Wine & Cheese Tasting Evening
In November, we hosted our very first Wine & Cheese tasting evening which included 4 incredible wines and 4 tasty cheeses (supplied by The Little Cheese Shop, Buttermarket, Thame). It was a fantastic evening with some great tips passed on by our knowledgable sommelier James, some new friendships made and all finished off with a delicious meal of Beef Bourgignon served by Flora and team.
Here's the line up of what what served on the night....
01
Sauvignon Blanc & Goats Cheese
First up, we tried the Goats Cheese with Honey and Flowers. Ideally served with a crisp, fresh and citrus led white wine, on Saturday we served a Touraine Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. The clean wine allows the cheese to almost become creamier and softer on the palate.
02
Verdejo & St Felicien cheese
The next cheese was a St Felicien from the Rhone Valley. This is a full fat cheese with not only milk but then finished with double cream. With this type of cheese, you do need a fuller richer wine, so we moved to the Rueda region of Spain and tasted a Verdejo. A really versatile wine that is richer on the palate, fuller with food and stands up to some punchy flavours.
03
Rioja and Wooky Hole Cave Aged Cheddar
We then enjoyed a Wooky Hole Cave aged Cheddar - A rich, nutty and smokey mature cheddar, with hints of crystalisation which form naturally in cave conditions. For this we chose an aged Rioja to work with the smokiness of the cheese. The tannin in red wine (which comes from the skin) loves a bit of saltiness, so the 18 month oak aged wine is a great match.
04
Vin Santo and Long Cawston Blue
The final cheese was a Long Cawston Blue; a classic, traditionally made blue, with ripe flavours and a tingling acidity on the tongue. From here we ventured to Tuscany for a very special Vin Santo (dessert wine), made with dried grapes that have spent months in farm loft spaces drying out. This reduces the liquid content and intensifies the mush inside the skin that is left, hence a very sweet, almost sherry style sweet wine, intense notes of caramel, toffee and honey on the nose. This wine works so well will with salty blue cheeses.
And finally...
The Brucie bonus was a Tokaji aszu, AKA the Royal Wine, made in exceptional years only when every climatic element is perfect. We went back to 2015 with ours; think marmalade, dried fruit and honey - an amazing wine!
All cheeses and wines are pretty easy to find in your local supermarket, although you may not find the same label as we do not sell to the supermarkets. With a bit of hunting you will find examples of all above to enjoy and experiment with around the table with friends.