It's Summer Portfolio Time!

The first week of the month means free wine tastings at Pastoral. Our location at the French Market is having theirs as I type. Don't worry if you missed out, tomorrow we've got a free wine tasting at our Lake St. location from 5-7. Letizia from Colterenzio will be pouring a red and a white for your delight.

Next Saturday is our quarterly wine portfolio. Our theme this time around is "Summer and Picnic Wines". There will be multiple distributors pouring whites and rose and even a few reds. Admission is $5.00 which you can use towards your same night purchase. Did I mention that you'll also get 15% off of any purchase that night? A fantastically delicious deal! Purchase in advance on our website or take your chances and purchase at the door.

This week we're combining our love of wine and cheese into a pairing with a wine washed cheese. Montastio Vino Rosso is a cow's milk cheese from Italy that has been bathed in Cabernet and Merlot grapes. Aged up to 10 months this cheese has notes of fruit and jam on the nose which is what you might expect from a red wine washed cheese. The paste is a bit more mellow and subtle. Nutty, and earthy with a spicy finish this cheese is approachable and delicious on any cheese board. We are very proud to be the only people in Chicago to carry this tasty Italian cheese.

For the wine you might think of going with a Cabernet or Merlot. Just to think "outside the bottle", Jamie suggests a soft Tempranillo from Spain. Verasol Tinto is one of our full-bodied wines that like Idiazabal comes from the Navarra region of Spain (in the north). This wine has aromas of dark cherries, blueberries and herbs. This wine has soft tannins and while it has a lot of body to it, when paired with the cheese it will be a beautiful partnership.