Happy Spring!

Hop on into Who Cut the Cheese for Spring Cheese Baskets!

Also, in this month's newsletter:

*Merlot Madness Recap

*Wine for Cheesemongers

*Saveur's favorite soft cheeses:  Are they our favorites too?  Read on to find out!

Did You Miss the Merlots?

On the last friday of March, we had our Merlot Madness tasting.  It was a great success.  We sold out very quickly, and we just want to remind everyone, if it's a tasting you're not going to want to miss, get your reservations in early!  So, we'd like to share with all of you who missed out what we tasted, so you could do a little tasting of your own!

First we started with Domaine Millier Merlot Vaucluse, an easy drinker from the Rhone Valley, paired with Tomme de Savoie, an unpretentious snacker from France with a nuttiness and unmistakeable raw flavor.

Next we tried the Chilean Montes Alpha...This was definitely the star of the show!  A well balanced, full bodied merlot with nice ripe berry flavors, a hint of vanilla, and a lingering finish.  This went especially well with Urgelia, a lovely cow's milk cheese from Spain.

For the third course we tasted McManis Merlot from the San Joaquin Valley.  This guy is bright and full of oak, and paired nicely with mellow and mild English Cheshire.

Then we changed gears a little and went to a Sonoma County wine which was bigger and drier than any of the others prior to it.  Selby Merlot has ripe cherry and plum flavors with balanced tannins.  We tried this with our version of a fancy grilled cheese; a toasted baguette slice with Fromage au Poivre Vert, a delightful green peppercorn cheese from France.

We finished it off with a big Merlot and a big cheese.  The Merlot was L'Ecole No. 41, and the cheese was Pont L'Eveque.  L'Ecole is big and lusty with definite notes of chocolate and rich black cherry flavors.  Pont L'Eveque, one of the oldest Norman cheeses, is slightly stinky with a similarity to Camembert.

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cheesetoid by gordie:

Fun Fact: Cabecou, a disk shaped French cheese, is illegal in the United States because it is aged less than 60 days. 

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In the February 2007 edition, the fine folks at Saveur magazine give us a glimpse into their favorite creamy cheeses from around the world.  Their picks: 

1. Saint Simeon (which we have been carrying in the shop), an "elegant double cream," with a much fuller and richer flavor than the common Brie which comes from the same area.

2. Taleggio (also in the shop and Krystina's favorite), an Italian washed-rind cheese which has a "delicate, buttery flavor with a meaty bite."

3. Stinking Bishop, a "pleasantly pungent English cows' milk cheese," has a rind washed with pear liqueur.  We have been trying to get this little stinker, so keep checking!

4. Chaource, a bloomy rind from France's Champagne-Ardenne region.  This guy is mellow with a "lip-puckeringly salty" rind.  This one is a regular in the cheese case.

5.  Serra Da Estrela has a tangy, fruity quality that the official Saveur tasters found unique as it is more reserved for firmer cheeses like pecorino romano.  "The ewes that procide the milk for this extraordinary Portuguese cheese are of a breed native to Beira, a north-central province."  Your dedicated cheese team is trying to track this one down.  We can't wait to try it either!

Our next tasting will be Friday, April 27th at 5pm at

Tip-up's Tavern (formerly Bocalino's).

We will be tasting a selection from the Brassfield family of wine from California's newest appellation: "High Valley."

Come check out these estate grown and bottled beauties with our paring of cheese and other delicious goodies!

A New Face in the Cheese Case: Appleby's Cheshire

Cheshire is considered to be the oldest British cheese.  Genuine Cheshire is said to be made with the milk from cattle grazed on the salty pastures of the Cheshire plain in Cheshire, Shropshire and Clywd.  This guy is nice and mild with a pleasant saltiness, and a moist and crumbly texture.

Wine for Cheesemongers: 

Maintaining the highest level of service, our staff has started attending wine for cheesemongers presented by the Big Cheese.  Due to such positive feedback from our customers, we will be hosting focus cheese and wine tastings for groups up to 10.  The cost is $30 per person.  Keep tuned in for schedule of wines, cheeses, and dates!

As always, we thank you for your patronage and we are proud to be your dedicated cheese and wine team!  Mahalo from all of us here at Who Cut the Cheese, and happy snacking and sipping!