Pairing of the Week

This week we’re pairing a 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Shea Wine Cellars, with semi-soft, and hard cheeses. This pinot is vibrant and explosive, with aromas of cherries, strawberries and raspberries. The vintage flavor is well balanced and fruity with spicy characteristics and a long, complex finish that lends itself well to creamier, and intensely flavored Wisconsin Cheeses.

Pair a glass of this pinot noir with semi-soft cheeses, Dofino Creamy Havarti, Meister Cheese Company Great Midwest Basil Jack and BelGioioso Fontina. Or complement the smooth pinot with high-texture, the low-moisture, hard-style cheese of Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods Aged Asiago.

Havarti, a milder version of German Tilsit, originated in Denmark. In Wisconsin, the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed a special Wisconsin-style Havarti that is firmer in texture and more buttery than other types. Dofino Creamy Havarti is a perfect example of this gentle and buttery cheese, produced in the Danish tradition. Need an easy and delicious Havarti recipe? To prepare baked Havarti, wrap an 8-ounce piece in puff pastry, brush on egg wash and bake at 425º F until golden brown. Serve hot with fresh fruit, such as apples or pears, for a party appetizer.

Meister Cheese Company produces cheese that is known for its many unique flavors and intense creaminess. Great Midwest Basil Jack, a variety of the Meister Cheese Monterey Jack line, is delicate, buttery and has a slightly tart flavor that balances nicely with the basil herb. Monterey Jack goes well with fruit and poultry.

Fontina originated in Italy in 1477 in the mountainous Val d’Aosta region near the Swiss border. It was named Fontina d’Aosta for Mont Fontin and the nearby village of Fontinaz. Fontina is considered to be one of the most versatile cheeses in the world because it is excellent both on the table and in cooking. BelGioioso Fontina is a semi-soft, mild cheese with a silky texture and sweet, yet earthy flavor – a divine melting cheese.

Asiago derives its name from a small town in northern Italy. In Italy, Asiago usually means Asiago Fresco, or fresh and has a mild flavor and semi-hard texture. In Wisconsin, cheesemakers age Asiago to develop sharper flavors. Thus, Asiago Cheese is often firm and grated. Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods Aged Asiago is creamier, with sharp and tangy flavors. Pair it with a glass of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and some crusty Italian bread.

Enjoy any of these cheeses and a glass of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir in the “Wisconsin Cheese Recipe of the Month”: Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese.

Looking for a delicious cheese and wine pairing to help say farewell to winter? This week our Wisconsin Cheese Cupid pairing is a 2005 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruity and bold, this cab is the perfect libation to end winter blues.

Cabernet sauvignon is a classic Napa Valley wine. This deep, ruby-red vintage is a wine with supple tannins, vibrant flavors and an excellent balance. It has dark notes of black cherry, currant and tobacco. This cab is often described as “a mix of New World and Old World styles.”

Pair this cab with more forceful Wisconsin Cheeses such as Carr Valley Cheese 10-year Aged Cheddar, Edelweiss Emmentaler and Roth Käse Buttermilk Blue.

Carr Valley Cheese 10-year Aged Cheddar is handcrafted in the company’s La Valle plant in small vats by cheesemakers with more than 100 years of experience. Nestled in the rolling hills of central Wisconsin, Carr Valley Cheese remains one of Wisconsin’s most traditional cheese producers. Fourth-generation cheesemaker Sid Cook received his cheesemaking license when he was only 16 and now owns and operates the plant.

Edelweiss Creamery is a small artisan cheese factory established in 1873 in Monroe, Wisconsin. Edelweiss Emmentaler, a type of Swiss cheese, is made using raw milk and a traditional Swiss copper vat. It pairs well with fruits such as apples, pears and grapes.

Roth Käse Buttermilk Blue is a classic Blue Cheese for dips and dressings. It is a tangy Blue, yet restrained and is shelf-cured for at least 60 days. For a great Buttermilk Blue recipe try Fig and Port Wontons.

This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is a Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage is a powerful and full-bodied cab with flavors of cinnamon, blackberry, and chocolate, aged in French oak barrels for two years. This complex cab pairs well with Roth Käse Bleu Affinée, Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère, and Sartori Reserve Basil & Olive Oil Asiago.

Roth Käse Bleu Affinée is made from select wheels of Buttermilk Blue Cheese that are aged for six months, which makes the cheese more dense and peppery. Enjoy this cab alongside Gnocci with Blue Cheese and Wild Mushrooms.

Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère Surchoix is made by aging Grand Cru for nine months. It is a firm cheese with complex flavors of caramel and mushroom. Pair a glass of Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon with this delicious Gran Cru Gruyère recipe.

