The Wine and Cheese Thread

[desertslave]

I've been thinking about this for a while. I suspect <snicker> that there are a few wine-enjoyers here. One doesn't have to go all Wine Spectator review junkie to enjoy a glass of red or white splendid grape juice, right? In the same vein, lovingly cultured milk has a special place on many tables so..here we are.

Let's talk about our favorite grape or milk adventures. Have you ever tried to make your own? What are your favorite varietals or countries of origin?

I'll cheerfully admit...Master and I highly favor Trader Joe's (in)famous Two Buck Chuck a/k/a Charles Shaw wines, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon. It's our regular evening drink wine. I love the Sauv. Blanc for seafood cooking.

But my heart belongs to a few slightly spendier bottles...7 Deadly Zins, and Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin are my faves. Master prefers Red Truck. We've had fun, over the years, buying wines by label...a clever name (7 Deadlies) or an interesting label/name (Screw Kappa Napa got a giggle and a slurp).

Fruit of the cow: We both love blues of all sorts--I'm a long-time Stilton girl. My other love is Wensleydale (a sheep-milk cheese) which is often mixed with fruits...apricots, lemon peel, cranberries, etc. I'm also in love with the sheep fleece, which is long, lustrous and falls into these amazing curls. (All-purpose critters, how cool is that!?)

And, as an aside, have you ever made your own butter? Hard on the arm, but soooo cool to watch!

 

[desertslave]

Master would like me to add (he would, except for an extra glass o'Chuck) that Menage a Trois red is another winner.

 

[1sickbastard]

And, as an aside, have you ever made your own butter? Hard on the arm, but soooo cool to watch!

That's why people have food processors!

For me the difficult part of making a real, home made butter is finding honest-to-god fresh cream. And no, half n half and heavy whipping cream are NOT the same.

Promised Land dairy (it's a Texas local thing) use to sell a non-homogenized whole milk which was great, except the cream invariably separated and turned into milk-fat cork at the top of the bottle (glass bottle, quart and 1/2 gallon size). I could scoop most of it out, strain out the rest (yes pouring out the entire bottle to get the solidified cream was a hassle) but each 1/2 gallon would yield about 2/3 a pint of milk fat, which would produce about a 1/4 pound of whipped, fresh butter. The bonus was getting real, honest-to-god buttermilk left over, though in pretty small quantities (usually enough for a batch of pancakes or biscuits).

It was a bit of work, but the results were awesome.

Unfortunately, Promised Land quit doing the non-homogenized milk. It had something to do with needing to make the business economically viable and stuff.

 

[desertslave]

Here's the butter trick...Raw milk or NOT "ultra-pasteurized" cream.

 

[seela]

Cheeeeese.... Wiiine....

It's hard to pick favorites, because I'm pretty much an equal opportunity cheese-and-wine-ist. Right now I love appenzeller and manchego is always good. Blue cheeses are good as well. My Christmas is seriously lacking unless I make Stilton infused with port.

On the wine front my favorite whites come from Alsace, I'm especially fond of Wolfberger's riesling-pinot gris and muscat. Their pinot gris was good too, but for some reason I rarely buy it anymore. On reds I've been stuck on Italy for a year or so.

I'm more into European wines lately, but I used to love really big and bold Chilean and Argentinian wines. The wines of the old world seem more subtle. I haven't tried very many US wines at all. Barefoot and Gnarly Head come to mind. Gnarly Head Zin was ok, but I haven't found a Barefoot wine I've enjoyed, but the selection here probably isn't as good as there.

And let's not forget white port. Oooh, that's the nectar of gods. In small amounts.

Edit: Oh and butter. Yep, I used to make my own at times when J and I still lived elsewhere. His cousins had a dairyfarm quite near by and we were able to get organic raw milk and cream from them. Good stuff.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Endless_Night]

That's why people have food processors!

For me the difficult part of making a real, home made butter is finding honest-to-god fresh cream. And no, half n half and heavy whipping cream are NOT the same.

Promised Land dairy (it's a Texas local thing) use to sell a non-homogenized whole milk which was great, except the cream invariably separated and turned into milk-fat cork at the top of the bottle (glass bottle, quart and 1/2 gallon size). I could scoop most of it out, strain out the rest (yes pouring out the entire bottle to get the solidified cream was a hassle) but each 1/2 gallon would yield about 2/3 a pint of milk fat, which would produce about a 1/4 pound of whipped, fresh butter. The bonus was getting real, honest-to-god buttermilk left over, though in pretty small quantities (usually enough for a batch of pancakes or biscuits).

It was a bit of work, but the results were awesome.

Unfortunately, Promised Land quit doing the non-homogenized milk. It had something to do with needing to make the business economically viable and stuff.

It's even less convenient to purchase raw milk since they changed Texas regulations. Not only isn't it illegal to sell retail, but you must purchase it directly from the farm. Before, you could pick it up from the Farmer's markets, but now it's illegal for a middle-man to convey raw milk from farm to customer.

