Pairings Wine & Cheese

There are many things that make my life complete and included in the top five are the life-sustaining pleasures of wine, cheese, and music. And I’m always interested in the ways songwriters reference wine (see earlier post about wine-y music).

Not too long ago, I was visiting with my mother who keeps her satellite station tuned to classic country music.  I heard a song that put a smile on my face: I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home by David Frizzell.  I have a clear image of what a “wino-decorated house” would look like.  Do you?

Love is in the air.  No, it’s not spring time, yet.  But everywhere we turn there are hearts, X’s and O’s, and everything is done up in red.  It is Valentine season.  Here at Pairings Wine and Cheese, we’ve been busy selecting the perfect pairing of sparkling wine and cheese to cozy up next to the fire with on that day set aside for romance.

We picked the Baumard non-vintage Cremant de Loire from the Loire region of France – a Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc blend – fresh, pleasant, crisp and balanced paired with the Cana de Cabra – a Spanish goat cheese that is creamy and mild, with a full and happily satisfying flavor. Tangy citrus notes balance the rich creaminess of the cheese (www.PairingsWineandCheese.com).

As we were driving home from the pairings tasting, I was struck by how many songwriters reference wine in their lyrics.  Not all are love songs, but quite a few are.  If you want to make a play list to enjoy with sipping the Baumard and enjoying the Cana de Cabra here is a list that I have compiled with the help of the world wide web:

A Taste of Honey by Tom Jones
“…honey, much sweeter than wine”

Best of My Love by the Eagles
“wasting our time on cheap talk and wine, left us so little to give”

Big Shot by Billy Joel
“You had the Dom Perignon in your hand and the spoon up your nose”

Children’s Crusade by Sting
“History’s lessons drowned in red wine”

Daydream by Wave
“Sunshine, strawberry wine
a little taste of leather and lace ”

Dust on the Bottle by David Lee Murphy
“Some say good love, well it’s like a fine wine
It keeps getting better as the days go by”

Elvira by The Oak Ridge Boys
“Eyes that look like heaven, lips like sherry wine”

Half a Mile Away by Billy Joel
“Little Geo is a friend of mine
We get some money and we buy a cheap wine
Sit on the corner and have a holiday
Hide the bottle when the cop goes by”

Honky Cat by Elton John
“Living in the city ain’t where it’s at
It’s like trying to find gold in a silver mine
It’s like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine

Hotel California by the Eagles
“Please bring me my wine, he said ‘We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969′” … and “Pink Champagne on Ice ..”

Incense & Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock
“Incense and peppermints and strawberry wine…”

Ironic by Alanis Morrisette
“it’s a black fly in your chardonnay”

Killer Queen by Queen
“She keeps Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet”
(Moet et Chandon is a brand of Champagne)

Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera etc.
“boy drank all that magnolia wine”
“we drink wine with diamonds in the glass”

Livin’ La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin
“She never drinks the water, makes you order French Champagne”

Louisiana Hot Sauce by Sammy Kershaw
“She’s Louisiana Hot Sauce
Hotter than a fireball
Smoother than strawberry wine”

Never Tear Us Apart by INXS
“If I hurt you, I’d make wine from your tears”

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel
“Bottle of Red, Bottle of White”

These Are the Days by Van Morrison
“turn water into wine”

Tin Cup Chalice by Jimmy Buffett
“With a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine”

Tiny Bubbles by Don Ho
The entire song is about Champagne

Watermelon Crawl by Tracy Byrd
“we got a hunderd (sic) gallons a’ sweet red wine,
made from the biggest watermelons on the vine…”

And my personal favorite:

Joy to the World by Three Dog Night
“Jeremiah was a bull frog.
Was a good friend of mine.
Never understood a single word he said,
but he always had some mighty fine wine.”

Have any to add??

We had a very celebratory holiday season—enjoying lots of delicious wines and cheeses (and other foods, as is the tradition when the calendar flips to December).  And for Christmas, we received some fun gifts that are designed to enhance the wine drinking experience.

One was a Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator.  Now we have been in the wine business for 12+ years and have plenty of decanters, filters, and funnels.  But sometimes it is only one of us who is imbibing, so to decant a full bottle for one or two glasses was always a bit of a nuisance.  In other words, we just didn’t do it.  Our decanter sits in the cabinet looking very regal with its sterling silver funnel and filter lying next to it.

Our very good friends from Southern California gave us the Vinturi.  And what a great gift it has been.  The first time we used it was with the 1991 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon written about in an earlier posting.  We thought it made a difference but didn’t drink the wine without pouring it through the Vinturi so how could we know?

Tonight I had the pleasure of opening a bottle of Ravenswood 2002 Teldeschi Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County.  I have had this bottle of wine for a few years and purposely left it in my cellar to age.  A wine this big (14.9% alcohol) needs time to age to allow the fruit to emerge.  I read a review of someone who drank it in 2006 and he said it was like having a plank of wood jammed into his mouth.

