Cheese: a preview, and why you should host a party

I love cheese. I love cheese and wine. And now, I even love cheese and beer.

Let me explain: I popped by Whole Foods for a preview of some of the cheeses they’re having at the American Cheese Society’s Festival of Cheese here on August 8–Marshall wrote about it here. Long story short, the main event is August 8 and there are cheesemaker events leading up to the big day starting on Wednesday. If foodies are called foodies, is this event for Cheesies? Anyway, the actual Festival is from 5:30-9pm on August 8, and the next morning features a bargain sale of all the cheeses from 10am-1pm.

But lucky me, I got to taste some of the cheeses ahead of time. I tasted the world’s best cheese from a year or two ago, a Cabot Clothbound Cheddar aged at Jasper Hill Cellars in Greensboro, VT (that Vermonster boy would be so proud). This cheddar comes from a Holstein cow and has hints of toasted nut, toffee, and cooked fruits. Let’s be honest, I have no idea what that really means or tastes like, but this cheese was GOOD. Very mild, but strong enough that I wouldn’t want to waste it melted over a nacho or something, I’d want it all by itself.

At this preview, they also interestingly paired beer with some of the cheeses, like a Le Merle Saison Belgium style farmhouse ale from Borth Coast Brewery with the Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam–my second-favorite cheese. The beer was hefeweizen-y but creamy too. With that triple creme cheese produced with single-herd organic milk, mellow with an earthy flavor reminiscent of white mushrooms, the beer was pretty great.

Can you tell I took notes?

Other impressive cheeses included the Pure Luck chevre, which we all already know is good because it’s from Dripping Springs and the goats are happy and the cheese bright and fresh. The Roth Kase Gruyere Surchoix was also awesome–but Gruyere is my new favorite cheese, mainly because I think it sounds fancy. This one also tasted fancy, so of course I loved it.

Bottom line: Cheesie or no, cheese, wine, and beer are three things that make most people happy, and make for a very fun, social atmosphere. Two of the favorite parties I’ve ever thrown for friends (and I’ve thrown my fair share) were cheese-and-wine parties, because it just lets people sip, nibble, and relax. My advice? Go to the sale, buy some fancy cheese, and host a cheese-and-wine party.