Le Tastevin Wine Club - Notes on Cheeses – March 15, 2023

Tonight’s cheese are selected so that they should be a nice match with our Syrah-based wines from the Côte-Rôtie Appellation. These wines – often with additions of Viognier that is often cofermented – are noted for their elegance, being of deeper color, silkier texture with wonderful aromas of red fruit and flora characteristics. The cheeses and breads are from Whole Foods.

Le Petit Brie - from Lactalis is a milder brie produced in France from pasturized cow’s milk that, at room temperature, still maintains the characteristic creamy texture of a triple brie together with mushroom notes from the edible rind. Considered a “Baby Brie”, it is the same are a regular Brie but with smaller diamaters. The flavor becomes more complexwhen the surface turns slightly brown, resulting in a smell turning more strong, more salty and hearty. Lactalis is now a huge multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval. It owns brands such as Parmalat, Président, Siggi's Dairy, Skånemejerier, Rachel's Organic, and Stonyfield Farm. In the past, the company has had to fight allegations of price fixing and violation of environmental regulations.

Midnight Moon - a matured, gouda-style cheese produced in the Netherlands and sold under the Cypress Grove label. Made from pasteurized goat's milk, the cheese is aged for six or more months to produce a dense and smooth ivory-coloured paste that develops a slightly granular mouth feel as it matures off to the 12-month stage. This is a wonderful savory, sweet nutty cheese with notes of butterscotch and caramel. The cheese has won a Gold award at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards in 2022, Best of Class award at the World Championship Cheese Contest 2010 and 2020, and a Super Gold award at World Cheese Awards 2015 and 2018.

Page last updated: March 19, 2023 (EB)