by Nick Heitman, Beer/Wine/Liquor & Meat Category Manager & Nicholas Oconnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager
Four Fat Fowl St. Stephen
This triple cream cow’s milk cheese
is my absolute favorite to bring to a
dinner party, holiday gathering, or just to snack on with some sliced saucisson and crackers. It pairs well with just about anything, but most triple creams go best with an
oaky chardonnay.
Les Volets Chardonnay
The Les Volets has enough acidity to stand up to the richness of this cheese, and enough nuttiness from the oak barrels to match the earthiness of the bloomed rind.
Carr Valley Danish-Style Fontina
Creamy, smooth fontina cheese pairs well with just about anything. When not being melted on a burger or folded in with pasta for mac and cheese, fontina also makes a great addition to a cheese board.
Ovum EZYTGR Pinot Noir
Try pairing it with the EZYTGR Pinot Noir, which has enough bright fruity acidity to go great with the cheese’s velvety texture.
Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve
This Alpine-style cow’s milk cheese,
made from the milk of a single
herd of Wisconsin-raised
grass-fed cows, has a variety
of complex flavors that differ slightly year to year.
Giant Jones Belgian-Style Blonde
The nutty, caramel and fruit flavors from the cheese go great with an effervescent Belgian beer, and no one does this style of beer better than
Giant Jones. This blonde ale is an
easy-drinker with a slightly lower ABV than many Belgian styles, so you can have more than one (and you’ll want to) while enjoying this cheese that
is the most awarded in US history.
Roelli Dunbarton Blue
Aged cheddar and blue cheeses both have strong flavors, but the Roelli Dunbarton combines the two to make something truly unique.
New Holland Brewing Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout
The bold flavor of this cheese requires something substantial to pair with it, and I recommend Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout from New Holland Brewing. The coffee and chocolate notes from the heavily roasted malt in this beer go with the sharp, funky flavors of the cheese. This would make it a great dessert/cheese course for any holiday party.
Hidden Springs Creamery Farmstead Feta
Fetas are notoriously salty, but the Hidden Springs Creamery version is less salt-forward, which makes it a great choice to add to a cheese board for the holiday season.
Mount Fishtail Sauvignon Blanc
The crispness of a sauvignon blanc goes great with the almost fluffy
texture of this cheese. The Mount Fishtail Sauvignon Blanc also has some white-pepper notes that marries well with the tangy salinity of this sheep’s milk feta.
Uplands Rush Creek Reserve
There’s a short window of time each year to grab a wheel (or two) of Rush Creek Reserve, and the holidays are the perfect time to splurge on something special and unique. This cheese, when allowed to temper (or even when warmed slightly in the oven) is close to custard in texture. It is wrapped in spruce bark, which gives it a subtle earthiness.
Antech Emotion Cremant de Limoux Rose
I like to serve it with bubbles, and the Antech Emotion Cremant de Rose is balanced and fruity so as to not overpower the flavors of this special, limited-release cheese.
