The Cheeses
1) Langres — a washed rind cow cheese from the region of Champagne-Ardenne. Northern France Near Belgium. A washed rind is the result of the outside is bathed or scrubbed with wine, or salt-water brine as the cheese matures. This encourages good bacteria to grow and both protect and add flavor to the cheese, it also keeps the outside soft. Other “washed rind” cheeses are Epoisse & Taleggio.
2) Chaource Rouzaire — comes from the same part of France as the Langres — Champagne — but from a different village. This is also from cow’s milk. It’s creamy and buttery tasting like brie & camembert and other soft/"white mould" rind cheeses.
3) Midnight Moon — a goat cheese from Cypress Grove, a California Company but this is made in Holland in the style of a Gouda. It’s aged 12 months — a hard cheese with a wax rind.
4) Melkbus Lavender Gouda — a cow’s milk Gouda from Holland. It’s crusted with Lavender and also with rosemary and thyme. It’s a young Gouda — 10 weeks aged.
5) Moliterno Sheep/Goat’s milk cheese with black truffle — a hard cheese from Sardinia. Aged first until it’s semi-soft, then injected with black truffle paste.
6) Vacherin d’ Mont D’or — This one is Swiss from the Jura Mountains on the French border. Washed rind cow cheese made from milk from the end of the season in the areas that produce Comte and other traditional Swiss but when the milk is running out and they can’t produce the huge wheels… they make this. Boxed as it ages in round fir wood strips. Take the top rind of the cheese off and scoop it onto great crusty bread.
7) Beemster XO — 26-month-aged cow Gouda from Holland. Natural rind. Salty grains. A nutty butter-scotch flavor — amazing with full-bodied red wines.
8) Rogue River Blue 2016 — Seasonal from Rogue Creamery in Southern Oregon.
All cheeses were purchased from Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
The Wines
Henriot Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne, non-vintage
Longtable 2012 “The Gathering” Red Blend Mt. Veeder, Napa (Available at Longtable Wines & shipping worldwide at Backroom Wines Napa)