Fromage Face-off - National Capital Sommelier Guild & Beckta event

Fromage Face-off


Sunday, March 27, 2011, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Beckta Dining and Wine, 226 Nepean Street

"Canadian cheesemakers have come a long way in a short time. But are they there yet? Help us decide. And enjoy some delightful matching wines along the way.

Join Guild co-founder and cheese enthusiast J. Phillip Nicholson and Beckta Dining and Wine’s Maitre d’Fromage, Steve Whittaker, as they explore how Canadian artisanal cheeses stack up against some of the most stunning and storied products of the world. Along the way, learn about the production and classification of cheeses and their pairing with wines.

Five flights, each featuring a superb Canadian cheese lined up against a worthy world counterpart, and each pair carefully matched with a delightful wine selected by our friendly and knowledgeable hosts. Not a full meal, but filling, so at most have a bowl of soup before the event.
 
This event has been generously sponsored and subsidized by Phil Nicholson and Steve Beckta to help raise scholarship funds."

hosts for the evening:  Steve Whittaker (Maitre d'Fromage, Beckta Dining & Wine) and J. Phillip Nicholson (co-founder and first President National Capital Sommelier Guild)

note:  a very pleasant surprise ... 7 flights not 5 flights of cheese.  it may not seem like a lot but that is a lot of cheese!

Amuse ...

• Soeur Angèle, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, Monteregie, Quebec:  "A double cream cheese made with cow milk, goat milk and a dash of cream. It has a fresh mushroom aroma accompanied by the taste of milk and goat's milk cream. Le Soeur Angèle has a melting to almost runny texture and a tender centre."

• Kornly, Tistrup Dairy, Denmark:  "hard-pressed, rye-grain aged; stored without paraffin at 40-45 weeks in the grain stack.  Rye kernels absorb moisture from the cheese, and thus transferred the natural fungal cultures from the grain slowly to the cheese, forming "natural rind."

• paired with NV Cava Brut Conde de Caralt, Spain

• my pick:  Kornly.  but in all fairness, they were very different styles of cheese.  I picked Kornly because it is so very flavourful.  Cava Brut Conde de Caralt paired well with both.

Raw goat ...

• Bouq Émissaire, Fromages Chaput, Châteauguay Quebec:  "fresh goat's milk cheese in the large format of a tomme. Its rind is tender and changes seasonally from green to gray. Bouc Emissaire has a fine, smooth texture and mild taste, with the lean and clean flavor of a first-class chèvre. We select wheels of Bouc Emissaire for their smoothness and age them in our caves until they lose some moisture and develop a nice, mossy fur and tighter texture" - artisanal cheese

• Selles sur Cher AOC, Loire France:  "the quintessential AOC-protected goat's raw milk cheese, hails from the goat fields around the Loire River in central France. The light dusting of ash on these small discs attracts beneficial mold, protecting the subtle, gentle interior of the cheese. The taste? Mild, milky and creamy with hints of citrus. At Artisanal Premium Cheese, we work closely with the cheesemakers to age pasteurized Selles-sur-Cher to our specifications and ensure a uniform coating of edible mold, resulting in a mild paste with a creamy mouth feel. Most dry white wines pair well, while crisp, white Sancerres pair beautifully with Selles-sur-Cher. Each piece weighs approximately 8 ounces." - artisanal cheese

• paired with Sancerre Les Baronnes Henri Bourgeois 2009

• my pick:  Selles sur Cher AOC based on my preference for creamier texture and level of sharpness.  although Sancerre/Sauvignon Blanc is a natural match for goat cheese, I found it increased the "goatiness".  I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of Sauvignon Blanc but I did like this one ... just not with either cheese.

Hard-pressed cheddar ...

• Avonlea cloth-bound cheddar, COWS, Charlottetown Prince Edward Island:  "Enterprising islander Scott Linkletter has revived the historic craft of linen-wrapped, aged cheddar that had long disappeared from Canada, and that is extremely rare, even in Cheddar’s English homeland. This attractive, rustic cheese is gentle, with moderate acidity and grassy aromas and eathy flavours." - about cheese

• Thomas Hoe Stevenson Aged Red Leicestershire:  "Matured to approximately six months, Thomas Hoe Stevenson® Aged Leicestershire Red has an open texture and a slightly sweet, nutty, caramelised flavour reminiscent of the varieties produced in the County, from where it originated centuries ago."

• paired with Dardo Vignemastre IGT Tuscany 2007

• my pick:  Thomas Hoe Stevenson Aged Red Leicestershire based on the lovely caramel on finish.  this 100% Sangiovese paired well with both.

soft, washed rind ...

