Milk’s Leap Toward
Immortality
"For
years, man thought the moon was made of cheese.
In 1969, we went there and discovered it was made of rock.
We haven't been back since.
Behold, the Power of Cheese."
In 1969, we went there and discovered it was made of rock.
We haven't been back since.
Behold, the Power of Cheese."
In 1546, John Heywood wrote in Proverbes that “The moon is made of a
greene cheese.” But in 1546 greene
meant new or unaged, not green in color.
As AWS members, your friends will
expect you to be the pro when you’re asked pair the perfect cheese with the
perfect wine. Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the cheese
cooler at the supermarket, completely unsure of what kind to buy? Or, perhaps,
the next AWS tasting is coming up and you’re in charge of providing the
cheeses, but all you can think of is the moon? "Dear Heart" has retired from PennMac, but . . .
We can help!
We chose some of the world’s most
popular cheeses to start your education about the coagulated, compressed, and
usually ripened curd of milk separated from the whey. From Muenster to Chevre,
find out how each of these cheeses is made and the flavors that you’ll
experience. We’ve added a little bit of history and some nutrition facts to
supplement your knowledge, so you can spout cheese facts at your next company
Christmas party.
Muenster Cheese
How it’s Made:
Muenster cheese is traditionally
made with cow milk, but can also be made with goat milk. Annatto, a sweet,
nutty, natural seasoning, is added to the rind to give it an orange color.
Country of Origin: United States
Fat Content: 8g/oz
Flavors: Buttery and mild.
Pairs Best With: Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel
Havarti Cheese
How it’s Made:
Havarti is made with cow milk.
Rennet is introduced to milk to cause curdling. The curds are pressed into
molds which are drained and aged for about three months. (Adding rennet to milk
is common in many cheeses.)
Country of Origin: Denmark
Fat Content: 8.4g/oz
Flavors: Buttery, sweet, slightly acidic. If aged longer than 3
months: salty, hazelnut flavor.
Pairs Best With: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir.
Feta Cheese
How it’s Made:
Feta cheese is made with sheep and
goat milk. The cheese curds are aged in brine for several weeks at room
temperature, then for two or more months in a refrigerated high-humidity
environment.
Countries of Origin: Turkey; Greece
Fat Content: 6g/oz
Flavors: Tangy and salty. Mild to sharp taste.
Pairs Best With: Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Zinfandel
Queso Blanco
How
it’s Made: Queso Blanco is traditionally made
with cow milk. Sometimes it’s made by pressing the whey from cottage cheese,
but more often it is made by heating whole fresh milk to near-boiling, adding
an acidifying agent, and stirring until curds form. The curds are drained in
cheesecloth for three to five hours.
Origins: Central America/Mexico
Fat Content: 6.8g/oz
Flavors: Mild and slightly sweet.
Pairs well with: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc
Colby Jack Cheese
How it’s Made: Colby-Jack cheese is made by combining Colby and
Monterey Jack cheese before they are pressed.
Country of Origin: United States
Fat Content: 8.85g/oz
Flavors: Mild to mellow. Creamy. Lightly sweet to sharp.
Pairs Best With: Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Champagne
Brie Cheese
How
it’s Made: Brie cheese is made with cow milk
(whole or semi-skimmed). After draining the whey for 18 hours, the curds are
taken out of the molds, salted and inoculated with cheese mold. The cheese is
aged for four to five weeks.
Country of Origin: France
Fat Content: 8g/oz
Flavors: Creamy, buttery, and earthy. Overripe: Bitter and
Ammonia-like. Under ripe: Chalky and flavorless
Pairs best with: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Franc,
Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Champagne
Swiss Cheese
How it’s Made: Swiss cheese is made with cow milk. Three types of
bacteria are used in production, one of which consumes the lactic acid and
releases carbon dioxide gas. This creates the bubbles/holes in the cheese.
Country of Origin: United States, but resembles Emmental cheese from
Switzerland
Fat Content: 8g/oz
Flavors: Mild, sweet, and nutty.
Pairs well with: Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.
Cheddar Cheese
How it’s Made: Cheddaring is a cheese making process that cheese must
go through to become cheddar. Cheddaring gives cheese a dense, layered texture.
After the rennet is added to the milk, and the mixture is heated, the curd is
kneaded with salt and cut into cubes to drain the whey. The cheese is matured
for up to 15 months.
Country of Origin: England
Fat Content: 9g/oz
Flavors: Sharp, pungent, and earthy.
Pairs well with: Pinot Gris, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Shiraz, Champagne, Sherry
Gouda Cheese
How it’s Made: Water is added to the curds after whey is drained. The
cheese is then soaked in a brine solution and dried for a few days before a
yellow coating of wax is applied.
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Fat Content: 8g/oz
Flavor: Young Gouda: fudge, nutty, mild; Old Gouda: fruity,
sweet, butterscotch
Pairs well with: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Champagne
Bleu Cheese
How it’s Made: Bleu cheese is made with cow or goat’s milk. Cultures
of the mold Penicillium are added to the mixture to produce the
blue/blue-grey/blue-green spots and veins. Finally, the cheese is aged in a
temperature controlled environment.
Origins: Europe
Fat Content: 8g/oz
Flavors: Flavors range from burnt caramel to herbs and butter.
Mild to sharp.
Pairs well with: Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Port, Sherry
Chevre
How
it’s Made: Chevre is made from goat’s milk. It’s
popular among people with low tolerance to cow’s milk. Also, goat cheeses are
lower in fat, and higher in vitamin A and potassium. Made from pasteurized or
unpasteurized goat's milk
Origins: France
Fat
Content: 8g/oz
Flavor: Earthy, tangy, and tart
Pairs
well with: Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs Champagne
What
type of cheese is made backwards? Edam!
We hope that you never find yourself
in this situation:
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