Taleggio Cheese Bries' New Competitor

Taleggio is a soft pressed, washed rind cow milk cheese form the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is made from both lightly pasteurized and raw milk, unfortunately the U.S. FDA will not allow the raw milk version to be imported into to the country because it is aged for only 40 days. Taleggio has been given DOP certification which insures the quality of the cheese and the methods of its production. Luckily the Taleggio that is imported to the US is DOP certified and usually comes from the semi- Alpine Valtellina area in the northern part of Lombardy. Here the cheese is produced in small batches by several commercial cheese companies. Thankfully this great  cheese is getting easier to find in the US. If you are looking for a great new cheese to try Taleggio is a good substitute for Brie.

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 Details and Flavor: Taleggio can vary in flavor and the consistency of its inner paste. When it is young (about 40-50 days) it will be fruity and mildly salty with a firm white interior, but as it matures it will become softer ( almost oozy) and will have a beefy buttery flavor with hints of nuts and just a hint of salt. Taleggio has a minimum fat content of 48%. The consistency of a ripe or mature Taleggio is almost like that of a ripe Brie where it bulges but does not get runny. 

 This is a brine washed rind cheese so it will be a "stinky cheese". The rind itself is a bit unsightly and will have a pink or slight brick color. It may also have areas of mold on it but this might be hard to see since some brands come wrapped in a layer of paper. Do not worry about any mold on the outer rind because it does not affect the integrity or quality of the inner paste. If the outer layer of paper is stuck to the rind or is very hard to peel off this is a sign that the cheese is ripe and in perfect condition to eat and enjoy. If the paper pulls off easily you will have found a young version. Taleggio's rind is considered by a few cheese purists to be edible however most people will remove it. I personally find it to be bitter so I prefer to remove the rind entirely. Once again like Brie, this cheese is alive and will continue to age until it is cut, once it is cut the aging process stops. So if the cut Tallegio you found is young it will remain that way and the full flavor will not develop. The interior paste of a ripe Taleggio should have a slight yellow custard color. You can find Taleggio in good cheese shops and online at Amazon.

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You can serve Taleggio melted over rice or polenta and as a table cheese with fresh fruit , nuts and honey. It is also great with thinly sliced meats or fruit on a grilled sandwich like a panini. A good substitute for Taleggio is an American cheese named Grayson it is made following the traditional recipe for Taleggio. 

Wine Pairings: Big Italian reds like Barbaresco, Barolo, Chianti Riserva, or Salice Salentino





 

A Few Insights About Wine and Cheese Pairing

In the world of gastronomy there may be no other combination as classic or as pleasurable. Indeed, wine and cheese have been enjoyed together for centuries. But now that our markets offer a multitude of wines and cheeses from around the globe, creating the perfect union of flavors may seem a bit daunting.

Good wine and cheese pairings do take some thought, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated task. The important thing to remember is that there are no hard-set rules. Taste is after all, a matter of personal preference. While you might appreciate the delicate, tongue-tickling combination of mountain Gorgonzola with Prosecco, your best friend may relish the explosion of flavors that takes place when Gorgonzola is paired with a big, oaky Sangiovese.

So instead of stringent rules, we’re going to offer some more general guidelines to get you headed in the right direction. To put it simply, when you think about matching cheese and wine, think about harmony. The goal is not to overpower the flavor of one with the other, but to create relationships where cheese and wine bring out the best of each other. They should have a similar intensity. They should strike a balance. And the key to striking that perfect balance lies only in your willingness to experiment and enjoy.

` One simple way to achieve flavor harmony is to pair wine and cheese according to their geographic area or local region of origin. The thought here is that what grows together, goes together. Every region has distinct climate and growing conditions that impart particular characteristics to its soil. Known as “terroir” in wine-speak, these characteristics affect not only the soil that the grape vines grow in, but the vegetation that the dairy cows feed on, too. As a result, wines and cheeses of the same region often carry very similar flavor qualities.

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There are hundreds of creative possibilities for matching wine and cheese by region. Some very fine examples include:

Camembert and Chardonnay (Normandy, France)
Manchego and Amontillado Sherry (Spain)
Pecorino Toscano and Chianti (Tuscany, Italy)
Roquefort and Sauternes (France)

Pairing By Type: Other methods for pairing wine and cheese are more focused on the type or style of cheese you’ll be serving. For starters, a very general adage says that hard cheeses should be paired with red wines, while soft cheeses should be paired whites. This is actually a great place to begin your pairings – since harder cheeses tend to be stronger in flavor, they do need bigger-bodied red wines to stand up to them. But as with most rules, there are some exceptions to this one. Don’t miss out on a well-aged Gruyere paired with a white Pinot Grigio, or a slice of soft, fresh Mozzarella alongside a glass of fruity red Beaujolais.

