If you missed our Wine & Cheese Pairing Party with Madame Fromage, or if you just want to relive all the cheesy goodness, we've got photos and details on the cheeses you tasted.
This past Sunday, the Co-op welcomed Madame Fromage, aka Tenaya Darlington, to lead South Philly Food Co-op members and friends in a cheese pairing party. The Madame provided 2 perfect cheese pairings for each wine, courtesy of Di Bruno Bros. Each pairing brought out something special in the wine’s features and provided a variety of flavor profiles and textures to enjoy throughout the night. Guests also had the opportunity to obtain an autographed copy of her latest cheese tome, Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes and Pairings! If you haven’t already got a copy, pick one up so you too can learn the secrets of pairing cheese with wine, beer and spirits. You can also learn more about the featured cheeses below, and enjoy some great cheesy recipes.
Tenaya, Host Leigh and the Events Committee set up cheeses and accoutrement at each wine station. Below, are the cheeses tasted and notes on each pairing for those that may have had a little too much wine with their cheese.
Bubbly (e.g. champagne or prosecco):
Tenaya paired our bubbly champagnes with the ultra creamy, decadent Delice de Bourgogne and Sottocenere. Slathered on baguette slices, the Delice (a crowd favorite) provided a thick, buttery mouthfeel that felt as fancy as a chilled glass of Moet rosé. The Sottocenere, a truffle-studded cow’s milk, provided a contrasting earthiness and felt just as decadent and perfect for holiday festivities! (Doesn’t everyone go crazy for truffles around the holidays?)
Full-bodied Red (e.g. merlot or cabernet sauvignon):
We had quite a few reds to choose from, including everything from a Sardinian perfect pairing and a homemade wine made on 13th Street by Stephanie Zbikowski and hubby. Tenaya paired these with Moliterno, a sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia. But the piece de resistance was the Wilde Wiede – a rare Gouda (pronounced HOW-duh) made by a husband and wife team in South Holland. Only 8 wheels are sent to the entire US each month, and we were lucky to get some! It was creamy and bright, almost grassy – not as nutty as is common with Goudas.
Sweet Wines (e.g. port/madeira or riesling):
The final pairing gave us Hudson Red, an aged raw cow’s milk cheese from The Creamery at Twin Maple Farm in Upstate NY and Point Reyes Blue, a creamy, cow’s milk blue with layers of flavor from a small farm and creamery in California. These two small-batch cheeses couldn’t be more different, but each provided a unique pairing with our Rieslings and Gewürztraminers.
Thanks to everyone who came out, brought a wine, and participated in this wine & cheese pairing holiday prep party! Huge appreciations to Di Bruno Bros. for supplying the cheese, to Madame Fromage for her sparkling personality, wit and knowledge and to Leigh and Aaron for hosting us!
About Madame Fromage
Tenaya is a Swiss citizen and former resident of Wisconsin, two things that ensured she would grow up to be a cheese fiend. By day, she teaches Food Writing at Saint Joseph's University; by night she pens her dairy-centric blog, Madame Fromage. In 2011, Zagat named her one of the 140 most important foodies to follow on Twitter (@mmefromage). Tenaya’s work has appeared in Cooking Light, Culture, Grid, Global Traveler, and Utne Magazine. In May 2013, Running Press published her first cheese book, Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes, and Pairings. She is also a resident contributor on the Di Bruno Bros. blog. More details on her new book here.