Wine and Cheese Round Two

This entry is a continuation of the earlier wine and cheese pairing post.

On we go!

Fourth Course - Pecorino Romano served with 2006 Dancing Bull Merlot

The wine is all about ripe dark fruit flavors of blackberry and black cherry and an almost luscious, velvety mouth feel. This is framed by subtle red fruit flavors of raspberry and strawberry and a hint of toasty vanillin oak.The Dancing Bull Merlot's deep, rich fruit flavors and smooth luxurious texture make it a worth complement to grilled vegetables, risotto, or pizza.

Historically so important this cheese was part of the daily rations for Roman Legionaires in the first century AD. Fulvi, this brand of Pecorina Romano, is still traditionally made in Nepi, a village in the Roman countryside; therefore it is referred to as "genuine" Pecorino Romano. The finest milk from sheep in the Lazio region, rich in fat and protein, is selected from small proucers, analyzed regularly, and has no additives or hormones. It has a bold , briny, pungent flavor that beautifully offsets all manor of sweet, acidic tomato sauces.

Holy cow what an AWESOME PAIRING. Great job Noelle on this one! The ripe berry flavors of the Dancing Bull Merlot stood up well to the strong salty flavor of the Pecorino Romano. This was our sole sheep's milk cheese of the evening.

Brooke echoed the group's sentiment - "Great pairing . . . strong cheese and really big wine!"

Lindsay discovered red wine tonight and downed an entire glass in one swallow. It's suffice to say this was her favorite wine of the night. I was pleasantly surprised. I had figured Lindsay to be more of a Boones Farm kind of girl.

Fifth Course - New Zealand Two Year Old Sharp Cheddar & Applewood Smoked Cheddar served with 2006 Five Rivers Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon.

This all Cabernet blend undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation and features soft tannins, aromas of hazelnut, currant, and black plum, with evident toasty oak.

This New Zealand sharp cheddar is made from cows milk without hormones or pesticides. The milk has been heat-treated rather than flash pasteurized, a process that allows some of the bacteria essential for producing more diverse flavors to be retained. According to its texture, it ranks highly among hard cheeses. It pairs nicely with pears and apples.

This was the hardest course to examine. The wine was good, the cheeses were good, but the pairing was not so good. The New Zealand 2 year old sharp cheddar was not as sharp as most of us would have liked. The Kiwis must like things a little on the milder side when it comes to cheese. They do grow a mean Sauvignon Blanc, but that's for another entry. I favored the Applewood Smoked Cheddar of the two and I would venture to guess that it would pair very well with a nice smoked salmon. The New Zealand cheddar went well with the sliced apples and pears also on the plate.

Scott was giving us a little background about the wines as he poured and I think he was getting a little tipsy by the time we got to this one.

The label of this wine tells a little story, not the usual somewhat uninspired “tastes of tannins and blackberries” jargon that I don’t really understand anyway, but instead reads: “Legend has it that once, she fell in love on a mountaintop, and she never tires of drinking in the blue sky and grey mists of its summit. The mountain breeze whispers her adoration to the Five Rivers Cabernet grapes far below, making their wine rich in flavor and soul, redolent of berries and oak. Come taste her devotion—eat with appetite, drink with pleasure. And fall in love.”

Scott read it with enthusiasm and even a little gusto.

Come on, are you seriously going to claim that you wouldn’t buy this wine in a heartbeat out of curiosity alone? At least the wine lived up to the label.


Sixth and Final Course - Mountain Gorgonzola served with Goose Watch, Finger Lakes, 2003 "Finale" White Port

The Goose Watch Winery's white port is rarer than rare! Its exotic aromas and flavors of tropical fruits are perfectly balanced with amazingly rich finish. A perfect dessert wine all by itself; its a rare treat that is usually found only in Portugal.

Italy's famous Blue, Gorgonzola is made in two styles. Dolce is sweet, creamy and benign. The Naturale, or Mountain Gorgonzola offers some bite buried in dense, milky paste. Made in two stages, the cheese is begun with the morning milk covering the bottom and sides of a mold, and the evening milk to fill in the center. The mold is a taller top hat variety, similar in size and shape to a Stilton. The cheese is drained and aged for six months up to a year, producing a firmer, slightly more crumbly, wheel. It embodies the spicy, earth flavors of its mountain pastures. Made of pasteurized cow's milk in Lombardy, Italy.

This pairing was also served with a fig cake (with almonds inside) and Brooke's gourmet brownies. Danielle and Claire loved the fig cake. We will definitely have to check out Murray's Cheese for the fig cake too.

The Gorgonzola was not over powering as I had anticipated. It paired very well with this incredible port. I've never had a white port and still wonder what grape the folks over at Goose Watch have used to make this delectable drink.

Scott is upset that he doesn't have another bottle.

Claire - "I feel like I'm drinking rum, but after the shock it was very good. The cheese was amazing!"

This was coming from a girl who is allergic to cheese, so it must be good. At 18% alcohol, this wine packs a punch, but the rich flavors did well to balance the high alcohol level.


The evening turned out great and gave many of us the opportunity to delve into a whole new world of cheese beyond grocery store varieties. Danielle and I loved it, not that I'm surprised, cheese is practically its own food group at our house.

This was definitely the first of what will be more Peaks View wine and cheese parties. There's a rumor that the next party will feature Virginia wines and cheeses. Time will tell.