Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve is from Uplands Cheese Co. out of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. This is a seasonally made farmstead cheese. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is an eight month aged cheese with grassy pastures along with sweet and tangy notes. So what makes this cheese "extra"? Aging.
This cheese is aged for an additional year. In that year, the flavors concentrate and the texture starts to change. It becomes nuttier, with some light caramel tastes without losing any of it's original sweet grass flavors. A slight crystallization in the paste makes this cheese literally pop in your mouth.
What to drink with such complex flavors? Cesar and Cristi recently went to visit with co-owner Mike Gingrich. His suggestion is Riesling. Who are we to argue with his expertise? Riesling it is. A 2007 Kuentz-Bas Alsatian Riesling. This wine is unoaked and fruity without being sweet. Complex with citrus notes, this is a perfect match for the washed rind Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve.
Want to add something sweet to your cheese plate? How about the orange marmalade with lemons from Quince & Apple from Madison, WI. Small batch preserves that are made with seasonal, local ingredients Matt and Clare come up with a marmalade with chunks of zest that is tangy, slightly sweet, and so good you'll want to eat it right out of the jar.
