The June Cheesy Wine Down Wednesday at the Co-op had some extra special guests from Grafton Village Cheese Company in Vermont. Dane Huebner, the master cheese-maker, with Mary were well received by our foodie participants and gave a very informative talk about cheese making before guiding us around a plate of aged cheddars, a clothbound cave aged cheddar, a maple smoked cheddar and a Vermont Leyden. Grafton Village Cheeses are handmade in small batches in Vermont. All the cheeses are suitable for vegetarians and use unpasteurized milk. Their international and national award winning cheeses are made with predominately Jersey cows milk that is rBST-free from small local family owned farms.
Grafton Village Cheese is part of the non-profit Windham Foundation of Grafton, Vermont, whose mission is to promote the vitality of Grafton and Vermont's rural communities through its philanthropic and educational programs and its subsidiaries whose operations contribute to these endeavors. When you shop at the Co-op and purchase Grafton Village Cheese you are supporting rural New England farms.
Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium. Enjoyed in moderation, cheese can help with weight loss as it slows the absorption of carbohydrates, keeping you feeling satisfied after a meal. So an after dinner treat of cheese and wine may be doing you more good than you thought! Cheese also provides us with zinc and biotin that is important for healthy hair, skin and nails. But be careful, cheese can be high in saturated fats so find a good balance in your diet.
Along with our cheese platter Heidi and Suzy from the Co-op selected a few different accompaniments like chutneys and jam that you can find on the end of the cheese case. Stop in and ask Suzy to help select a combination or look at the blackboards above the case for inspiration. The Bakery Box also baked some yummy cheese puffs that go well with a bottle of bubbly, just ask for Elaine, the Co-op's Executive Pastry Chef if you would like a special order.
Everyone at our cheese tasting class also enjoyed chatting with Gus from The Imported Grape as he opened 7 different bottles of wine for us to try with our cheese. Both Gus and Dane, agree that pairings generally are a personal taste but there are a few that you can’t go wrong with, like a strong smoked cheddar with a pinot noir or a fresh one year old cheddar with a Chardonnay. All the wines we tried are available at the Co-op, and did you know that when you buy 6 or more bottles in one transaction at the Co-op you will save 10% off during check out!
Join us for the next Cheesy Wine Down Wednesday on July 2, when Suzy and Heidi will be creating refreshing summer suggestions with ricotta, mozzarella, burrata and some goat cheeses too. Josh from Horizon will be sampling the July Co-op Wines of the Month from 10SPAN Vineyard and maybe he will open a few more summery bottles for you to enjoy.
The Co-op has some great ways for you to save each month on your wine and cheese purchases. In one transaction purchase any 3 or more bottles of the Wines of the Month and receive $5 off any block of cheese from the cheese case. Click here to download the coupon and find out what wines are currently on sale.
Click here to purchase your tickets and more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment