March 10th, 2018

CHEESE please

One of our favorite events is the CA Artisan Cheese Festival that takes place in March every year. We pour at a few events including the market. We warmed ourselves up this year by offering a Cheese Evening in our Tasting Room. An incredible tasting of Local and not so local cheeses plus 3 courses of cheese Foods all paired with PMV wines.

 Our first flight of cheese with three wines. 2017 Viognier, 2013 Bohemian Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2014 Syrah. The cheeses - Stefano Burrata from So Cal, Cypress Grove fresh Chevre from Humbold and, Valley Ford Hwy 1 Fontina from our neighbors in West Sonoma County.

 

 

The best local Burrata I have had. An incredible appetizer with thinly sliced prosciutto, grilled Nightengale Bread and great local Olive Oil dribbled over. I actually like this cheese paired with all 3 wines. Although with the prosciutto plate, the Viognier was the winner.

 

One of our favorite cheeses from CA. This one has fennel and lavender added.

A story from our past in Los Olivos with a chef who recommended goat cheese and pinot. We weren't so much convinced until we tried his method of warming the cheese in your mouth and adding the pinot. Everyone tried it and was amazed at the combo. It works, try it.

 

 

                     A really nice soft cheese with great texture, the Syrah paired well.

 

Next up, three medium cheeses - Taleggio which is soft but with a big personality, Redwood Hills goat Cheddar which is bright and puckering was described at the table, then Valley Ford's Grazin Girl which is a fairly mild gorganzola style. Wow, what a flight! The wines went best in the line up of service - Taleggio / Viognier - Cheddar / Pinot - Grazin Girl / Syrah.

 

 

The course served from this flight was a Taleggio grilled cheese with ham, apple, carmelized onion on Nightengale Spent Grain. OMG, this sandwich is define!!! The Pinot went really well to wash it down.

Nice piece of Talegio from a small Italian producer made from brown swiss cows milk. Nutty goodness.

Gorgonzola style, this local Valley Ford cheese is beautifully textured and not over the top blue. It showed well with the Syrah although when I tried it the next day, I loved it best with our Ruxton Vineyard Pinot, RRV Pinot and the Cab Franc.

 

 

 

 Hard cheese flight - Valley Fords Estero Gold and Estero Reserve, Parmesan regiano from Italy.
All great cheese, rich, bold and tasty.

                             
                                    Just a little piece of parmesan to grate for the course.

 The final course from the hard cheese flight, Risotto with meyer lemon preserve, saffron and parmesan. So good and creamy richness. The regiano was great on top and every bite benefitted. The Viognier and the Pinot were the preferred wines.

This evening was over whelming and delicious. Prepared us for the Artisan Cheese Festival in 2 weeks. Hope to see you there!