Quicke's Mature Cheddar
Mary Quicke makes her award-winning cheddar cheese on her farm in Devon England. It’s been around since 1540. “Twice as old as America,” she likes to say. That land provides rich, nutritious grazing for her Friesian-Ayrshire cows, which produce a luscious milk that then, in turn, becomes this renowned cheddar. It’s aged for 12-15 months, developing flavors of horseradish, roast meats, and chives.
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.
Malbec
This rustic wine is inky and dark, full-bodied with plenty of tannins. Fruity flavors of plums and berries are contrasted by spice and leather.Pair with: Equally toothsome cheeses like Boerenkaas Gouda.
Pale Ales & IPAs
Hoppy Beers - Pale Ale, IPA, Amber, Red AleHops, glorious hops! Think of hops as the seasoning for beer: they lend the bitter yin to balance malt’s sugary yang. In IPAs and other hoppy beers this humble flower takes center stage. Flavors range from grassy to grapefruit, earthy and dry to resinous pine, depending on which hop varietals are used.
Pair with: Cheeses with enough body to stand up to the bitterness, like clothbound cheddar or aged Gouda.