Repast

Wine + Cheese = a Match made from Heaven

It’s not always easy to find the right pairing for a cheese.  Wines and cheese pairings could be super difficult.  Many times the tannins in the wine overwhelm the cheese.  Today, I met with Erin at Pasanella, a beautiful wine shop in the South Street Seaport.  We were discussing a wine and cheese event we are going to have on the Campania region of Italy.  I discovered a great pairing: Caprea and Falanghina. 

It’s worth looking more closely at this specific pairing in order to find out how to properly pair cheeses and wine.  Firstly, the citrus flavors emanating from the cheese were not overpowered.  It’s crucial to find a harmony in flavors.  The Falanghina I tried was floral and slightly acidic; the acidity balanced well with the acidity in the cheese.  Secondly, the creamy texture of the cheese seemed to coat the white wine as it went down the back of my throat.  The “retronasal tastes” is the term used to refer to the sensations felt at the back of your throat.  These sensations were exceptional!  The fruity aromas lingered at the end.  The texture and flavor of both were highlighted by one another.      

Another element to consider is what region they are from.  Often (NOT ALWAYS!), pairing a wine with a cheese from the same region can maximize both flavors.  Falanghina grapes come from Campania.  They seemed to have brought out the citrus flavors of the region. 

How come matching regions works so well?

Citrus Acidity in Wine + Citrus Acidity in Cheese

TERROIR

Terroir is just as important for cheeses as it is for wines.  And, it is especially important for goat’s milk cheeses.  The flavor of the grasses and flowers that the goat, cow, and sheep are eating in the region determine the flavor of the milk.  This inevitably ends up creating a distinct taste in the cheese.  Goat’s milk cheeses have less butterfat.  The butterfat equalizes a lot of the flavors.  With less butterfat, goat’s milk cheeses tend to have a much more pronounced flavor of whatever the goat was eating.  The Caprea tastes of lemons and has floral notes; it’s not surprising if you think of the numerous lemon trees that grow all along the hill tops of Campania where the goats are grazing.   

Försterkäse Krümmenswil: a Collaboration of Woodcarvers and Milk Producers

Cheeses wrapped in bark – I’m obsessed!  Lately, I have been really excited about Le Sousbois, a soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese wrapped in spruce bark.  The cheese is similar in flavor and style to the famous Vacherin Mont d’Or, but it doesn’t have a washed rind.  I’m fascinated by the bark, and I am wondering what the cultural and historical origins are behind it. 

So, this past Friday, while opening up cheeses at the warehouse, I was surprised and thrilled to uncover another cheese wrapped in bark: Försterkäse Krümmenswil .  This cheese is from an entirely different canton from the Vacherin and Le Sousbois, which are both produced in the canton of Vaud (western part of Switzerland, bordering France).  The Försterkäse is produced by Ernst Dirriwächter in eastern Switzerland, in the Toggenburg region.  What strikes me about this cheese is its incredibly rich flavor, reminiscent of Le Sousbois, and also its dense texture.  It has a sweet candy-like taste that is truly one-of-a-kind. 

As with many cheeses, the Försterkäse is the result of a collaboration of many farmers.  Not only did the milk producers in the Toggenburg region help to develop this exceptional cheese, but also the woodworkers.  The region’s famous artisan woodcarvers cut the wooden rind that binds the cheese.  The aroma of this cheese is more pronounced than both the Vacherin Mont d’Or and Le Sousbois.

I’m still wondering about the origins of the use of wood to bind cheeses.  There are many times that people tell stories about when a cheese came into existence, and soon after we find out that it actually was produced centuries prior.  For example, the Vacherin Mont d’Or is said to have first been produced by a cowherd named Roguin who led a herd of cows through the forests of the Jura during the winter of 1871 in order to help General Bourbaki’s troops make a safe retreat.  This story was soon debunked.  It may be true that Roguin produced the cheese, but records later proved that the cheese was being made way before him.  Documents revealed delivery records of the cheese 26 years before. 

I suppose that in a country of famous artisan woodcarvers and cheese makers it only makes sense that they would collaborate.   

Hi, my name is Max and this is my first post.

Hello, my name is Max Shrem. After having worked for Ihsan Gurdal, renowned cheese expert, for nearly a year, I have come across some of the most unique food products that I have ever seen.  And, I am starting this blog to share these food discoveries with you.   It may seem really cliché to hear about the importance of cultural traditions and food, but I have to say that the common theme with all these discoveries is cultural history.

Managing Formaggio Essex (the New York City outpost of Formaggio Kitchen) has brought about the most thrilling food explorations: cheeses made from century-old monasteries, marshmallows made in the same fashion as the ones eaten by the French aristocracy during the 17th century, and homemade jams from a self-sustainable Piedmontese farm.  In this blog, I look forward to sharing with you a cultural and historical perspective to new and interesting foods.  The word “repast” is both a noun and a verb: a meal or a feast, and to eat.  It stems from Latin “pascere” meaning to graze and “re” meaning "repeatedly."  In modern French, “repas” means a meal.

I hope you will enjoy becoming a food detective with me and sharing in my culinary delights!

Image courtesy of Formaggio Kitchen.