• Cru du Champlain, Fromagerie F.X. Pichet, Champlain Quebec:  "Cru de Champlain is a wonderful organic, raw cow’s milk cheese made in the farmstead tradition. It has a supple texture that is complimented by complex flavors of butter, nuts and hay." - about cheese - interesting article:  The Globe and Mail - Cru de Champlain: Groundbreaking and delicious 

• Reblochon AOC, Haute-Savoie France: "Reblochon is forming a well-rounded, creamy, covered with a thin white "moss" which casts a veil of softness on the fine grain of the crust to the color yellow saffron. Sliced, it reveals a creamy texture and soft color of ivory. In the mouth, Reblochon reveals a subtle flavor and velvety, raised a fine, nutty tone."

• paired with J. LOHR RIVERSTONE CHARDONNAY (V), Arroyo Seco Monterey 2009

• my pick:  Cru du Champlain based on my penchant for creaminess.  I found the Chardonnay very
  oaky but still matched with cheeses.

hard-pressed Gouda ...

• 3 year old Thunder Oak Gouda, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm, Thunder Bay Ontario:  "Thunder Oak Cheese Farm is the only farm in Ontario that produces Gouda cheese.  This creamy Dutch cheese has long been a favourite of cheese lovers around the world. And the Schep Family has been making it in Thunder Bay since 1995.  Our award winning Thunder Oak Gouda is a natural product made with fresh milk from the Schep's own Holstein cows. There is no preservatives or added colouring in our cheese!" - interesting article:  The Globe and Mail - Three generations of gouda makers get it right

• 6 year old Lindenhoff "Farm Cheese" Gouda, Netherlands

• paired with GONZALEZ BYASS SOLERA 1847 OLOROSO DULCE, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

• my pick:  3 year old Thunder Oak Gouda since it was not nearly as sharp as Lindenhoff.  as it turns out, I may very well be a Gouda sissy.  I have NEVER been exposed to gouda other than supermarket rubbery version.  I never thought to look for quality gouda in the cheese shop.  now I will!

blue veined ...

• Bleu Benedictin, Benedictine Abbey, Saint-Benoit-du-Lac Québec:  "veined, semi-soft, made ​​from whole milk with a natural rind, surface-ripened and in the mass with Wheel about two (2) Kg with gray or white crust. The semi-soft cheese is creamy, especially in the center of the wheel. Mushroom odor and flavor of rich cream associated with a touch of salt."

• Saint Agur, Beauzac Auvergne France:  "The interior paste of the cheese is moist, dense and yielding, with a pale cream-colored paste and characteristic blue-green veins of mold. Flavors are rich and buttery with a spicy tang."

• paired with CAVE SPRING INDIAN SUMMER SELECT LATE HARVEST RIESLING (V)

• my pick:  Saint Agur due to creamier texture.

petit fours ...

• Høgelundgaard Blå, Høgelund Dairy, Southern Jutland Denmark:  "a gem of Danish blue cheese.  Characterized by fine crunchy crystals of protein and a very harmonious flavour of blue mold and luscious fruit."

• Mont Enebro, Rafael & Paloma Baez, Avila Spain:  "is handmade in Avila, Spain, by legendary cheesemaker Rafael Baez and his daughter Paloma. The Baezs make their complex goat's milk cheese from pasteurized milk and then inoculate the logs with the mold that is used to make Roquefort, adding to Monte Enebro's complexity and distinctive appearance. Air-shipped to Artisanal at only 21 days, Monte Enebro arrives creamy, lemony and slightly acidic; as it ages, the texture becomes denser and the flavor acquires a more intense, pungent finish. This award-winning cheese has proven to be a versatile pairing partner for many wines; it pairs exceptionally well with Chenin Blancs, Sauternes and sweeter sherries." - artisanal cheese

• paired with HUTCHESON COLHEITA PORT 1999

• my pick:  Mont Enebro.  all I wrote was, "wow!".  but I must admit, I was at the end of my cheese journey.  I never thought I would ever reach the point where I felt there was "too much" cheese - but I did.

CONCLUSION:  to answer the question posed:  "Canadian cheesemakers have come a long way in a short time. But are they there yet?" ... most definitely!  all of us concluded that we would be proud to serve Canadian cheese.  some of us even preferred Canadian to Old World counterparts.  thanks again to the National Capital Sommelier Guild for yet another superb event.

some great sources for cheese in Ottawa-Gatineau region:

• Serious Cheese - 1189 Bank Street, Ottawa
• il Negozio Nicastro - Westboro, 1355 Wellington St West, Ottawa 
• The House of Cheese - 34 Byward Market Square, Ottawa
• La Trappe à Fromage - 114, boul. St-Raymond, Gatineau Québec

now get out there to discover your favourite cheese ... and wine!  and please let me know what you have found!

bottoms up!

Éva