A second method for pairing by type is based on the cheese’s source of milk. Following these guidelines, fresh goat’s milk cheeses match well with crisp white wines like Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc. Sheep’s milk cheeses pair up with Zinfandel or Gewurztraminer, and aged cow’s milk cheeses, like Cheddar, go with Sherry. It’s well worth a try!

A Final School of Thought Select the wine according the style or texture of the cheese. 

                                           Classic Wine And Cheese Pairings

Blue Cheese:  This is the most challenging flavor to match, most blue cheeses pair well with sweet or slightly sweet wines like Sauternes or Port. If you’re in the mood for red, try a Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon, but avoid very dry varietals.

Fresh Cheese: Cheeses like Mozzarella, Montrachet, and Feta are so mild and versatile they pair beautifully with almost all white wines, including Sancerres. As for reds, stick with lighter, fruitier varieties like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir.

Hard or Aged Cheese: Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan are the ultimate cheeses to pair with bolder red wines. Experiment with Bordeaux, Cabernet, Chianti, Montepulciano and Zinfandel.

Soft-Ripened Cheese: Luscious cheeses like Brie and Camembert go with everything from light whites (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris) to fruity reds (Merlot). But Champagne is the preferred pairing here. The bubbles cut right through the cheese's creaminess, refreshing the palate for every next rich bite.

Classic Pairings: By now you have learned several methods for pairing wine and cheese. As you might imagine, the delicious possibilities are almost endless. Just remember – there are no rights or wrongs, just personal preferences. With more experimenting and taste-testing, you’ll come to learn which combinations work for you, and which don’t. Consider the list of classic pairings below – they are so harmonious and balanced they have withstood the test of time. And to that we can only say one thing: “Cheers!”

Appenzeller and Riesling
Brie (especially triple crème) and Champagne
Feta and Roditis
Goat Cheese and Sauvignon Blanc
Parmigiano-Reggiano and Lambrusco
Stilton and Port (vintage or tawny)

This article has been reprinted with the kind permission of the iLoveCheese.co.uk website. Please visit their website for more articles on cheese and its production along with many cheese recipes and other great information at: http://www.ilovecheese.co.uk/

8 Tips To Maximize The Enjoyment Of Your Cheese Purchases

I would like to present a few tips to maximize the enjoyment of the cheeses that you purchase. The information presented here is based on the best practices for handling and preparing cheese.This is not meant to be the last word nor are my suggestions meant to be hard fast rules. Gourmet cheese like most other foods presents a set of preferences and tastes that the consumer is comfortable with. I hope that you, our reader, will find new and exciting possibilities here with goat, cow and sheep milk cheeses.

1) As a rule of thumb the younger the cheese is the less flavor it has. Therefore if you are looking for a sharp flavored cheese seek out an aged version.

2) “Should or can I eat the rind”? This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer is that it is literally a matter of taste. Soft cheese like Brie, Camembert or Explorateur have bloomy rinds that actually add to their flavor so yes you can eat them. Natural or washed rind cheeses like Stilton are gritty and somewhat unsightly, so their rinds should be trimmed off before serving Other washed rinds like Taleggio and Grayson are edible. Blue cheeses may be rindless but the outer paste can be very salty and others have inedible natural rinds. Some goat cheeses have a moldy outer layer that is edible but this is a personal choice. You can never really go wrong if you trim off the rind before if you are not comfortable eating it.

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3) Store your cheeses in the lower part of the refrigerator wrapped in aluminum foil, plastic wrap or wax paper. Let your cheeses breathe.

4) While in the refrigerator, the harder the cheese the longer it will stay fresh usually 1-1 1/2 months. Semi- soft cheese will last about 3-4 weeks and soft delicate cheeses should be used as soon as possible or within 1-2 weeks.

E) NEVER FREEZE CHEESE!!!

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5) Serve your cheeses at room temperature to assure their maximum flavor and aroma.

6) When serving wine with cheese try to select a wine that comes from the same country and region as the cheese. This environmental compatibility creates a wonderful synergy. I agree with Steve Jenkins that “a great cheese will elevate an average wine and that an average cheese will drag down a great wine”.

7) When melting cheese use a low temperature. Try placing sliced, grated or shredded cheese on your hot entrees and let it melt by itself. This is where you can experiment and have fun!