Anyway, I poured my first glass using the Vinturi and was pleased with the jammy flavors that filled my palate. When I poured the second glass, I forgot to run it through the Vinturi (I’m still getting used to having this little device).  And I was amazed to taste the difference.  The second glass of wine was much more restrained—the fruit was almost non-existent.

Thinking I was fooling myself, I had a small pour after the second glass.  I can’t even call it a third glass because it was such a small pour.  But with this one, I again used the Vinturi.  And lo and behold, the fruit returned.

I now consider myself a Vinturi fan.  Plus it comes with a lovely little travel case for road trips.

Using the Vinturi with some of the Pairings offered at PairingsWineandCheese.com could only enhance what is already a perfect match.

It should be noted that tonight I paired the wine with the spiciest chili con carne I have ever made (made with un-rinsed chipotle peppers) topped with a locally produced aged cheddar; the wine took the heat right off of this Tex-Mex stew.

The other wine gadget we received?  Breathable Glasses from Eisch Glassware in Germany.  Review of those to follow soon.

We enjoyed a bottle of 1991 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon during the holiday season.  Considering it was 18 years old and kept in basically optimal conditions, it held up quite nicely: dark cherry, plum and raisin-y fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla on the finish.  It was not super rich like some older Cabernet’s would be, but was fine.

The most interesting thing about the wine was to think about what has happened in the 18 years that it rested in the bottle.  Most definitely, the idea of blogging about it was still many years away.  Some of the other significant changes in the past 18 years include things such as an increase in the use of mobile telephones; expansion of the World Wide Web; hybrid vehicles; an increase in the use of solar power; and too many new gadgets to include in this short blog.  Not to mention the change in the English language.  Nowadays, one can Google just about anything using a smartphone to learn about how to reduce a carbon footprint or eat like a locavore while on a staycation. And while on a staycation, one can Tweet about it, update Facebook, and blog about it to the world wide web.

But not only have there been dramatic technological advances and additions to the English language since 1991, we also saw a rise in artisan wine and cheese production.  Enter Pairings Wine & Cheese!  There is no doubt that there were small producers of fine wines and cheeses prior to 1991, but the choices were limited.  We consider ourselves to be the fortunate ones to be able to offer to you such a great selection wine and cheese from around the globe.  And to be able to tell you about using the social networks of Facebook, Twitter, and blogging.

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the changes in the past 18 years?

While we always take pleasure in spending time with family and friends, it seems that during this season that time is extra special.  Houses are decorated with menorahs, ornament-adorned trees, stars, tinsel, and lights and candles to help us see our way through the longest night of the year: the winter solstice.

For some of us, holiday time may be the only time we get to spend with folks who live far away from us—in other parts of the state, country or world.  We travel to them or they travel to us.  And for others of us, holiday get-togethers can be one more notch in the belt of time with folks who live nearby and whose company we enjoy.

We always enjoy going to our friends who live not far from us.  Mr. Friend has the best taste in home décor and the house at holiday time is spectacular both inside and out.  We’ll be going to their home tomorrow night to imbibe in holiday cheer and you can bet there will be wine and cheese.

But based on the number of gift orders we processed this month, it seems that many people may not have the luxury of time with family and friends in the coming days.  But, alas, the recipient of a wine and cheese gift pairing will certainly know they are thought of during this season of joy and generosity.

If you are one of the lucky ones to receive such a gift, please know that as we packed each bottle of wine, wrapped each block of cheese, and sealed each box, it was done with great care and much joy.

Happy Holidays!

As I was putting the Pairings Wine and Cheese label on each gift that will be included in the December shipment, I couldn’t help but think about the personal touch that goes into each shipment—Red, White, 2 & 2 Club shipments as well as the A la Wine & Cheese Carte shipments.

There are four of us in the company: the four partners featured on the “About Us” page of our website www.PairingsWineandCheese.com. When you receive your box of “pre-Paired” wines and cheeses, each one of us has had a hand in putting the box together.  Literally!

Not only do we personally choose the wine and cheese and thoughtfully pick a gift to be included in the Club shipments, but we also write the newsletter, assemble and pack each box (including hand scooping the peanuts into each one), seal the box, apply all of the appropriate labels (Perishable, UPS shipping label, etc), and stack them for the UPS truck to collect them.  And usually, the four of us help the UPS driver load each box into the truck.

We have a good time; the biggest challenge?  The tape gun.  But we are all getting better with practice and look forward to much, much, much more practice in the future.

So as you open your box of wine and cheese, enjoy it knowing that there is a personal touch to each packed box.  Four personal touches that are from Jenny, Joel, Howard and Shelly.

