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.

Featured Pairing

This week we're doing a trio of flavors. Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve, Marmalade from Quince & Apple, and a lovely old world Riesling.



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.

Upcoming Pastoral Events and a Change

A lot of fun events coming up in the next few weeks. Coming up this Saturday at the French Market we are super excited to be part of the Raclette Event. From 2-4pm join Hans Aeschbacher (chef, not the painter) as he demonstrates the simplicity and complex flavors of traditional Raclette.

Looking for our free wine tasting this weekend? Well, we've changed things a bit this year. Starting the first Saturday in March we will be doing a quarterly wine tasting at our loop location with the first tasting focusing on "Spring Wines".

Can't wait until then? Never fear. This Friday at the French Market we're pouring the Nine by Nine Zin from California. Then on Saturday to pair with the Raclette event we'll be pouring crisp Divine Light from Australia.

Next week we have three great events going on. On Thursday Feb. 11 at the French Market stop by for a free tasting of locally made toffee from Sweet Margy's and lightly effervescent Malvira. Then on Friday at the Lake St. location we've got Katherine from Katherine Anne Chocolates doing a demo from 5-7p. On Saturday at the Broadway store from 1-3 come meet Chris from Whimsical Candies and sip some Musva sparkling wine.

You can always check out our facebook or twitter page for updates on all our Pastoral events.