Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Return of the Winni and New Pairing

We've got a lot of yummy goodness this week.

Every year in January one of our staff and customer favorite seasonal cheeses, Winnimere comes back to the shop. "Winni" is a raw cow's milk cheese coming to us from the folks at Jasper Hill Farm in the NEK (NorthEastKingdom) of Vermont. Available from January until June this lambic beer washed cheese has big strong flavors that change during the 6 months of availability. Right now this spruce bard wrapped cheese has a sweet milky flavor with aromas of smokey bacon and just a whiff of peanutty goodness. We invite you to taste the Winnimere through the season as the flavor profile deepens and the aromas become more pronounced. Winnimere has been described as sexy, creamy, gooey, silky and luscious. Stop by any of our location and grab some for yourself.

We are also heralding the return of Constant Bliss. You may think you know this small-format cow's milk cheese also from Jasper Hill Farm, but there have been some changes in production for this year. The biggest change is the milk. The milk for this cheese is now coming from the Kehler's neighbors cow's and is also a pasteurized cheese. Buying milk from their neighbor not only helps support another small dairy farmer in Vermont, but allows the cheesemakers to use more of their own herd's milk to help increase the production of Bayley Hazen Blue. Flavors of white button mushrooms, earth and grassiness are still apparent in every bite.

This week we have another delicious pairing for you. Pata Cabra is a washed-rind goat milk cheese from Spain. This is a semi-soft cheese with a lemony, sweet and sour flavor profile. A mild yet complex goat cheese perfect for the goat cheese lover in your home and a wonderful cheese for those just getting into goat's milk cheeses.

This cheese just begs for white wine. Something crisp and bright. 2008 Quinta de Cabriz from Portugal is a great match. Malvasia Fina, Cercial and Encruzado grapes might not be well known, but the end result, clean and crisp with lemon and apple flavors speak to all wine lovers. Stop by for a taste at any of our stores and pair it with a jam or honey for the perfect compliment.


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