I typically don’t buy cheese via mail order since I prefer to support my fabulous local shops, but recently Artisanal Cheese has been running a promotion offering a percentage off your order as a countdown to the Super Bowl. Never one to turn down a deal – or a chance to taste cheeses that I don’t usually see locally – I placed a large order and have been enjoying the fruits of FedEx ever since. My favorite from the box was this goaty beauty, Laurier.
Laurier is the delicious result of a collaboration between Vermont Butter and Cheese, makers of C+C favorite Cremont, and Artisanal’s director of affinage, meaning you can only find it at Artisanal (that’s where mail order comes in handy). An aged goat cheese adorned with a simple bay leaf to add a spicy flavor, Laurier bowls you over with its dreamy creaminess and full-frontal flavor. How goaty, you may ask? Well, my husband, well-known for his goat-cheese aversion, walked out of the room, and my sister, who prefers goat cheese to all others, found it to be overpowering. Of course, I loved it – mild, delicate chevres are wonderful, but it’s nice to have a button with some heft and spunk underneath that innocent package. Eating it was a – dare I say – sensual experience.
A sophisticated cheese that begs for a glass of wine, Laurier pairs nicely with a white Bordeaux, Gamay or Champagne. No other accompaniments are necessary beyond a knife. This is a cheese that demands to be enjoyed straight up.
Happy National Cheese Lovers’ Day! Jill and I are just tickled pink that there’s a national holiday just for us. I only hope our husbands remember the flowers tonight. And by flowers, of course, I mean a nice leaf-wrapped &/or lavender-flecked cheese package.
You know we’re all about spreading the curd love, though, so we’re marking today’s holiday by kicking off a virtual cheese school series right here. Was your New Year’s Resolution to learn more about cheese? Or maybe there’s a question you’ve been too embarrassed to ask your cheesemonger in person. Well, we’ll give an overview of a different cheese topic each week – and take your questions, in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook. So we hope you’ll follow along, ask a question, or, yes, correct us if we get something wrong. (Especially our cheesemaker and monger friends out there.)
Alpine, or mountain, cheeses are those made from the summer milk of cows that graze on grassy meadows in higher elevations during the warm season. You know, those lush meadows of Sound of Music fame. They are typically semi-firm, full of grassy flavor that evokes those warm summer days when we savor the cheeses in the dead of winter. Some are perfectly smooth, others are studded with sweet little protein crystals, and the flavors range from earthy or nutty to fruity. Gruyere and Comte are two of the most well-known specimens, and while they traditionally do hail from the Alps, there are a growing number of American cheeses made in the same fashion. Technically speaking, the International Association of Mountain Cheese Producers, Caseus Montanus, only recognizes mountain cheeses as those “produced and affiné above 800 m, or approximately 2500 feet,” according to Artisanal.
Most mountain cheeses melt nicely, making them ideal for fondue or grilled cheese. Their recommended wine pairings range from sweet (Reisling) to robust (Barolo or even Zinfandel). Fromagette suggests pairing Hoch Ybrig with a sparkling rosé. And it would be hard to go wrong with beer, specifically a bock or brown ale. I like to serve them with mustards, salami and pickles. The typical advice for serving a cheese board is to use a range of cheese styles, but if you wanted to host a mountain cheese tasting there are enough subtle variations to make it interesting — particularly if you pair up European classics with some American newcomers. Likewise, try mixing the two for an extra-special fondue.
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Alpine cheeses we’ve reviewed include:
…and these American mountain cheeses:
Next week, we’ll talk about some other winter cheese styles (think woodsy). In the meantime, keep up with our Winter Cheese Board selections on Pinterest — and please let us know your favorite mountain cheese in the comments. Cheers!
