to drink refreshing, low alcohol, natural fruit wines.
Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!
Artikaas 
Honey Bee
Goat Cheese
Holland
WineStyles Tasting Station 