Sartori Reserve Basil & Olive Oil Asiago is hand-rubbed with basil and olive oil, and provides an elegant twist on a classic Italian cheese. Satori Foods has been a Wisconsin cheesemaker since 1939 and is currently under its third generation of family ownership. Indulge in Eggplant Caponata Barocco with Sartori Reserve Basil & Olive Oil Asiago, and a glass of Tamarack Cab tonight.

This week our Wisconsin Cheese Cupid pairing is a 2006 Cambria Chardonnay. Chardonnay is a white wine made from the chardonnay grape and one of America’s most popular wines. Often aged in oak barrels, it is known as a buttery, rich, crisp wine that is often the driest of white wines. The 2006 Cambria Chardonnay is from Katherine’s Vineyard in Northern Santa Barbara County. Named after the proprietor’s eldest daughter, this wine is aged in French oak barrels and has a sturdy acidity. This vintage is bright with citrus, apple, and vanilla aromas. Pair a glass of this chardonnay with Silver Lewis Cheese Co-op Brick, Yellowstone Cheese Monterey Jack, or Saxon Homestead Creamery Saxony Tilsit.

Located in Green County, Wisconsin, often known as Wisconsin’s cheese epicenter, Silver Lewis Cheese Co-op is well respected for its Muenster and Brick. Brick cheeses resemble Germany’s surface-ripened Beer Cheese or Beer Käse. Wisconsin cheesemakers produce Brick in mild, medium, and aged varieties. Silver Lewis Cheese Co-op Brick atop Oliveto Pizza is the perfect meal next to the Cambria Chardonnay.

Yellowstone Cheese is located in Cadott, Wisconsin and offers more than 20 different flavors of Monterey Jack, including apple wine, black olive, tomato basil, and bacon ranch. The name Yellowstone Cheese is used because the farm is located on the Yellowstone Trail, which is the first automobile route from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. Pair a glass of Cambria Chardonnay with some caraway or vegetable Monterey Jack. Looking for an interesting recipe to use with Monterey Jack? Try these Duck Confit Enchiladas.

Saxon Homestead Creamery is a fifth-generation dairy farm in Cleveland, Wisconsin. The cheese from this producer, Tilsit, is a German-style cow’s milk cheese that is smooth, soft, and buttery. One specific Tilsit, branded Saxony, is a sophisticated cheese with a nutty flavor and supple body. Saxony is made from whole, raw cow’s milk. The cheese has light, dry, washed rind that’s ripened a minimum of 90 days.

This week’s Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is a Tawny Port from Noval Fine Ports.

Port wine is a fortified wine, originating from Portugal. The 2003 Tawny Port is an elegant, amber hued wine, aged for three years in oak barrels. On the palate, it is well balanced, with raspberry characteristics and a fresh finish.

Pair this Port with strong Wisconsin Cheeses such as Monforte Blue, Sartori Reserve Dolcina Gorgonzola or Hook’s Cheese 7-year Aged Cheddar.

Monforte Blue was started almost seven years ago by the Wisconsin Farmers Union. They hired a cheesemaker and started a tiny plant in Montfort, Wisconsin. Monforte Blue is a strong and unique Blue Cheese. It has won first place at the American Cheese Society competition.

Sartori Reserve Dolcina Gorgonzola is a velvety, buttery, sweet, blue-veined cheese. Extra cream softens the tangy tones of traditional Blue Cheese.

Hook’s Cheese 7-year Aged Cheddar is a favorite among chefs. The seven years of aging gives this Cheddar distinct calcium lactate crystals and tons of flavor. From a small factory on the corner of Jail Alley and Commerce St. in historic Mineral Point, Tony and Julie Hook produce some of Wisconsin’s finest traditional and artisan cheeses. All of the milk for Hook’s Cheese comes from a carefully selected group of 25 small family farms in the rural area surrounding Mineral Point. Demand for more aged cheeses has soared in recent years as consumers seek more flavorful products. Hook’s recently released a 15-year Aged Cheddar that has sold out. It will be released again in March, and will, indubitably, fly off the shelves.

What is your favorite Wisconsin Cheese to pair with a Port? Or do you prefer to pair your aged cheeses with another libation?

Love is in the air. But of course, for Wisconsin Cheese Cupid love is always in the air. This week is especially romantic, that is, because it is the week of Valentine’s Day. To celebrate this weekend, whether you are with a special someone snuggling up on your couch at home, laughing at a girls’ night out, or enjoying time well spent with a family you’ve built, enjoy a bold glass of cabernet coupled with Wisconsin Cheeses with your loved ones.

This week’s Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is Chateau Les Ormes de Pez, a French Bordeaux. This wine takes its name from the village of Pez near St Estèphe and is a Cru Bourgeois wine. This Bordeaux is made from the cabernet varietal and is historically known for its high quality. The 2003 vintage of this wine starts with a fresh, forward character on the nose. There is a dense palate, with supple, powerful fruit flavors. It has firm tannins and good acids. This wine is a must pairing with rich meat and cream-based dishes. Valentine’s Day dinner?

