Soft-ripened and Bloomy-rind – Cow’s milk cheese
| Brie Camembert Chaource Neufchâtel Robiola |
Mild |
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These are cheeses that have a soft, smooth, and creamy texture. They are not pressed or cooked during the manufacturing process.
These are named for the bloom of white mold ripened on the outside of a soft cheese for a few days or weeks. They tend to be the richest and creamiest type of cheese, with a soft, spreadable texture. The soft rind is edible, and it has a stronger, funkier flavour than the interior.
Soft-ripened cheeses begin firm and rather chalky in texture, but are aged from the exterior inwards by exposing them to mold. The mold may be a velvety bloom of Penicillium camemberti that forms a flexible white crust and contributes to the smooth, runny, or gooey textures and more intense flavours of these aged cheeses.
Cheeses in this category are also characterized by the white bloomy mold development of Penicillium candidum. Although often accompanied by other fungus such as the yeast Geotrichum, the overall appearance of these cheeses is that they have a thin, white, flossy rind, encasing a soft or semi-soft interior paste that breaks down and becomes softer as the cheese matures.
With a moisture content of 50-75%, they are highly perishable and, depending on the temperature at which they are stored, they can ripen quickly, remaining at their peak of flavour for between 3-5 days.
Characteristic flavours include notes of mushrooms or truffle, and grassy or earthy flavours, although these should not eclipse the flavour of the milk and the cheese itself.
Brie |
Brie is the best known French cheese and has a nickname “The Queen of Cheeses”. It is a soft cow’s-milk cheese that mature for no more than a month. Named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern département of Seine-et-Marne).
Several hundred years ago, Brie was one of the tributes which had to be paid to the French kings.
In France, Brie is very different from the cheese exported to the United States. “Real” French Brie is unstabilized and the flavour is complex when the surface turns slightly brown. When the cheese is still pure-white, it is not matured. If the cheese is cut before the maturing process, it will never develop properly. Exported Brie, however, is stabilized and never matures. Stabilized Brie has a much longer shelf life and is not susceptible to bacteriological infections.
Brie, one of the great dessert cheeses, comes as either a 1 or 2 kilogram wheel and is packed in a wooden box. Brie is usually purchased either in a full wheel or as a wheel segment.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
It is pale in colour with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mould. The white bloomy rind is typically edible or you can discard it if you choose, with its flavour depending largely upon the ingredients used and its manufacturing environment. It is very soft and savoury in flavour, bearing similarities in texture with Camembert, which is native to a different region of France.
Ultra-creamy and buttery, with hints of fresh field mushroom. Deliciously buttery and creamy inside, with a snow white edible rind, mild flavour with subtle mushroom notes. Grassy and barnyard on the nose, but mild and slightly salty on the palate, this cheese exhibits a hint of milky sweetness and some bitter notes with a mineraly aftertaste.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
Make sure to allow Brie to come to room temperature (at least 25 minutes) before serving. In order to enjoy the taste fully, a creamy or double cream cheese Brie is best served at room temperature. However it is sometimes served slightly melted or baked, in a round, lidded ceramic dish, and topped with nuts or fruit.
It can also be enjoyed on crackers, sandwiches or as a delicious dip.
Pair Brie with honey and pecans or blueberry-lavender jam. For a more adventurous concoction, it also makes a great grilled cheese sandwich wedged in with strawberries, basil, turkey bacon and blueberry-infused balsamic.
Red apple is a great partner for Brie cheese.
Wine Pairings
Pair it with anything bubbly, from Cava or Champagne. Pairing a French Brie with a French Champagne would make an enjoyable taste sensation.
A unoaked chardonnay would also pair well with this cheese’s texture. The combination of rich texture and high acidity can make Chardonnay a good wine to enjoy with creamy cheeses, like Brie. The fruit of the wine will elevate the buttery, salty taste of the cheese.
A red Bordeaux or Bourgogne (Burgundy) is also an excellent choice.
Brie needs a wine that will go well with its distinct flavours while remaining light enough not to overwhelm them. Pair with a good glass of Pinot Noir, brie’s best friend.
Sweet sherry is also a good option for French Brie.
Substitutes/Similar cheeses
If you want a substitute for brie you can use either Camembert or Reblochon.
Comparison with Camembert
Camembert is a similar soft cheese which is also made from cow’s milk. Camembert is a much more recently developed cheese, and is based on brie. However, there are differences such as its origin, typical market shape, size, and flavour:
• Brie originates from the Île-de-France while Camembert comes from Normandy.
