So there she was, waiting and watching me through the
casement with shy longing. As I approached, her mask of timidity melted away to
reveal a true nature as she wordlessly beckoned me to approach. Her heady scent
caught my senses and led me closer with hints of deep earth and woodland passion. I knew at once that I had met my equal as my
lips met her cleanly washed… rind?
Wait a minute. That’s not what happened at all! Oh sure,
things like this are definitely possible, but tend to only happen in books
that people buy without a cover for twenty five cents. The real romance that
occurs in the world of cheese most commonly appears in two places. The first is
with the artist. The cheese maker that takes pride in the product he or she produces,
in the natural elements that come into play which make this cheese unique, and
in the effort required to turn their toil into a small piece of perfection.
The second romantic encounter is the tentative moment when
one tries a cheese for the first time. Just like a first date, the initial
taste of a new cheese can be both anxious and exciting. The differences between
cheeses can be rather expansive like comparing a cheddar to a Brie, but it can also be
incredibly subtle like comparing two cheddars produced in two very different
regions. It is for this reason that trying out something new from your local
fromagerie can have that awkward first date feel.
So this is how my encounter with “Winnie” more accurately
occurred. I sped to my new favorite cheese shop, the Bloomy Rind, only barely
beating their closing time. (I am becoming famous for this already) I explained
to the lovely Curator Mary that I had begun to blog my experiences regarding my
journey through the wonderful world of curd, and that I wanted something to try
for my next review. I had already
reviewed a cheese in the cheddar family and I wanted to move onto something a
bit more-creamy like a nice bloomy or washed rind cheese. That is when she
introduced me to Winnimere.
As any good purveyor of fine fromage will do, Mary at first
offered me a sample before my decision to buy, but as I was looking for a
cheese to review, I politely declined. I mean, if I only blogged about cheeses
I liked, it really wouldn’t be very objective, now would it? Mary liked that
idea and did something that impressed me. She suggested a smaller sample of the
cheese than I initially asked for unless I was planning on sharing with a group.
To me, that showed not only class, but it told me this person cared about her
customers as well as the products she is clearly passionate about. The Bloomy
Rind has definitely earned my loyalty and its owner my respect.
Now, on to the cheese, shall we? (More on the Bloomy Rind in
an upcoming feature.) I took my date .. uh.. I mean my cheese home and set out
a plating of all of the things I planned to pair it with. In this case I went
with a nice Casalingo Salami by Creminelli, some Sunburst tomatoes, and a locally
produced wildflower honey. All of this to be delivered on some olive oil and
sea salted crostini.
First base –As this is a washed rind cheese it came standard
with a fairly strong smell indicative of the majority of this breed of cheeses.
My first taste of the cheese included some of the top rind which is not as
strong as some washed rind cheeses and didn’t overpower the flavor of the
creamy center. It was a mildly pungent taste with a sweet interior and
expressed both woody and meaty accents. One of my guests equated it to smoked
bacon.
Second base – (the meat test) My next sampling included a piece
of the Casalingo, and they blended together rather well. Both the cheese and the
salami had similar tones and together they managed to enhance each other very
well. As far as I was concerned this was definitely a pass. There are several
crass jokes I could make here since my theme seems to have turned into a dating
show, but since I am trying to keep this blog PG, I will refrain from
commenting on the innuendos prevalent to the mention of salami. Nope. Not gonna
do it.
Moving on!
Third Base –( Tannin test) Now it was time to see how well
it did when paired with a fruit that produced a fair amount of tannins, so I
added the Sunburst tomatoes. You see, the micro flora (AKA mold) on some washed
and bloomy rind cheeses can react poorly to the tannins in things like wine and
some fruit such as tomatoes. This is definitely an unpleasant happenstance
should you encounter it that is akin to chewing on a mouthful of aspirin. (Not
recommended by the way) In the case of “Winnie” there was no such reaction. She
remained sweet with the tomatoes, and even enhanced the flavor of their pairing
with the meaty earth tone fragrance she was wearing. (I’m horrible.)
Rounding on home base – (Going for the sweet spot) At this point I brought out the
honey and gave it a shot. We’re going all the way at this point, so no turning
back right? The result? You’re outta there! Don’t get me wrong, the
honey was enjoyable, and the pairing didn’t taste bad, but the sweetness of the
bee juice just totally overshadowed poor Winnie. A lot of the flavor notes from
the cheese were completely drowned out by the boldness of the honey. It was so
much so that eating it with the cheese seemed redundant since the cheese wasn’t
really contributing anything with it. I would recommend a nice fig jam or some
dried fruits in this category if you’re planning on trying the dessert route
for serving this cheese.
All in all, Winnimere is definitely a cheese worth
exploring. She can be a bit shy at first but once you get going, don’t be
afraid to explore new things. I think you would find her a most willing
partner. I would just avoid anything with too strong or sweet notes as Winnie
can get lost in the music. Keep things earthy or meaty like something by Barry
Wh.. I mean a nice cured meat or something with a bit of smoke. I would
definitely recommend this cheese to just about any tasting, but keep in mind,
her perfume might not be for everyone, so handle introductions to new people
very delicately.
Now, a word on the creamery behind this delicate flower. The
Jasper Hill Creamery is nestled in the hills of Greensboro, Vermont. The cheese
is produced between January and June using the winter milk of their Ayrshire herd
of cows and aged in the creameries underground cellars. The cheese is wrapped
in bark gathered from the local spruce population, and this adds both a woody flavor
to the cheese, and also helps it hold its shape during the aging process. In
order to elevate the flavor producing bacteria, the cheese is washed in beer
produced by a local micro-brewery. All of these elements definitely go a long
way to making Winnimere a very distinctive and pleasant cheese. It is recommended by her makers that Winnimere be served by removing the top rind allowing access to the creamy and scoopable center. I definitely
predict a second date. (I hope she calls.)
Have you tried this cheese?
Do you have any pairing suggestions or recipes that might benefit from
the addition of a Winnimere? If so, tell me about it as a comment to this
entry!