Pair this classic Bordeaux with North Hendren Cheese Cooperative Black River Blue, Stella Romano, Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Aged Cheddar, or Hook’s Cheese Garlic Cheddar.

The Black River Blue Cheese from North Hendren Cheese Cooperative is deliciously simple and this simplicity is a perfect match to a complex Bordeaux. The cooperative is a small, local non-profit cooperative with surrounding dairy farmers as owners. It has been in the cheese business since 1923 and has been specializing in pre premium blue-veined cheeses since 2001.

Stella Romano, from Saputo Cheese USA, is a favorite Italian cheese. Romano is often confused with Parmesan though it is a much sharper, tangier cheese. It has a saltier bite and is often aged longer. The Stella Cheese label specializes in Romano, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Aged Cheddar, is a smooth, firm and rich Cheddar. It becomes increasingly sharp and more granular with age.

Hook’s Garlic Cheddar is white Cheddar infused with fresh garlic. It’s the perfect snacking cheese and is amazing in pasta sauces. However, this is, no doubt, a cheese to enjoy with someone you’ve been cozy with for a good deal of time.

Delicious red wine. Amazing Wisconsin Cheeses. A recipe for an out-of-this-world dinner for two. Happy Valentine’s Day. Love, Cheese Cupid.

Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Guest Blog Post: By Gail Ambrosius, Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

At the first Isthmus Beer & Cheese Festival, this past Saturday, I was again reminded of why it’s so great to live in Wisconsin – even if the winter feels endless by late January. The beer! The cheese! All of it, wonderful.

And inspiring. There were lots of great cheeses and cheesemakers – I wish I hadn’t lost my cheat sheet. For me there were definitely some standouts that got me thinking about tasty chocolate and cheese pairings.

My all-time favorite is the award-winning Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company in Dodgeville.

It’s a French Gruyère-style cheese. So good. Since this cheese has big rounded flavor, I would pair it with a deep dark-chocolate ganache, like the one in my Rica Organica truffle.

The cheese hits all the zones in your mouth, filling it with flavor. When backed by the chocolate’s rich creaminess – delicious.

Dunbarton Blue, from Roelli Cheese Haus in Shullsburg, would make a great companion to a simple dark chocolate.

It’s an earthy Cheddar with a suggestion of Blue Cheese – but not overpowering. I think it would make an interesting truffle too. I’d like to try introducing just a bit of this cheese into a creamy chocolate center.

The Apple Jack, by Gingerbread Jersey in Augusta, had a slight apple flavor with a bit of cinnamon. This Cheddar would be a great partner for either my Cinnamon/Cayenne or Machu Picchu truffles. The Apple Jack’s creaminess would nicely tame the heat on the end of the Cinnamon/Cayenne. I tried about eight varieties of Carolyn and Virgil Schunk’s cheese. I also loved their Cranberry Horseradish Cheddar. I just thought Thanksgiving when I ate it.

The Feta from Klondike Cheese Co. of Monroe is divine. It’s soft, creamy and not overly salted. This one is just right. I’d suggest pairing it with the big flavors of an Ecuadorian chocolate. The boldness of the chocolate will stand up nicely to the Feta cheese.

And if you’re lucky enough to get a bit of Hook’s 15-year-old Cheddar – Mmm, the possibilities. It’s so delicious with those tiny grains of saltiness that I love. I can just imagine a warm, crusty baguette sprinkled with chocolate shavings. The warm bread begins melting the chocolate, and then you top it with some crumbles of that incredible cheese. Oh joy. Oh comfort.

The best advice for pairing: If you think it might be good, give it a try. Have fun and be good to yourself!

Find more Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier pairings on her Facebook Page and Twitter account.

Gail Ambrosius truffle Twitter giveaway!

Love is in the air. So is the sweet smell of Wisconsin Crave Brothers Mascarpone and Columbian Dark Chocolate from Gail Ambrosius. Cheese Cupid is helping spread the love on Valentine’s Day by giving away 15 boxes of limited-edition heart-shaped truffles with Crave Brothers Cheese Wisconsin Mascarpone created by Gail Ambrosius.

You can enter the contest on Twitter. Tweet 3 words that come to mind when you think of Wisconsin Cheese and chocolate using the hashtag #cheeseandchocolate – example: Creamy, dreamy, delicious #cheeseandchocolate. Wisconsin Cheese Cupid will randomly pick 15 winners on Wednesday, February 10. The chocolate will be delivered on Friday, February 12.

Help spread the Wisconsin Cheese love.

