Over the past couple of years I’ve become interested in learning more about everything cheese. It’s not so far-fetched, seeing has how it goes so well with my current area of expertise. Like with wine, I’m fascinated by how many different kinds of cheese there are, how very different they can be, how they’re made, and the endless possibilities for new cheeses yet to be created. I had kind of put it on the back burner, but always fully expected to delve wholeheartedly into a real cheese education someday.
But a couple of things have happened recently that caused me to move it to the front burner. Last week we hosted a very dear friend and winemaker and her friend (who shall both remain nameless to protect them from incrimination for the cheese crime detailed here) for a week-long stay at our house. As a thank you, they smuggled in a fantastic array of cheeses from France that they successfully snuck past the airport authorities. These cheeses are the real deal. Not pasteurized, not messed with, nothing but perfect examples of honest, delicious cheese. We have been gorging ourselves almost daily on them, and when properly stored, they just keep getting better and better.
The second impetus came from an opportunity to do a “cheese summit” with a wonderful new gourmet shop, Gastronomie 491, that recently opened up a half a block north of WSW. They have a renowned cheesemonger by the name of Martin Johnson, who invited me to present six different wines which will be paired with six different cheeses of his choice. I’m really looking forward to it, and I know it’s going to be a really great learning experience for me. I know what the wines taste like and what their different characteristics are, but I don’t know what Martin has in mind. It’ll be fun to see what he comes up with and hear why he chose what he chose, because he, too, knows quite a bit about wine.
For a mere $20, you can find out along with me this Wednesday, March 13, at 7PM. See you at Gastronomie 491!