 

[midwestyankee]

But my heart belongs to a few slightly spendier bottles...7 Deadly Zins, and Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin are my faves. Master prefers Red Truck. We've had fun, over the years, buying wines by label...a clever name (7 Deadlies) or an interesting label/name (Screw Kappa Napa got a giggle and a slurp).

Side note: Red Truck wines are made by Cline Cellars, an award-winning maker of excellent Zinfandels. Ménage à Trols is an excellent $10 wine. I once took a bottle to a party not long after it hit the market. Several experienced wine enthusiasts at the party guessed that it was a $30 bottle.

I am, it must go without saying, going to be a fan of this thread.

 

[1sickbastard]

Here's the butter trick...Raw milk or NOT "ultra-pasteurized" cream.

Yeah, unless you live in dairy country, or you personally know someone with a dairy cow, raw milk is damn difficult to get.

Giabatta is correct, what the animals are fed and how they're treated has a direct effect on the flavor of the milk.

 

[desertslave]

Yeah, unless you live in dairy country, or you personally know someone with a dairy cow, raw milk is damn difficult to get.

Giabatta is correct, what the animals are fed and how they're treated has a direct effect on the flavor of the milk.

Cow's milk and sheep's milk isn't quite so fussy, but goat's milk is like a living litmus test. Garlic grass shows up in milk, a Billy nearby makes milk musky, overgrazing gives it a bitter flavor (dirt?). It's rather amazing.

There's a ranch near us that offers raw milk, but I haven't gotten there yet. I want to get up the nerve to visit a local farm and ask if I could buy some of their goat's milk. I see them almost every day from the highway (the goats) and think it would be cool to have some truly local cheese.

I still want to raise my own sheep...preferably a milking breed so I can have fleece and milk. <sigh>

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Mmmmmmm.... wine and cheese

For some reason I have gone off whites, which is a bit sad given the heat here. A nice, refreshing white would be lovely if I could tolerate it, but my stomach just tells me No Thanks! I have no idea why, no bad experiences, but I listen to my stomach!

As to reds, I'm with seela. I have been stuck on Italians for sine some now, and I like the earthy, brownish ones just as much as the garnet, ruby ones. I try all I find and can afford, but I find most of them affordable, so that works out well The markets here are flooded with California wines, which I no longer care for. Weirdly, they make me hot, so I just skip them now.

For cheeses, I'm also a big fan. At any given moment I have at least 4 different cheeses in my fridge. My everyday go to cheese for sandwiches is White American. I love the stuff! Give me a sharp cheddar (white or yellow) for munching with crackers (or pretzels! Cheese and pretzels, nom!) and then blues or goat cheeses for cooking. Posted in the cooking thread, but I have made quite a few goat cheese brie and cherry preserve grilled cheese sandwiches. I like the milder goat cheeses, as Elle? says, they can be quite bitter, depending on diet.

And butter! Being a bread baker, I love having fresh butter! I make it by putting it in a jar with some screws and nuts and shaking it. It takes a while, but I enjoy the process. I then rinse it until the water runs clear, and then salt it. Heavenly stuff! However, given the heat here right now many farmers have quit or cut back on their raw milk production it will resume with cooler weather. I say again... Come on, October!!

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Endless_Night]

I like cheese, but can’t really lay claim to being a cheese fanatic. I do, however, seem to have developed something of a pash for double and triple cremes. My favorite is Delice de Bourgogne; so creamy and smooth! Fromager d’Affinois is also enjoyable, and easier to find.

Since a recent trip to the Texas hill country I’m dabbling in Texas wines, Duchman and Fall Creek. I’m a red wine drinker, and both wineries had a nice Teperanillo. A GSM, a couple of pleasant cabs and a meritage also managed to make their way into my car.

White wines, yeah, I’m not a fan. They always smell like cat pee, and taste…not great. However, I’m trying to broaden my view, so after some after some discussion I picked up a couple to try. We shall see. In the meantime, I have found a way to make white wine drinkable. Kir, creme de cassis and white wine is delish! Something about the earthy note of the cassis levels out the acidic tang of the white wine.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Not a fancy cheese, but I picked up a little sack of Mini Babybel today. There is something so satisfying about undoing that little red wax wrapper...

 

[desertslave]

Seela, manchego is one of our favorites, too. And Iberico. And what they sell as "Drunken Goat" here...goat's milk bathed in red wine. I tease Master and call it "Drunken Old Goat."

Babybel is one of my standbys when my blood sugar crashes...good protein to get me settled. A few weeks ago I goofed and left the waxes in the arm of our car. In the AZ heat that was a really dumb thing. It's still a little sticky.

One of my other favorites is Cotswold. I love the herbs and green onion (?) in it!

 

[Endless_Night]

Seela, manchego is one of our favorites, too. And Iberico. And what they sell as "Drunken Goat" here...goat's milk bathed in red wine. I tease Master and call it "Drunken Old Goat."

