Looking for something special and out of the ordinary for your holiday cheeseboard? Here are three new cheeses that will please your family and friends. From a blue cheese spiked with wine to a cheese rubbed with peppermint candy to a cheese made with espresso, you’ll find our cheeses this week to be both unusual and delicious. Real conversation starters, these beauties have “happy holidays” written all over them.
Fourme au MoelleuxFourme au Moelleux began as a very famous cow’s milk blue cheese, Fourme D’Ambert. The transformed Fourme au Moelleux is the result of Master cheesemaker Rodolphe Le Meunier injecting it with Vouvray moelleux, a sweet white wine from the Loire Valley. The addition of Vouvray transforms the cheese into something truly heavenly.
The wine creates a perfect balance and amplifies the flavors of cream, mushroom, and chocolate. Buttery and earthy, Fourme au Moelleux is France’s answer to Stilton!
Origin: France (Loire Valley region)
Producer: Rodolphe Le Meunier
Milk: Pasteurized cow
Rennet type: Traditional
Rind: None
Age: 6 months
Look: Blue veins, cream colored
Feel: Velvety
Smell: Sweet, winey
Taste: Sweet, fruity, winey
Tastes good with: Perfect for your cheese platter
Pairs well with: Vouvray, Chenin Blanc, dessert wines, Rhones
Made from slow-roasted Mocca d’Or coffee, this delicious Gouda is the perfect example of how well cheese and coffee can go together. This expert pairing produces an aromatic cheese laden with flavors of coffee, vanilla, and caramel.
A medium Gouda, this cheese has a gentle saltiness that is enhanced by the addition of the strong, sweet espresso.
Origin: Holland
Milk: Pasteurized cow
Rennet type: Vegetarian
Rind: Natural
Age: 6 months
Look: Light brown
Feel: Hard
Smell: Creamy, coffee notes
Taste: Creamy with notes of vanilla, coffee, and caramel
Tastes good with: Nuts, charcuterie
Pairs well with: Beer, red wine. Or try it with coffee and cake on the side!
Hand-coated with crushed peppermint candy, this beautiful cheese has a striking pink rind and a wonderfully creamy and complex taste. Its rich fruitiness pairs exceptionally well with the sweet, creamy, minty notes from the peppermint. You’ll get a nice combination of sweet and salty in every bite, followed by a light peppermint finish. The taste of mint is subtle but enhances the sweet, creamy, and salty taste of the cheese.
This eye-catching cheese can be enjoyed by itself or with dark chocolate and a light red wine. Get it while you can: this small-batch cheese is made only during the holidays and for Breast Cancer Month in October. Produced by Sartori, this premium Peppermint BellaVitano cheese takes its place in our cheese case along with Balsamic BellaVitano and Raspberry BellaVitano.
Origin: Wisconsin
Producer: Sartori
Milk: Pasteurized cow
Rennet type: Vegetarian
Rind: Natural, pink colored
Age: 6+ months
Look: Pale yellow paste encased in a beautiful pink rind
Feel: Firm, crumbly
Smell: Like sharp Cheddar
Taste: Creamy, complex, rich, fruity
Tastes good with: Chocolate, sweet pastries, whole grain crackers
Pairs well with: Prosecco, light red wine, Asti Spumante, Cider, Dark Malty Ale
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