Spanish Murcia al Vino Cheese

Murcia al Vino is produced in the hot and dry Murcia region in southeastern Spain. This goat cheese was granted Denominations of Origin Certification in July of 2001. The Murciano-Granadina goat is indigenous here and is perfectly suited to the demanding Mediterranean environment and is considered to be Spain's best milk producing breed. The sheppards allow their herds to migrate and graze on grass, shrubs and wild herbs as the seasons progress, and in turn the goats produce a sweet, protein rich milk that is used to make cheese.

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Details: Murcia al Vino is a pasteurized but not cooked, pressed, semi-soft cheese. After the cheese has been pressed and allowed to dry it is immersed in local Murcian wine and aged for about 75 days. Since it is immersed in wine it has come to be known as the "Drunken Goat" cheese, so if you hear this name you will know that it is Murcia al Vino. This is technically a washed rind cheese but it does not have an overpowering aroma and has a very low stink rating. The wine bath imparts its flavor and burgundy color to the outer rind thus producing a distinctive and colorful cheese with a fruity scent of wine. The rind of this cheese is edible and once cut will reveal a bone white interior paste.

Tasting: The flavor of Murcia al Vino has a hint of salt a slight acidic tang and a hint of wine but not an overt goaty taste. Overall this is a mild cheese that is not really complex but it will reward your palate. Murcia al Vino has a low fat content of 45%.

When shopping for a fresh cut of  Murcia al Vino look for a burgundy colored rind that is not cracked or shows other signs of age. There should not be any mold on the outer rind or on the interior paste. If the interior paste looks dry or that it is turning yellow avoid it as this will indicate that it is past its prime. A convenient way to purchase this cheese is in pre-wrapped 12oz mini-wheels. Normally we like to advocate fresh cut cheeses but this convenient size and package provides an ample portion of cheese. Also a wedge cut mini-wheel makes a colorful addition to a cheese board or cheese plate.

Serving Murcia al Vino can be sliced onto your favorite sandwich or shaved into salads to add an interesting new flavor and a distinctive color.

Wine pairing: Spanish reds like Rioja or Riberia del Duero or other fruity Spanish reds and whites.

Swiss Vacherin Fribourgeois Cheese

Vacherin Fribourgeois is a Swiss mountain style cheese that is produced in the canton of Fribourg. As with all Swiss mountain cheeses the milk comes from cows that graze on Alpine grass and wild flowers throughout the late spring and summer. This pure grazing method allows the cows to produce sweeter milk. As summer turns to early fall the cows are brought down to lower pastures to graze on grass and summer hay. No other type of silage is fed to dairy cows during the winter except alpine and low meadow hay. This is the traditional method of dairy production, which continues today, and it has been producing magnificent mountain style cheese for centuries.

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Details: Vacherin is a raw cow's milk semi-firm cheese that has been lightly pressed and aged for three to four months. It is closely related to Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta but its curd is not cooked. Vacherin has an inedible natural brushed and washed rind that has a moderate stink factor, however the aroma is neither overpowering nor offensive. The interior paste has a straw color and may have small holes throughout and a buttery texture. It has a pleasant nutty flavor that lasts in your mouth.

When buying Vacherin Fribourgeois look for a light brown rind that is semi-soft but not mushy. The top of the rind may have a very thin paper label attached. A hard rind indicates dryness and should be avoided. An unhealthy odor of rot and a grayish tinge to the paste are also telltale signs of over ripeness.

Vacherin is a great substitute for French Raclette when having fondue. Use it melted as the cheese covering on onion soup. This is a great melting cheese so try using it in place of your usual Swiss cheese on grilled sandwiches, gratins, potatoes or over steamed vegetables. Also serve it cubed with salads or with fresh sliced apples or pears as a dessert course. It is wonderful as a table cheese paired with crusty bread and wine. Remember that the rind is inedible so remove it before serving or grilling

Wine parings: Any big and bold reds like Burgundy, Bordeaux or reds from the Rhone Valley in France.

Tips On Shopping For Cheese Locally And Online

When shopping for cheese most people head to their local supermarkets or even worse to the nearest convenience store. The supermarkets will usually have unattended cheese departments carrying all the obvious tried and true cheeses like plain Swiss, Mozzarella, several Cheddars, tasteless and lifeless factory-made Brie and a few goat cheeses. A few large gourmet stores, like Whole Foods, have large cheese departments with some interesting and unusual cheeses that they will cut fresh and usually an assortment of precut cheeses. While precut cheeses may add to the ease of shopping who really knows how long ago, they were cut. When buying any cheese, you should always have it cut fresh for you while you wait.

So, where should I go to find gourmet cheese? Well my answer is to invest a bit of time and locate your local cheese shops. Small shops often offer gourmet products that are fresh and exciting and can provide a personal level of service that supermarkets cannot or will not. Try to find several shops if you can because each owner or manager may specialize in the cheeses from a particular country or countries or he (she) may concentrate on finding exciting artisanal and farmstead cheeses. The benefits of this well invested time will manifest in many wonderful ways and will most likely open up new avenues of discovery for you. It will also be a way to interact with a local merchant who will have a vested interest in helping you find what you are looking for. Shopping locally is also good for the environment and your town's economy.

Once you have located your local gourmet cheese shop snoop around in it and notice everything you can. The shop itself should be clean and well ordered. Does it also carry an assortment of condiments, crackers and other cheese related products? The point here is that ideally you want to be able to find what you need or want in one location. Does it smell like a cheese shop? This may sound like a silly question but there should be an earthy, cheese aroma in the air to stimulate your taste buds! Are the weighing scales easy to see and are they clean, do the refrigerated cases look clean and orderly, do the cheeses in the cases look fresh? If your local shop passes these quick looks you have possibly found a new treasure chest of flavor. If the shop owner or the sales staff is not too busy engage them by asking a few of the questions you may have. Do they seem to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the store and it's products? A honest retailer will admit to not knowing the answer to a question and will offer to research it for you. If the staff seems bored or annoyed by your questions this is a bad sign and you may have a bad experience there. Also, when looking for cheese do not be afraid to ask for a small sample to taste. A verbal description is always subjective and your purchase may not turn out to be what you like or expected. Ideally, the salesperson should offer a sample before you ask for it, any good cheese shop will be happy to offer samples of their cheeses for you to taste. If these simple things seem to be a problem or if the store has a no sample policy find another store to shop in because you will most likely be disappointed with your purchases.

Shopping for gourmet cheese should not be a harrowing or daunting process. Ask questions, seek information and help from your retailer. Over time he or she will come to know your likes and dislikes and will be able to introduce you new cheeses that will fall into your comfort zone. Who knows you may begin to live on the edge and experiment with goat cheeses like goat Gouda and goat Brie and sheep milk cheeses like Idiazabal and Ossay-Iraty. Planning a dinner party with a cheese course or wine and cheese tasting party will be less work intensive and more rewarding if you build up a good relationship with your local shop.

I would like to mention a few things about buying cheese online if this is your preferred method of shopping, although as stated above I prefer the human interaction. Obviously you will not be able to sample or see the cheeses before you pay for them, so initially it will be trial and error. A good online retailer will give accurate information about his products and prices. Please remember price does not always indicate quality. There should be a quick response to any questions regarding the quality or appearance of the cheese that has been purchased. You, the customer are putting your faith and trust in the online retailer and for that you should be treated with respect and fairness. Any good business person should realize that an unsatisfied customer is a one time customer and will tell everyone about their bad online experience. There are many online cheese retailers that offer quality products and shopping online can be a rewarding and exciting adventure. 

When you find an online or local retailer that you like and trust stay with them and buy with confidence.