Welcome in February, a well-known month of passion and desire, by bringing out the reds. This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is a classic Washington State merlot, The Velvet Devil. This 2007 vintage, from Charles Smith Wines in Columbia Valley, is a smooth wine for a moderate buy. The ruby-red merlot begins with a soft, plum scent. It has a light and balanced fruity nose. Overall smooth on the palate, this fruity merlot finishes with flavors of black cherry and cedar. Pair it with poultry, game, pork, red meat, and pasta.

Enjoy a glass of The Velvet Devil with BelGioioso Creamy Gorgonzola, Lorraine Swiss, Stella Parmesan, Sartori Reserve SarVecchio, or Fayette Creamery Avondale Truckle.

BelGioioso Creamy Gorgonzola is a soft, blue-green veined cheese, aged for 90 days. It has a full, earthy flavor and creamy texture. BelGioioso Creamy Gorgonzola won Bronze at the 2009 World Cheese Awards.

Lorraine Swiss, from Saputo Cheese USA, is a Wisconsin Swiss created to be the perfect deli cheese. It is creamier than traditional Swiss and has a lacy, light texture that lets the cheese pile easily on sandwiches and platters.

Stella Parmesan, from Saputo Cheese USA, is aged over 10 months. Parmesan, one of the most well-known Italian cheeses, tastes sweet and buttery compared with the sharper flavor of Romano.

Award-winning Sartori Reserve SarVecchio Parmesan is consistently judged the best U.S. Parmesan; in fact, it won the U.S. Cheese Championship in 2009. SarVecchio is aged at least 20 months and has a distinctive fruity flavor with lightly roasted caramel notes.

Avondale Truckle, a cloth-wrapped Cheddar, is sold under Brunkow Cheese’s Fayette Creamery label. Made from raw cow’s milk, this Cheddar is aged for 6 to 18 months and develops a full flavor with wild, earthy aromas.

Looking for a recipe for these Wisconsin Cheeses? Something to pair with your glass of Velvet Devil? Snuggle up on a cold February night with a bowl of Tuscan Onion Soup with Shaved Wisconsin Parmesan.

A deep red wine and a complex aged Wisconsin Cheese is the perfect pairing for a fond farewell to another wintery January. This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is a Cristom Vineyards 2005 Estate Syrah, Eola-Amity Hills.

Located in the Willamette Valley in Salem, Oregon, Cristom Vineyards is 65 acres and eight distinct vineyards with specific grape varietals. The 2005 Estate Syrah is the third release of the vineyard’s Estate Syrah and the coolest vintage of the three. This wine is ruby red, with rich aromas of raspberries, hints of blueberries, and moderate tannins on the finish.

Pair a glass of this wine with Henning’s Cheese Aged Peppercorn Cheddar, BelGioioso Cheese Italian Extra Sharp Provolone, Salemville Amish Blue, or Bleu Mont Dairy Cave-Aged Bandaged Cheddar.

Henning’s Cheese is known for its Cheddar Cheese, as makers of the “Mammoth Cheddar” wheels, ranging in size from 75 to 1,200 lbs. Otto Henning began the family tradition of cheesemaking in 1914, and Kerry Henning currently carries on this tradition. Henning’s Cheese Aged Peppercorn Cheddar won Best of Class at the 2009 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. This aged cheese is a perfect dinner party companion to a deep, red syrah.

BelGioioso Cheese Italian Extra Sharp Provolone is made with whole cow’s milk and is produced using the same techniques as they use in Italy. The cheese is roped and dipped into a plastic coating, which helps the cheese breath, creating a drier cheese. It is then aged inside a temperature-controlled room for up to a year. This cheese pairs well with pears, figs, cashews, and olives for an easy party appetizer.

Salemville Amish Blue is known for being produced using rBGH-free milk from cows hand-milked twice daily. The famous blue streaks are a result of mold from bacteria added during manufacturing. The distinct types of milks make the Blue Cheese individually characteristic.

Bleu Mont Dairy Cave-Aged Bandaged Cheddar is an English-style cheese made with raw, organic milk from pasture-grazing cows. The Cheddar has a clean feel, with grassier, nuttier notes than many other types of Cheddar. Bleu Mont Dairy is owned by Willi Lehner, a Swiss-American cheesemaker, and is located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

Happy National Cheese Lover’s Day! Wisconsin Cheese Cupid is passionate about pairing artisan Wisconsin cheese with beverages from around the country and are excited to be celebrating this day with so many of you who share our devotion to delicious cheese. In honor of our cheese love affair, tell us what cheese and wine, spirit or beer pairing has become your soul mate by posting your Wisconsin cheese love on Facebook, tweeting your pairing to @CheeseCupid or sharing your thoughts on this blog. Cheese lovers unite – and spread the Cheese Cupid love!