Wine Merchant Cheese Class May 2014

As a follow up to the American cheese class in April, the May version featured French cheeses, not only my favorite country for wine and cheese, but the class included my all time favorite cheese, Epoisses.

Kicking off the night were traditional light, white wines with high acid that's always a wonderful compliment to the creamier cheeses, shown in the upper right on the plate below.

The second cheese, Langres, a cow's milk cheese from the Champagne region, was even washed in a white wine to make for an easy pairing.

Once we switched over to the reds, the cheeses became richer in order to stand up to the fruity and drier wines. I learned that the cows make larger wheels in the summer, but since there is less milk in the winter, the flavor can be more concentrated.

Also for the first time, I got to try an Ossau Iraty Fermier, the largest wedge on the plate, which is a higher standard designation due to the milk coming from a single farm. This sheep's milk cheese, the richest cheeses over cow and goat, along with the Epoisses, pictured just to the left of the Osau Iraty, went fabulously with the bold Chateauneuf du Pape.

Luckily, my personal photographer attended with me this time so the menu and delicious cheeses are featured below.

French cheeses

French Cheese Class Menu

Resources:

The Wine Merchant = http://www.winemerchantltd.com

Photos by Patience Scanlon