• Traditionally, brie was produced in large wheels, 23 to 37 cm (9 to 14.5 in) in diameter, and thus ripened more slowly than the smaller Camembert cheeses.
• When sold, brie segments typically have been cut from the larger wheels (although some brie is sold as small, flat cylinders), and therefore its sides are not covered by the rind. By contrast, Camembert is ripened as a small round cheese 10 cm (4 in) in diameter by about 3 cm (1.25 in) thick and fully covered by rind.
• This ratio change between rind and paste makes Camembert slightly stronger when compared to a brie ripened for the same amount of time. Once the rind is cut on Camembert, the cheese typically has a more pungent aroma than does brie. In terms of taste, Camembert has a stronger, slightly sour, and sometimes chalky taste.
• The texture of Camembert is softer than that of brie, and if warmed, Camembert will become creamier, whereas brie warms without losing as much structure.
Storing
It is very rich and creamy. This softness allows for the rapid widespread growth of bacteria if the cheese is not stored correctly. It is recommended that brie cheese be refrigerated immediately after purchase, and stored in the refrigerator until it is consumed completely. The optimal storage temperature for brie is 4 °C (39 °F) or even lower. The cheese should be kept in a tightly sealed container or plastic wrap to avoid contact with moisture and food-spoilage bacteria which will reduce the shelf life and freshness of the product. The companies that produce this cheese usually recommend that their cheese be consumed before the best-before date and no later than a week after. Although the cheese can still be consumed at this time, the quality of the cheese is believed to be reduced substantially. In the case that blue or green mold appears to be growing on the cheese, it must no longer be consumed and must be discarded immediately so that food-borne illness is prevented. The mold should not be cut off to continue consumption as there is a high risk of the mold’s spores being already spread throughout the entire cheese.
| Best wine pairing | White Wine: unoaked chardonnay Red Wine: Red Bordeaux, Bourgogne (Burgundy), Pinot Noir, Merlot Sparkling Wine: Cava, Champagne, Crémant, Sparkling wines (Methode Traditionelle) Dessert Wine: Sweet Sherry |
| Pair with | Crackers, nuts, pecans, walnuts, fruits, red apple, cantaloupe, strawberries, figs, honey and or blueberry-lavender jam, basil, turkey bacon and blueberry-infused balsamic |
| Type | Soft, artisan, soft-ripened |
| Texture | Buttery, runny and creamy |
| Rind | Bloomy |
| Colour | Cream and white |
| Flavour | Fruity, mild, nutty, tangy, buttery, creamy |
| Aroma | Rich, pronounced, strong |
| Source of milk | Whole or semi-skimmed cow’s milk |
| Aging time | Generally 4 to 8 weeks |
| Family | Brie |
| Country of origin | France |
Variations
There are now many varieties of brie made all over the world, including plain brie, herbed varieties, double and triple brie and versions of brie made with other types of milk.
Although Lorraine, France is now the largest producer of Brie, for the best flavour, look for traditional Brie de Meaux.
Read more at All about Brie
Brie de Meaux is a soft French cheese made from cow’s milk, with an average weight of 2.8 kg (6.2 lb) for a diameter of 36 to 37 cm (14 to 15 in).
It matures in cellars on straw mats in the Île-de-France area near Paris for at least four weeks. This particular variety of Brie is the most famous of all, and in the past, it has been known as the cheese of royalty and well-off people.
It is named after the town of Meaux in the region of Brie, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the east of Paris, the production area of Brie de Meaux. Brie de Meaux, an AOC cheese should be matured in the regions of Seine-et-Marne, Loiret, Aube, Marne, Haut-Marne, Meuse and Yonne. The difference between production and maturation places is a typical Brie tradition.
Brie de Meaux is an ancient cheese. In 1814, the Prince de Talleyrand organized a European tournament during the Congress of Vienna. Brie de Meaux was awarded the first prize and declared “Le Roi des Fromages” (The King of Cheeses). Of the many types, Brie de Meaux is probably the finest, and most widely the best known.
Its bloomy rind, a result of inoculation with Penicillium Candidum molds. As the cheese ages, the rind develops red or brown patches. When nearly half of the straw coloured pate is ripe and soft, it indicates Brie de Meaux is ready for consumption.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
The flat raw, soft unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese has a delicate rind covered in white mold. The interior of the cheese is straw-yellow, creamy and soft.
Brie de Meaux has the sweetness one would expect from a top world’s cheese. It has a milk and rich taste underlined by sweet and buttery flavours of mushrooms or truffles and almonds. It delivers a very soft combination of hazelnut and fruit aromas.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
It is important to let the Brie reach room temperature before consumption in order to fully appreciate its range of flavours – moldy, mushroomy, nutty, and fruity.
