I am a cheese addict. So when I was asked if I wanted to try something called "The Cheese Grotto", there was no way that I could say no. "Hey, crackhead! Would you like to try out this crack pipe?" Yes. Yes I would.
So check this out:
The Cheese Grotto (
https://cheesegrotto.com) is a wooden box for cheese storage that you can put on your counter top, a cool place in your house, or in your fridge, and is meant to mimic the moisture, coolness, and air flow of a cheese aging cave. There are different designs and prices, but they all have a glass door so you can monitor your cheeses, a ventilated back for air flow, shelving where the cheeses go, and a brick that you quickly submerge in water every once in awhile to release moisture. You don't have to put one thing of cheese in there; it works for how much it can fit. In fact, it suggests that you stock it up when you go away on vacation to help keep the proper moisture.
● Landaff: This is a Welsh style cheddar made from raw cow milk and aged 4 to 6 months. Natural rind and semi-firm. Excellent melting cheese. It can last on the counter top in the Grotto for 10 days.
● Cabot Clothbound Cheddar: This cheese is an ACS Best in Show winner. It's bandaged cheddar made from pasteurized cow milk and was aged 9 to 14 months. Rustic, crystalline texture that melts creamy on palate. Can be stored on the counter top in the Grotto for 2 weeks.
● Little Hosmer: This is a bloomy rind soft cheese (my favorite kind of cheese) made from pasteurized cow milk and aged 6 to 12 weeks. It can be ripened in the Grotto for 4 weeks if the Grotto is in an area where the temperature is between 50 to 60 degrees F.
I kept the Grotto in my dining room and I didn't put the Little Hosmer in the Grotto; just the Landaff and Cabot. I only had them in there for a few days but the grotto is working great so far! The cheese shows no signs of drying out and becoming crappy like it would if I just stuck it in the fridge without wrapping it, and they're showing no signs of going bad from not being refrigerated.
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| ERROR NOTE: CRAP! The cards for the Cabot and Landoff should be switched! Sorry! |
But wait! There's more! It's time to see how these cheeses pair with wine! I've got one excellent white and one outstanding red, provided by Kobrand Wine & Spirits! (http://www.kobrandwineandspirits.com)
● Craggy Range Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc 2018: This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Craggy Range's Te Muna ("secret place") in Martinborough on the North Island of New Zealand. In case you don't already know; another region called Marlborough, now the most famous wine region in New Zealand because of their Sauvignon Blancs, is on the South Island. This wine saw an early harvest and was fermented in closed top stainless steel tanks, then matured for four months. It has a 13% ABV and will cost you about $25.
● Feudo Maccari Saia Nero d'Avola 2015: And this wine is from another island. It's where I get my surname. Sicily. Nero d'Avola is a native grape of Sicily, and it name means "black of Avola" (Avola being the village where the grape is thought to originate) and its nickname is, or was when I broke into the business, "the Shiraz of Italy". This one is 100% Nero d'Avola, and it's from a low yield due to the difficulties of the vintage. It spent 12 to 14 months aging in French barriques, with a second blending at first racking. Then it was aged another 6 months in the bottle. It has a 14% ABV and will cost you about $40.
Let's do this! The Landaff gets crumbly when you cut it, and it melts in your mouth beautifully to go from hard bodied to a creamy buttermilk softness with grace and deliciousness. The Cabot Clothbound Cheddar has that sharpness nice sharpness up front but it's not out of control like some sharp cheddars can be, and it's got a nuttiness and tanginess to it as well. Then the Little Hosmer is a wonderful dream to me. Soft and creamy with a cauliflower-esque flavor and that classic bloomy rind mushroominess. So friggin good!
The Craggy Range Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc has a flinty minerality over aromas of limes, grapefruit, and herbs. It was a bright acidity and flavors of limes, white peach, and nectarine. It pairs best with the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, as the flavors play off of each other and the acidity interacts with the transforming structure of the cheese.
The Feudo Maccari Saia Nero D'avola has a stellar nose with aromas of black cherries, blueberries, spearmint, and rose petals. On the palate it's ridiculously lush with soft and sweet tannins, and flavors of black cherries, plums, vanilla, and oak. Just gorgeous. It pairs best with the Landaff, as the two create an earthy character together and the sharpness of the cheese meets a softener that brings them both meeting in the middle.
All of the cheeses and wines are just deliciously amazing. But it turns out that my favorite cheese of the three, the Little Hosmer, was out-paired on both wines! But that's okay because I will eat this or a Brie or a Camembert with any wine, any beer, any brandy, or any whiskey, at any time. Bring it!
Hey, all of this tasting of cheese and wine is fun and all but don't let that distract you from the
Cheese Grotto. That's what made this post happen, and you should check it out for yourself because Christmas is coming and everybody knows a cheese addict!
