07 Apr RP239: Cheese & Sake Pairing with The Cheese Impresario
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
ReMARKable Palate #239: Cheese & Sake Pairing with The Cheese Impresario
Today I speak with Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario, as we conduct a live simultaneous tasting of artisanal cheese paired with sake. It’s not a common pairing, (in fact, I think this may be the first ever cheese & sake pairing podcast recording!) and we learn about the unique characteristics of both. Follow along below for images and descriptions of the cheeses and sakes we discuss.
Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.
ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com
Barrie Lynn’s Cheese and Sake Notes:
Artisanal Cheeses made by the Artisan Cheesemakers of Wisconsin
Carr Valley Cheese Company – LaValle, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker – Sid Cook
Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Sid Cook, is a rock and roll star in the world of artisanal cheese. Sid is the most awarded cheesemaker on the planet…a fine artist whose medium is cheese. He is the fourth generation that’s rocking out with the amazing milk and terroir from the green rolling hills and glacier action in his pristine part of the world. Some call him ”The Jimi Hendrix of Cheese.” I was in Chicago at the 2008 25th Annual American Cheese Society Conference & Competition where Sid won 16 ribbons and an unprecedented two Best of Show Awards. The crowd went wild!
Airco – Cow, Sheep, Goat
Airco is a hickory-smoked cheese made from cow, goat and sheep’s milk. It’s a brown-rind cheese with a gentle smoked flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness of the cheese.
www.carrvalleycheese.com
Paired with Banzai’s – Best in the East
Junmai Ginjo – 16-17% – 51%
Elegant, fruity with a long finish.
.
.
.
.
.
Roelli Cheese Haus– Shullsburg, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker – Chris Roelli
Dunbarton Blue – Cow
The Roelli family came to Wisconsin from Switzerland the 1920’s and have been making delicious cheeses ever since. Dunbarton Blue is just beautiful to look at and will be beautiful on your holiday cheese plates. It’s what’s called a Cheddar-Blue cheese that delivers an earthy flavor with a nutty sweet finish.
www.fromagination.com
.
.
.
Paired with Banzai’s – Euphoria
Junmai Ginjo – 16-17% – 45%
Well balanced and fruity
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars – Theresa, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker – Joe Widmer
Third generation cheesemaker, Joe Widmer, is a fine artist whose medium is cheese. Joe is one of only 44 Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers who have passed the state’s rigorous standards…much like a Master Sommelier or Master Chef program.
.
.
.
Aged Brick Spread – Cow
OOOHHH, you will crave this spread once you’ve had just a teeny bite. I tasted it when I went to visit Joe at his small creamery in rural Wisconsin and had the joy of being turned on to Joe’s Aged Brick Spread. Enjoy! Made from a blend of Joe’s Aged Brick and his Cheddar, this delectable spread will keep you coming back for more. Slather it on artisan bread and you will be in heaven.
www.widmerscheese.com
Paired with Banzai’s –Euphoria
Junmai Ginjo – 16-17% – 45%
Well balanced and fruity
Hook’s Cheese Company – Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Cheesemakers – Tony & Julie Hook
Tony and Julie Hook are true artisans. They make such small production cheeses…they have no employees…just these two passionate people. The couple were college sweethearts and have made cheesemaking their life for more than 35 years. They spent months refurbishing an abandoned facility built in the 1850s that was once a livery stable and a blacksmith’s shop before being converted to a cheese plant in 1929. Built into the side of a hill, the building came with ideal cave-like conditions for aging cheese, and the Hooks have made doing so an art form as you will taste this evening. Their awards are numerous and Julie Hook was, and still is, the only woman to win the World Cheese Championship. Slow Food honored the Hook’s by making them delegates to the Terra Madre event in Italy.
Hook’s 10-Year Cheddar – Cow
Chefs are wild about this majesty of a Cheddar. This super-aged cheese has a deep, rich, outrageously sharp cheddar taste with tiny sparks of flavor crystals and a long elegant finish. It’s a testament to the skill and experience of Tony and Julie Hook that a cheese aged this long still retains a smooth, sensual creaminess rare in a cheese half its age. This cheese won first place in its class at the 2006 American Cheese Society Competition.
www.hookscheese.com
Paired with Banzai’s – Juiced: Plum Nectar Sake
Plum Sake – 12% – 21% freshly squeezed plum nectar
Banzai Beverage Corporation
www.banzaibeverage.com