Babybel is one of my standbys when my blood sugar crashes...good protein to get me settled. A few weeks ago I goofed and left the waxes in the arm of our car. In the AZ heat that was a really dumb thing. It's still a little sticky.

One of my other favorites is Cotswold. I love the herbs and green onion (?) in it!

I loooooooove Drunken Goat!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Manchego!!
Manchego and pesto grilled cheese nom nom nom!

 

[seela]

White wines, yeah, I’m not a fan. They always smell like cat pee, and taste…not great.

I used to be like this too. Then I found some really good whites and I'm a complete revert. I can't stand chardonnay though, that is pure cat pee. Even in blends chardonnay sometimes bothers me, but not as much. My favorites are riesling and gewürtztraminer, they're easy and fruity. Pinot gris is also good, but viognier, even after many attempts, reminds me of chardonnay too much to my liking. My go-to white is Wolfberger's riesling-pinot gris. I also like Chilean Adobe gewürtzrtaminer reserva, although the latest vintage I tried wasn't as good as some of the earlier ones.

I also don't like anything sparkling, be it very fancy champagne with little bubbles or a cheap sparkling wine where the bubbles are added from a gas tank. I just...can't. The bubbles seriously bother me.

Rosé is another thing I don't care for much. I think I overindulged in my teens and now I can rarely pick a bottle and enjoy it.

On reds I always suggest people try Georgian wines. They're very unique, so you probably either love or hate them. I've loved most of what I've tried.

Another red I can recommend by name is Lebanese Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent. It's another one of those "easy" wines, but so yummy. I recently bought my first white from Chateau Ksara. Looking forward to trying that, despite the fact that it's a chardonnay blend.

Both Georgia and Lebanon have crazy long wine making traditions, much longer than Italy for example, so even from that point of view wine from those countries might be interesting to try for some of you.

 

[desertslave]

Manchego!!
Manchego and pesto grilled cheese nom nom nom!

OMG that's brilliant!

 

[desertslave]

Another red I can recommend by name is Lebanese Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent. It's another one of those "easy" wines, but so yummy. I recently bought my first white from Chateau Ksara. Looking forward to trying that, despite the fact that it's a chardonnay blend.

Both Georgia and Lebanon have crazy long wine making traditions, much longer than Italy for example, so even from that point of view wine from those countries might be interesting to try for some of you.

Oh how cool! I had no idea!!! As an amateur food historian, this is very exciting to learn. With all of the biblical references to wine and grapes, I've always wondered about Middle Eastern wine-making.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Thanks seela! I wonder how really available they will be over here?

You're welcome, ds You say that now, wait until you have tried it... add a thin slice of tomato if you like. Also delicious!

 

[Endless_Night]

I used to be like this too. Then I found some really good whites and I'm a complete revert. I can't stand chardonnay though, that is pure cat pee. Even in blends chardonnay sometimes bothers me, but not as much. My favorites are riesling and gewürtztraminer, they're easy and fruity. Pinot gris is also good, but viognier, even after many attempts, reminds me of chardonnay too much to my liking. My go-to white is Wolfberger's riesling-pinot gris. I also like Chilean Adobe gewürtzrtaminer reserva, although the latest vintage I tried wasn't as good as some of the earlier ones.

I also don't like anything sparkling, be it very fancy champagne with little bubbles or a cheap sparkling wine where the bubbles are added from a gas tank. I just...can't. The bubbles seriously bother me.

Rosé is another thing I don't care for much. I think I overindulged in my teens and now I can rarely pick a bottle and enjoy it.

On reds I always suggest people try Georgian wines. They're very unique, so you probably either love or hate them. I've loved most of what I've tried.

Another red I can recommend by name is Lebanese Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent. It's another one of those "easy" wines, but so yummy. I recently bought my first white from Chateau Ksara. Looking forward to trying that, despite the fact that it's a chardonnay blend.

Both Georgia and Lebanon have crazy long wine making traditions, much longer than Italy for example, so even from that point of view wine from those countries might be interesting to try for some of you.

Thanks for the references! I will definitely venture a little further afield in my white quest.

Interestingly, one of the people at the winery told me to steer away from whites aged in stainless steel. Those wines are more acidic, which is apparently what I object too. She deduced this after I likened white wine to cat pee and tequila. A little odd, but, for the moment at least, I'm taking her word for it!

 

[seela]

Oh how cool! I had no idea!!! As an amateur food historian, this is very exciting to learn. With all of the biblical references to wine and grapes, I've always wondered about Middle Eastern wine-making.

I think Georgia has the oldest signs of wine making. They really have unique grapes and make very weird wine. Definitely worth trying, though.

Thanks seela! I wonder how really available they will be over here?

Dunno. Here the selection isn't always that excellent. State owned alcohol monopoly. But at least you can suggest that they order in something and they try to cover many countries. Not necessarily very many wines from all those countries, but at least a few.

I also bought my first Chinese and Indian reds recently, and I noticed Ukrainian wine on the shelf too. Gotta try that, too.

I like to drink my way around the globe.