A 2007 Four Graces Pinot Noir is our Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week. This pinot, from Willamette Valley, Oregon, was ranked the 21^st most popular pinot noir in the 20^th Annual Wine and Spirits Restaurant Poll.

Known for being soft, smooth, earthy and elegant, this vintage is aged for over 10 months in French oak barrels. It has vibrant flavors of strawberry and blackberry, with concentrated tannins and notes of wild mushrooms. Because of its bright flavors and aged focus, this pinot noir pairs well with nearly all types of Wisconsin Cheese. Stella Fontinella, BelGioioso Parmesan, and Seymour Green Crest Gorgonzola are all delicious cheeses to try with this unique “New World Burgundy.”

Stella Fontinella is a variation of the semi-soft cheese Fontina. Fontina first became popular in the United States when it was imported from Sweden. Made only by Stella Cheese, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Fontinella is a sweet and creamy cheese with a slight hint of tanginess. Serve a glass of Four Graces Pinot Noir with Stella Fontinella and cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, crusty bread, and delicate fruits like peaches, melons, and figs.

A hard cheese, Parmesan is sweet, nutty, and granular in texture, becoming rich and intense with age. Parmesan is very popular in the United States, which has led to the production of many U.S. award-winning Parmesans, including BelGioioso located in Denmark, Wisconsin, which won first place at the 2009 World Cheese Awards. Made from part-skim milk and aged for over 10 months, BelGioioso Parmesan is delicious when grated on pasta, rice, soup, and salads.

Gorgonzola is named after the town located in the Po Valley, near Milan, Italy, where it has been made since 879 A.D. Italian-style Gorgonzola ripens to yield a soft, creamy texture and a flavor that is more earthy than sharp. Wisconsin Italian-style Gorgonzola resembles the dolce latte or sweet milk Gorgonzolas of Italy that are especially creamy. Seymour Green Crest Gorgonzola features a green mold that is imported directly from Italy. Seymour Green Crest Gorgonzola pairs well with apples, nuts, poultry, and a glass of Four Graces Pinot Noir. Spoil yourself and a loved one with a glass of Four Graces Pinot Noir and a Wisconsin Gorgonzola Orzo Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette, Calabrese Salami, Rock Shrimp, and Baby Arugula tonight.

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.