Wine and Cheese 101

Cheese is a staple in my diet. Stinky, blue, soft, creamy—they are all my friends. Wine and cheese we know, are a match made in heaven. To further savor this perfect pair, I attended the Wine & Cheese 101 class at Artisanal Cheese Center with Max McCallman. Here's a list of the lovely cheese we had the pleasure of tasting:

Garrotxa is a goat's milk cheese produced in the Catalonia region in northern Spain. The Garrotxa was made in a traditional manner by a small artisanal creamery known for their consistency and quality. The wheels had a semi-soft texture and a light but velvety blue-grey mold. I truly enjoyed this milky and delicate flavor alone and with each of my wines (Argentine Chardonnay, French Pinot Noir and California Cabernet Sauvignon).

Robiola Rocchetta comes from the Piedmont region of Italy. A creamy rendering of flavors from goat's, cow's and sheep's milk. It's dense, yet semi-soft and has a smooth texture. I was in search of seconds of this light and airy cheese. Perfect for Springtime picnics.

Our only American cheese, Dorset was a disappointment as the semi-soft, washed-rind cow milk cheese had a particularly pungent aroma and taste.

The most interesting cheese of the evening was surely the Kirkham's Lancashire, which had a unique buttery crumble so characteristic of British cheeses. Aged for 5-8 months, Lancashire has a delicate flavor layered with a distinct tanginess.

As we graduated from soft to sharper cheeses, we finished with a Roquefort, a rich favored crumbly sheep's milk blue from France. The intense flavor left us all craving for more.

The class was filled with fun facts and figures that kept us giggling and engrossed. Today Americans consume three times more cheese than we did in the 1970s. Wine helps break down cheese in your system, so pairing the two is ideal for both taste and digestion. Greece has the highest consumption of cheese in the world! Cheese is a near perfect food, only lacking Vitamin C and fiber. And of course, my favorite:

"Where is the best place to store cheese?"

In your stomach.

Artisanal Premium Cheese Center
500 West 37th St.
2nd Floor
New York, New York 10018
(212) 239-1200

— Written by Divya Gugnani

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