The cheese is commonly used in French culinary specialties such as Galettes briardes and Bouchées á la reine au Brie.
Serve with Lingonberry jam, Pain aux noix (Bread), Maple Syrup.
Wine Pairings
Brie is a perfect match with Champagne. Full-bodied red wines such as Red Bordeaux or Bourgogne (Burgundy) is also an excellent choice.
| Best wine pairing | Red Wine: Red Bordeaux, Bourgogne (Burgundy), Beaujolais Nouveau Sparkling Wine: Champagne, Cava |
| Pair with | Lingonberry jam, Pain aux noix (Bread), Maple Syrup |
| Type | Soft, artisan, soft-ripened, Uncooked, unpressed |
| Texture | Soft-ripened, creamy and smooth |
| Rind | Bloomy |
| Colour | Straw |
| Flavour | Buttery, sweet |
| Aroma | Aromatic, rich |
| Source of milk | unpasteurized Cow’s milk |
| Aging time (Affinage) | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Family | Brie |
| Country of origin | France |
|
Brie noir or black brie is a French cheese with a distinctive dark colour and a crumbly texture. It is a super-aged version of Brie. A Brie cheese that has been aged past that creamy, unctuous texture that you’re used to, to become a cheese with a greyish rind and a texture more akin to Parmesan inside.
This technique was once carried out by locals of the region of Brie, who would wrap imperfect Bries de Meaux in newspaper and let them dry out in the attic. Instead of selling them by weight, as AOC Brie de Meaux was, they were sold by the eighth, and they were only sold locally, never at market, and most certainly not in Paris. Brie Noir is hard to find outside Seine-et-Marne.
The Brie you know and love—the creamy, white, mold-ripened cheese—is typically aged five to ten weeks. Brie Noir calls that amateur hour. Because Brie Noir takes up to two years to develop its distinct, dark colour, its crumbly texture, and its earthy flavour.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
If left to mature for longer, typically several months to a year, the cheese becomes stronger in flavour and taste, the pâte drier and darker, and the rind also darker and crumbly, during that time, the cheese goes from gooey to crumbly — closer to the texture of Parmesan than regular Brie. It is aged for months, for up to 2 years, before consumption and develops an earthy, nutty, bitter, mushroomy, and acidic flavour. The taste is, er, unique. Overripe brie contains an unpleasant excessive amount of ammonia, produced by the same microorganisms required for ripening. Even experienced cheesemongers can find the taste of black Brie disconcerting.
The texture is breakable and dense, with an intense chewing, reminding of chocolate, the tasting notes range from mushroom-y or nutty to bitter and acidic, depending on the taster. But just about everyone agrees that all that aging makes for a strong cheese. Perhaps that’s why so many locals dunk it in coffee.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
Scrape some of the rind off before eating, and try dunking it in coffee. Around the Île-de-France where brie is made, people enjoy soaking this in café au lait and eating it for breakfast.
Pair it with apple cheese jam, Irish dark beer, or a French Pineau.
In a cheese boards begin with the softer cheeses and then finishing with a Brie Noir cut into small slices, unlike the classic Brie. Some even advise to eat it alone, without any other cheeses, because of its strong taste.
Wine Pairings
Pair it with a sweet wine.
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Brie de Melu is a soft, flat-formed cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk in the areas of Aube and Yonne and the Brie region of Île-de-France.
Brie de Melun is also available in the form of “Old Brie” or black brie. It was granted the protection of AOC status in 1980.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
This Brie is even smaller than its widely popular cousin Brie de Meaux and it is also stronger and saltier in taste and more pungent smell.
Its body is golden yellow and has a white, moldy rind with dispersed reddish strokes. Brie de Melun needs more time to be produced than Brie de Meaux, and it also matures for quite a longer period (4-8 weeks). The flavour of the cheese is fruity, musty and reminiscent of straw.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
It goes well with pears and bread such as Pain aux noix.
Wine Pairings
Pair it with lighter red wines that will not overpower the delicate flavours of Brie de Melun.
Camembert |
Camembert (also called Camembert Le Châtelain, Camembert de Normandie PDO) is a moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cheese made pasteurized cow’s milk from Normandy, France. It is one of the most famous cheeses in France, named after a Norman village where there is a statue of its creator (Marie Harel).
The cheese is ladled into molds by hand, dry-salted, then matured for 30 to 35 days. Its body is soft and creamy while its exterior is covered with a white, moldy rind. At the beginning of its ripening, Camembert is crumbly and soft and gets creamier over time (usually 2-3 weeks). An affinage of 21 days is legally required.
