It's March and We're Celebrating!

We've got a lot going on this month. Wine tastings, St. Patrick's day treats and events galore.

Starting on March 11th from 4:30-6:30pm at our French Market location join us as we do a free pouring of our "Voluptuous Winter Whites" featuring selections from Glunz. The following Thursday (same time and location) we'll be doing another tasting featuring selections from Wine Cru "Out Like a Lion Reds" and on Thursday the 25th we celebrate "America's Best" with wines from Wine DOC.

Many of you have asked if we're having a "First Saturday" free wine tasting at our Lake St. location this coming Saturday and our response is yes. Sort of. We've changed things up a bit for 2010.

This coming Saturday, March 6, 2010 we will be conducting our first ever Winter Portfolio Wine Tasting at 53 E. Lake St. from 6:30-8:00pm. Here at Pastoral we are very proud of our portfolio of smartly-priced and thoughtfully selected small production, sustainably-produced wines, spirits and beers. Join wine buyer Jan and Pastoral staff for an evening of tasting and learning all about some of our favorite wines

There is a $5 fee per person which gives you entrance to the tasting, a $5 credit and 15% discount off of all event night purchases. You can reserve in advance online to guarantee your space, or chance it by paying at the door-subject to availability.

Next week we invite you to celebrate the cheeses of Lombardy Italy with Pastoral, Isola and the Italian Chamber of Commerce. If you know anything about Lombardy, Italy you know that this Northern region in the backyard of Milan and the Italian Alps boasts of some of the most amazing classic cheeses. We have special events scheduled four days next week.

Start out at our French Market location on Wed 3/10 from 5-7pm for a delicious cheese tasting. Thursday 3/11 from 5-7pm at Lake st we'll be enjoy tastes of cheeses and delicious regional wines poured by our friends at Imports Inc. Friday come to either the French Market, or our Lake St. location from 5-7pm for cheesy goodness. Cap it all off Saturday at our Broadway location from 12-4pm as we bring the formaggio tasting up north.

It's March which means it's almost time for the annual "greening" of the Chicago River. Stop by for some Ardrahan, Coolea, Tipperary Cheddar or Cashel Blue or attend our class "Celtic in Spirit" on March 16th. Slainte!

Can't keep track of all the events going on this month? Don't worry. Follow us on twitter or become a fan of ours on Facebook and we'll remind you with timely updates.

Last but not least we would like to thank everyone who participated in our survey. We are listening and looking for ways to continue to serve you better in 2010. A special congratulations to Mimi Manzler who is the winner of our survey grand prize of perfect pairings for six months. Call your local Pastoral store so we can get you started!

Is It Spring Yet?

We've got a bunch of new products in the store this week.

For those of you who have been asking , we are pleased to announce the return of truffle honey, truffle oil and truffle salt. We spent a lot of time tasting truffle products and think we've got the best. Deeply aromatic infused products that are the truffliest you've ever tried.
We're also starting to bring in new cheeses. Pecorino from Prairie Fruits Farm, aged goat cheese from Andante Dairy in California and our featured cheese of the week, eight year cheddar from Widmer's Cheese Cellars in WI.

This cheddar has everything we love in an aged cheese. Texture is crumbly when sliced with those lovely little crunchies that come with a well aged cheese, but has a dense fudge like texture in the mouth. Rich and nutty this cheese is sure to become a favorite among customers and staff.

You're going to need a big wine to go with that explosive cheddar. We suggest the 2007 Picada from Argentina. This full-bodied red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Pinot Noir. The end result is a big wine with soft tannins, plum flavors and just enough spice that is sure to please.

While our pairing won't make spring come any sooner, having a tasty hunk of cheese and glass of wine certainly helps bring some sunshine into an otherwise cold and grey February day.

Cheese is where you find it...

Last week I was lucky enough to visit a cheese-loving friend at her Winter home in Gulf Shores Alabama. One morning she asked me if I thought that one hour was too far to drive to get decent cheese. I looked at her and said, "Let's GO!"

We drove north through Foley to Elberta, and landed here:

at Sweet Home Farm, a tiny Farmstead Dairy and Creamery.

We entered their tiny cheese shop and were offered tastings of some incredible cheeses, including their signature Elberta, a semi-soft and tangy cheese; Jubilee, a supple mountain style; and Perdido, layered with herbal ash like a morbier and rubbed in carob. I bought all three...

because how could I not from such lovely people. I also bought the ultimate local accompaniment, a jar of fig preserves made right on the farm. Almost forgot to try their Bayside Blue but I am glad I didn't, it was extraordinary--buttery and assertive at the same time.

I told Alyce I was from Pastoral and she said "Oh I know Greg from the ACS, but we are too small to sell to you." They don't even do mail order, and their shop is only open two days a week. Which is why there was a line out the door:

The only way to get this delicious award-winning cheese, it seems, is to show up!

On the way out, I nodded at the Guernseys who were very busy ignoring me, and thanked them for the milk that Alyce and Doug make into their gorgeous cheese.

Maybe you can seem them behind me.

Next year I will call ahead and hopefully get to see some cheese-making in action.

If you find yourself anywhere between Mobile and Pensacola, be sure to stop by for some inspiring cheese.

Lisa