The November club shipment is long gone and the December one is about to depart our warehouse for your enjoyment.  Each club shipment includes a detailed newsletter with stories about each of the wines and cheeses that have been “pre-Paired”.

Here is a little edited recap of the November pairings as reported in our newsletter.  Read on.  I think you’ll find it very interesting.

And if you did not receive this club shipment—check our website, www.PairingsWineandCheese.com,  in a few weeks.  These pairings may be offered in the A la Wine & Cheese Carte section of the home page.

Go on…read on….

Girard Winery 2007

Pinot Blanc Russian River Valley

paired with

Garroxta, Catalonia, Spain

Girard was founded in 1974 by Steve Girard and was originally located on the Napa Valley floor. In 1995 it was sold to Leslie Rudd, an owner of Dean & Deluca stores. He continued making Girard wines until 2000 when the name was changed to Rudd Estate. At that point Mr. Pat Roney, president of Dean & Deluca, purchased the Girard brand with the intent to rebuild it to its former glory, and hired the talented Marco DiGiulio as winemaker.

Wines were initially custom crushed in Calistoga, and in 2004 Girard moved into its winery on Pritchard Hill above Napa Valley, where it remained until a new state of the art facility was built in Carneros in 2007. So it has been a bit of a journey for Girard Winery, but the vision of Pat and Marco is coming true.

Garrotxa (gar-ROACH-uh) is a north-central province within Catalonia and twenty miles north of the town of Girona. The climate is medium mountain Mediterranean and rainfall is abundant throughout the year; winter is the driest season. The rain showers keep the region cool during the summer and the influence of the Pyrenees makes the winters very cold. It is home to the Zona Volcànica -the greatest example of volcanic landscape in the Iberian Peninsula. It has around forty volcanic cones and over 20 basalt lava flows.

Garrotxa is also the name of this fairly new cheese that has become very popular in Spain over the past decade. So popular in fact that it has inspired many imposters to jump on the Garrotxa bandwagon, prompting the recent application for D.O.C. protection of this local specialty. Josep Cuixart makes this version of Garrotxa in the tiny village of Can Pejol. Aged four months and made in 2-3 pound wheels from pasteurized goat milk, this cheese is unlike any goat cheese you have ever tasted. The color is snowy white, the texture firm with a soft-suede like rind; it has a moist yet almost flakey texture that melts across your tongue. It’s mildly herbal with the briefest whisper of hazelnuts in the aftertaste. The rind forms naturally when the outside of the cheese hardens from contact with the air, and is best left uneaten.

White Oak Vineyards 2005 Merlot Napa Valley

paired with

Mt. Tam, Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma, California

White Oak Vineyards & Winery is not a story about its vineyard, because it has multiple vineyard sources. It’s a story of people, beginning with founder Bill Myers, a building contractor and Alaska salmon fisherman. In the1970s Bill moved to Healdsburg, sold his boat, purchased a vineyard in Alexander Valley and began making wine.

Merlot is a wine that truly reflects the place it comes from. Excellent farming practices can help, but it really is location, location, and location. And contrary to the movie “Sideways”, Merlot remains one of the better selling varietals. It’s easy to pick on because there is a lot of average Merlot grown, making average wine. The vineyard for these grapes has volcanic soils with strong gravel outcroppings, Serpentine soils and shale deposits. That’s good! The grapes were picked in wonderful condition so Winemaker Bill Parker didn’t have to pull any fancy stunts to make beautiful wine. It was aged for 18 months in 50% new French and Hungarian oak. Shall we go on and on about the black cherry fruit, coffee notes, fine dimensions from a great vintage year and smooth tannins, or say it smells, tastes, and feels just the way we expect a fine Merlot to?

If you’ve been a Member in The Wine & Cheese Club for any length of time, you know all about the Cowgirls. In 1997, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith opened Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes Station, a picturesque postage-stamp-of-a-town near the coast, about an hour north of San Francisco. They started with an old barn, made it beautiful, put in a small plant for making hand-crafted cheese, bought organic milk from their neighbor, Straus Family Dairy… and before long the world found them! From the beginning they wanted to make delicious artisan cheese, to be environmentally responsible, and they also wanted to support their cheese-making friends in being sustainable land stewards.

Weighing about 8 ounces and standing about an inch and a half tall, a round of Mt. Tam has a thick, snow-white rind that you can eat. The smooth, creamy, ivory paste resembles buttercream frosting. Have some walnut bread to spread it on – wow! Like Brie and other bloomy-rind cheeses, Mt. Tam ripens from the outside in, so it will be softer under the rind and perhaps a touch firm at the center. The rind’s appearance can lead some consumers astray. “People cut into it thinking it’s going to be oozy like a Brie, and it’s not supposed to be,” says Cheesemaker Eric

Patterson, “it’s a firm cheese.” I’m not sure there is a wine that doesn’t go with this cheese; we’ve paired it with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and now Merlot – life is good!