River's Edge Up In Smoke 4oz
Every time we carefully pull back the edges of the maple leaves that so delicately contain the bright, woodsy cheese bundles from Oregon's Rivers Edge Chevre, we feel like we're unwrapping a gift from the tree nymphs themselves. The incredible balance of deep, smoky richness and clean minerality is owed in large part to the diet of Rivers Edge goats 'pastured year-round' and cheesemaker Pat Morford's process of smoking: first smoking the hand-formed fresh chevre over alder and maple wood, before wrapping each round of pasteurized goat cheese in smoked maple leaves that have been lightly misted with bourbon to help them bend around the citrusy, intense nuggets. The result has a surprisingly civilized campfire essence that doesn't overwhelm the incredibly bright and creamy pasteurized goat cheese within. Stay smoky. Get some Willamette Pinot and curl up 'round this pairing's warmth.
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Just the Facts
Bourbon
Think: Caramelly, crystalline cheeses have the strength to stand up to bolder booze. With sweet bourbon, these cheeses become almost like dessert.Chenin Blanc
Crisp and acidic with light minerality. You may smell stone fruit, apples, pear, quince, even some fresh herbs.Pair with: Tangy Loire Valley goat cheese to bring out crisp, mineral qualities in both. Something like Selles-sur-Cher will work perfectly!
Farmhouse Ales & Sours
Farmhouse, Saison, Bière de Garde, Lambic, Sour BeerFarmhouse ales, instead of being driven by malt or hops, depend on the yeast for their distinctive spicy, floral, and tart flavors. Commonly made by brewers in France and Belgium, farmhouse ales are usually light in color and body and quite effervescent. From time to time, brewers allow wild yeasts to ferment the beer, resulting in a brew that falls somewhere in between pleasantly bright to bracingly sour.
Pair with: Mushroomy Brie Fermier or funky, bacony Epoisses are matches made in heaven.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.
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