Challerhocker
Translating to ''sitting in the cellar'', Challerhocker is washed in wine and spices and then aged for a minimum of 10 months, providing a remarkable depth of flavor. Firm yet creamy, this is a wonderful melter and is great for an extra exciting grilled cheese or as a way to liven up your fondue. More about Challerhocker: Our friend Walter Rass, an experienced cheesemaker, has a passion for quality which has won him one of the top 2 spots in the local competition among Appenzeller cheesemakers for 15 of the last 20 years. His gem has the rich aroma of cooked custard, the flavor of slowly roasted nuts, and a lingering almost fruity finish. Close your eyes and you will sense the mountains around you and smell the alpine flowers.Unwilling to rest on his unrivaled record, Walter's pioneering instinct has led him to test new varieties to see what else can evolve from his exceptional combination of milk and cheesemaking magic. His hard work and our patience have been rewarded with a new cheese, Challerhocker, which literally means ''sitting in the cellar''. This new cheese combines many of the tricks from his Appenzeller, with a some extra cream and some additional age (12 months vs 8 to10). The Challerhocker features a flavor veering more in the butterscotchy direction, with more nuttiness and less fruit than his Appenzeller. Both are amazing and on every cheese lovers ''must try'' list.
Just the Facts
Chardonnay
This wine is all over the map – literally! Flavor varies widely depending on where and how it’s made.Old World Chardonnay: crisp and minerally, with flavors of apples and roasted pears.
Pair with: Fresh or bloomy rind cheese, like Delice de Bourgogne
New World Chardonnay (USA, warmer climates): richly buttery and oaky, heavy notes of vanilla, brown butter, and tropical fruits.
Pair with: Slightly stronger cheese like sweet Tickler cheddar, or a mild washed rind.
Oxidized Chardonnay: When Chardonnay is intentionally exposed to air it is “oxidized.” Common in the Jura mountain region, this wine is almost sherry-like with spicy, nutty flavors.
Pair with: Play up the bolder flavors with a more complex or funky cheese. Almost any Alpine cheese, like Comte, or earthy aged goat cheese like Chevrot make a great match.
Cider
Brie and apples, cheddar and apples – both delicious! Why not extend that deliciousness to apples in liquid form? Enjoy cider and cheese for a pairing to remember.English style: drier, more like a beer, with nice acidity.
Pair with: Just about anything but we love it with firm natural rind cheese, like Landaff.Basque/Normandy : barnyardy and funky, but still with a little sweetness.
Pair with: A beefy washed rind, like Grayson to contrast the sugar and bring out the funk.American Cider: often, but not always on the sweeter side.
Pair with: Sweet and earthy Bleu Mont Bandaged Cheddar or malty Bleu d’Auvergne.Pinot Noir
Lighter bodied and delicate. Old World style generally offers more funk, New World more fruit.Old World Pinot: Flavors of fresh cherries and raspberry balanced by a barnyard funk and high minerality. Sometimes has floral aromas, reminiscent of rose petal.
Pair with: Almost anything! Works with funky Frenchies Epoisses and Langres, or mild natural rinds like Tomme de Savoie.New World Pinot: More sugary, with jam-like fruit, dried cherries, oak, and spice.
Pair with: Full, fatty flavors. Alpines, cheddars, and Manchego.Rosé
We love them all! Everything from light, crisp Provence style to deep and fruity Spanish Rosados. Don’t be afraid to enjoy rosé year-round, but we like the summer staple best with refreshing, mild cheeses that are great in warm weather.Pair with: Young chevres like Coupole and bloomy rinds like Moses Sleeper for the lighter stuff. A darker, fruitier rosé can stand up to a heavier cheese like nutty Pecorino Oro Antico. Sparkling rosé is a perfect match for Nettle Meadow Kunik.
Featured Content...
The Challerhocker Label: An Investigation, Part III
“It’s a rusty place to be. It’s not the greatest. It’s dark.” There is perhaps no more accurate a way to describe the real estate between my ears these last two months, as I’ve toiled through the evenings in pursuit of the Challerhocker Boy, that chapped, troll-like, perplexingly wrinkled young child on the label of …
Continue reading “The Challerhocker Label: An Investigation, Part III”
The Challerhocker Label: An Investigation, Part II
Welcome back to our continuing investigation into the true nature of Challerhocker Boy, he of alarmingly intense eye contact and smiling-but-in-an-unsettling-way mouthparts. Here’s where we left things: after many sleepless nights and dog-chewed pants legs, we received our first legitimate lead in the case. This came in the form of Columbia Cheese’s Glenn Hills, the …
Continue reading “The Challerhocker Label: An Investigation, Part II”
The Challerhocker Label: An Investigation, Part I
Every day for the last three weeks, my evening routine has been the same: I get home from work, pet my bichon for five minutes in complete silence, and open up my computer to continue cracking away at a mystery that has been eating at me. At the center of the mystery is a Swiss …
Continue reading “The Challerhocker Label: An Investigation, Part I”