Wine and cheese

Harry Schockaert one of the 13 members of the Cercle des fromager affineurs.

Harry, who new me since my parents started their catering business in the centre of Mechelen late 70's, isn't fond of being called a "fromager"!!

He is not a cheese maker but an affineur or ripener, he makes the cheese ready for consumation or better still he makes cheese edible.

Ripening cheese is quite a job, i grew up eating Harry's fantastic selection of cheeses and untill now I stay amazed by these flavours, texture and aromas it's thrilling!!

We just started of a pretty interesting wine and cheese course we organise once a month via Bongo (check out the link!).

H. has been giving cheese tastings forever at his shop pairing it up with classics: starting of with fresh cheese and artisan cider, goatcheese with sauvingons from the Loire, creamcheeses with fresh young alsacians, more aromatic cheeses with whites from the Costières de Nîmes with lots of viognier in, ...

So I tought why not change the wines with New World wines and and try out other combinations.

H. is convinced that whites are a better match with Cheese wich is very right. But certain chilled reds are fantastic too!! Fortified wines (Cali sweets from Andrew Quady, Bouteille Call: Bonny Doons port of syrah with Tullamine raspberries, pink sparkels from Piemonte, oxidatif whites, ... Food and winelover, pro and contras come on and join the tastings!! Discover and intervene in our search of perfect combinations.

Important fact of keeping cheese!!

Wine just like cheese has to be served at the perfect temperature for maximum enjoyment.

At most places cheeses are kept in refrigerated areas, mostly the cheeses aren't ripened then.

Therefore at home or at the restaurant we ripene the cheese further ourselves or bring the cheese to a certain temp before serving. After serving it mostly we trow it right in the fridge again. Wrong!!!!! Not good, bad very bad, NO CAN DO!!

When cheeses are well ripened they must be kept at 12-14° celsius not colder!

The cheese is ready, putting it back is destroying the work and time spent to make it "a point".

Once the perfect ripeness is achieved we must keep the temp steady, of course keeping it at room temp we create unwanted bacteria, so let's use our grey mass for those who have it at least.

Perfect place to keep it is the winecellar, eat your cheese within the week!

Since I've been working with SWAFFOU I got the opportunity on onganizing winediners at high end restaurants and have experienced this:

All over the same mistakes are made over and over again, cheeses to cold or to old.

H. always says he's afraid to eat cheese at restaurants because of the they way the cheeses are treated, I must sadly confirm his critic.

Stop big cheeseplatters and focus on specific cheeses, make a course combined with complemtary flavours and off course the perfect winematch!!

At restaurant t'Archief wich I consult we always carry 3-4 different cheeses, 300-400gr each wich i personaly select on perfect ripeness. They come in wednesday and by sunday most of it is finished if not I have the staff enjoy it and let them discover the cheese as well as the leftovers of fruits, jelly's and wines to combine with.

Chee(r)se!!