Cheese Flashcards
(8 cards)
Beaufort
Type: Cow’s milk, firm, bold flavor
From: Alpine; Savoie region of the French alps
Tasting notes: like a compte or a gruyere, but with a hint more sweetness; supple, off-white paste with a rich nutty flavor and fruity aroma lending to hint of honey sweetness
Pasteurized: NO
Aged: Unknown
Pairs well with: Reisling, white Burgundy wines; Syrah / Shiraz, Côtes du Rhône
Fun fact(s): each wheel requires about 130 gallons of milk to make. Traditionally, Beaufort was made as a cooperative cheese, since it required 35 cows to make a single wheel. Farmers would work together on the wheel, and split the profits.
Cheeses from this area: The cheeses in this quadrant have a bolder flavor and include hard mountain cheeses, long-aged cheddars, and mild wash rind (“Stinky”) cheeses. They are distinctive, with earthy aromas, and are great with red wine, ale, whiskey, and bourbon.
Préféré de nos Montagnes
Type: Cow’s milk, brie-like, soft and spreadable with a fluffy rind
Pasteurized: YES
Aged: 1-2 months
From: Jura Mountains // Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, in Haute-Savoie
Tasting Notes: soft and supple, with a bloomy, washed rind. The milk for this cheese comes from the second milking of the day, which is more concentrated and intensely flavored, thus yielding a richer cheese. The rind has a thin layer of white, fluffy mold with little specks of orange peeking through. The paste is delicately creamy and moist, offering a buttery, rich, and velvety consistency on the palate along with a pungent aroma and a nutty flavor profile of almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans.
Fun Fact(s): Préféré de nos Montagnes is a modern version of a classic French brie cheese named Reblochon, which is not available in the United States because it is made with raw milk and prohibited from being imported. Both Préféré de nos Montagnes and Reblochon are produced in the Jura Mountains of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, in Haute-Savoie. Thus, Préféré de nos Montagnes is essentially a Reblochon-like brie made with pasteurized cow’s milk in lieu of raw.
Pairings: traditionally accompanies Beaujolais, because it is made in the Jura Mountains; Crémant de Jura, as well as Melon d’Arbois (Chardonnay), Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Savagnin, and Trousseau. Other suggested beverage pairings are ales such as Saison, Bière de Garde, Lambic, and Sour beers, as well as rye whiskey.
Pierre Robert
Type: Cow’s Milk, triple creme
From: Seine-et-Marne
Tasting Notes: bloomy rind, soft, creamy, slight tang, consistency like thick whipped cream
Pasteurized: YES
Aged: ~1 month
Fun fact(s): named after the two founders, infused with creme fraiche
Pont L’Eveque
Type: Cow’s milk, soft and pliable, but not sticky
Aged: unknown
Pasteurized: unknown
Tasting Notes: It is a cheese with subtle lactic, plant-like, sometimes slightly smoky or nutty flavors. It is similar to a camembert, but the rind is washed before aging with a brine solution that makes it moist. This gives it a much more pronounced flavor and a rustic aroma. Has notes of white truffle and French butter. It has refined, mild flavors of cream fresh from the farm.
Pair well with: robust red wine
Fun fact(s): As the cheese ripens, the rind grows sticky and reddens, and small holes spread through the cheese. Pont-l’Évêque has been well-known since 1622, when Norman writer Hélie le Cordier published a 16-verse poem in honour of “Pont-L’Évêque”, which contains the famous lines “Everyone also loves it because it is made with so much art that, young or old, it is only cream”.
Roquefort
Type: Sheep’s Milk blue
From: Averon, then aged in in caves, (Penicilium Roquforti, the blue mold that is used in Roquefort, is found naturally in these caves)
Pasteurized: NO
Aged: 3 months
Tasting Notes: creamy paste gives way to a spicy, peppery bite and earthy undertones thanks to the blue mold that penetrates the cheese
Fun fact(s): Milk from Lacaune sheep is transformed into cheese and aged in the Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon to create the eponymous classic Roquefort cheese, a king among blues. For centuries, the cheese has been made in the small, southern French village, where its name and production methods have been protected since 1411. It’s believed that Roquefort cheese dates back to 79 A.D., when Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder made note of a flavorful cheese in one of his writings.
Pairs well with: Sauternes, Malbec
Morbier de Scey (Jura)
Fun fact(s): Easily recognized by a dark line of ash cutting through its center, Morbier is a nutty, creamy cheese originating from the Jura Mountains. Its appearance has roots in a preservation technique once used by French cheesemakers. Leftover curds were saved overnight and topped with ash to keep flies away, then topped with more curds the next day. The layer of ash created Morbier’s signature center stripe, and it remains today. This semi-soft, pungent cheese pairs best with fresh bread and a dollop of dijon mustard.
Ossau-Iraty
Type: Sheep’s Milk
From: Basque
Tasting Notes: creamy and sweet with a nutty finish, smooth texture and aroma
Pasteurized: YES
Aged: 12 months
Fun fact(s): believed to be descended from one of the first cheeses ever made – throughout the seasons, shepherds would travel between the two regions (Ossau Valley and Iraty) to gather milk from native Manech ewes and create cheese in mountainside huts, known as “kaiolars” in the regional Basque dialect.
Pairs well with: bold Bordeaux wines
Bethemal
Type: Goat’s Milk
Pasteurized: YES
Aged: 5 months
From: Pyrenees mountains
Tasting Notes: orange rind, supple ivory paste, and sweet, mild flavor profile that combines spiced hazelnuts and stone fruit. Light and floral.
Fun fact(s): Bethmale is typically made with cow’s milk, but legendary French affineur Hervé Mons crafts his Bethmale Chèvre with goat’s milk. He ages the tomme-style wheels in his caves. Its origins date back to 12th-century France, when it is said that Louis VI tasted it during a visit to the region.
Pairs well with: Bordeaux, Malbec
