Artisanal Cheese the Disney Way

On one of my trips to the Disney Food and Wine Festival I noticed on the schedule a wine and cheese pairing. Being a lover of cheese I was intrigued, even more so when wine is involved.

Standing in lining for about 45 minutes, just to get the tickets I began to wonder if the cheese was worth my time. Once the ticket was purchased and allowed in to sit down we find 3 pieces of cheeses and 3 wines.

Well, my attitude changed when our presenter began to tell her story. Barrie Lynn is bubbly and enthusiastic about cheese which rolled through her audience to all of our delight. Then Barrie the ‘The Cheese Impresario’ began to explain the first cheese and exactly how to taste. ‘The Cheese Impresario’ took cheese to a whole new level. I love when a glass of wine take me to what I call a wine nirvana. Barrie and her cheese tasting technique took me to cheese nirvana.

The next time you have a nice slice of cheese first smell the cheese, just like a glass of wine has aromas, so does cheese. Then take a small bite of cheese, create a highway of cheese on your tongue. Sip a nicely paired wine, as the wine rolls over the cheese notice the incredible difference. The taste as the wine mingled with the cheese was like fireworks on the Fourth of July. It was amazing, how Barrie’s technique for tasting cheese with the perfect pairing of wine can make such a difference.

The first cheese we experienced was from Sid Cook, from Carr Valley Cheese Company, a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, who is a rock and roll star in the world of artisanal cheese. According to the literature, provided by Barrie Lynn, Sid is the most awarded cheesemaker on the planet.. a fine artist whose medium is cheese. We were served his Airco – cow, goat and sheep’s milk; a hickory-smoked cheese. It was paired with a 2007 Rosenthal the Malibu Estate Chardonnay.

Our next cheese was from Roth Kase from Monroe, Wisconsin, a vintage Van Gogh, Gouda aged a minimum of 6 months to create a golden color and rich flavor with undertones of caramel and coffee. Paired so well with a 2007 Kenwood Sonoma County Merlot.

Our last sample was a 2003 Rosenthal The Malibu Estate Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Widmer’s Cheese Cellars 6 year Cheddar. Joe Widmer the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker is one of only 44 Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers who have passed the state’s rigorous standards… much like a Master Sommelier. Joe describes this 6 year old cheddar as “a burst of flavor, nutty, intense, a bit crumbly and without that bitter bite sharp cheddars often have.” This cheddar is smooth as silk.

This was one of the best seminars Disney provided; it was fun, informative and gave me a new appreciation of cheese. If you ever have the opportunity to go to a seminar by The Cheese Impresario, do not pass up the opportunity to expand your enjoyment of cheese and wine.

Please check out the wines paired with the cheeses, wonderful with the cheeses, just as enjoyable on their own. I just learned of the Rosenthal Malibu Estate wines, I’m quickly becoming a fan.