Typically camembert tends to be sold whole in thin, round, wooden containers made from poplar, to prevent the running and spilling of its gooey interior. Modern variations in packaging include cartons and tin cans, with a ring-pull tab for opening (Camembert in metallic boxes does not exist on the French market). The cardboard boxes are reserved for the low-cost Camemberts. The product is the same as in the wooden container, wrapped dry in a paper/foil wrapper, and not immersed in brine or oil.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
Camembert is similar to Brie, which is native to the Brie region of France, but produced in smaller wheels and has a slightly more robust flavour. Very creamy, but with more concentrated earthy flavours and pungency with age. The fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. Young Camembert has a milky and sweet taste. As the cheese matures it forms a smooth, runny interior and a white bloomy rind that is typical to Camembert cheese.
Camembert has a delicate salty taste. A good cheese is matured to the heart of the cheese. Its paste should have a clear yellow appearance.
The flavour is intense, rich, buttery, pungent and similar to that of mushrooms, grass and butter while the smell is moldy and cabbage-like. The rind is bloomy white caused by a white fungus, called penicillium candidum. The rind is meant to be eaten with the cheese.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
Camembert is famous with crusty French baguette bread. Camembert is also excellent served with fresh fruits or nuts, and is best eaten at room temperature that may become even slightly “runny”.
It is best to try it with sliced apples, which emphasizes its flavour or even in desserts.
Wine Pairings
Try pairing Camembert with some light-bodied whites such as Chenin Blanc or with softer tannin light red wines such as Red Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau , St Emilion, St Estephe, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Faugères Rouge, Irancy, Cabernet Moravia or traditionally with a glass of Normandy hard Cider.
Black tea and Chimay Red beer is also an option.
Substitutes/Similar cheeses
If you want a substitute for Camembert you can use a good Brie or Explorateur or Reblochon.
| Best wine pairing | White Wine: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay Red Wine: Red Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Gamay Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau, St Emilion, St Estephe, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Faugères Rouge, Irancy, Cabernet Moravia, Pinot noir Sparkling Wine: Champagne, Prosecco or any good quality sparkling wine |
| Pair with | Crusty French baguette bread, fresh fruits, nuts, sliced apples, cantaloupe, savoury jams and jellies, , Green Olive Mt. Athenos |
| Type | soft, artisan, soft-ripened, uncooked, pressed, semi-hard |
| Texture | Creamy, chalky, runny, smooth, soft-ripened and supple |
| Rind | Bloomy |
| Colour | Pale yellow |
| Flavour | Buttery, creamy, milky, sweet, fruity |
| Aroma | Earthy, fruity with a slight aroma of mushrooms and mold |
| Source of milk | Pasteurized Cow’s milk |
| Aging time | At least 3 weeks |
| Family | Camembert |
| Country of origin | France |
Chaource |
Chaource is a tall, soft French cheese, originally manufactured in the village of Chaource in the Champagne-Ardenne region, France since the early 14th century. Similar to Camembert, but with a creamier texture, Chaource is still a traditional cheese.
Chaource is a cow’s milk cheese, cylindrical in shape at around 10 cm in diameter and 6 cm in height, weighing either 250 or 450 g. It comes wrapped in greased paper and packed in a wooden box.
Chaource is made from unpasteurised cows’ milk by the process of slow draining, and the cheese must mature for at least 14 days before it can be consumed, either young, when almost no rind has formed, or mature (2-3 months). Many people like to eat young Chaource when its rind is hardly formed whereas others eat after it attains full maturation. When aged, Chaource becomes very creamy, almost liquid.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
Despite it’s richness, the interior has a piquant, creamy and slightly acidic, fruity and mild, flavour with a distinct note of butter, tart and mushrooms with a bit of savoury in the background.
It has a soft-ripened, creamy and a little bit crumbly, non-elastic texture. The central pâte is soft, creamy in colour, and slightly crumbly, and is surrounded by a white velvety Penicillium candidum rind.
Chaource is good to eat at any stage of maturation. When young, Chaource is very smooth. Younger cheeses have a fresh and slightly tart flavour. When aged, the cheese is creamy. When fully matured, Chaource is nutty and a little bit salty.
However, the majority that find their way onto American retail counters are usually more mature. Typically, a soft, white and sometimes quite thick, bloomy rind develops which can taste slightly bitter – in which case it’s best just to consume the interior. During its ageing time, the cheese has a bit salty, buttery and milky taste.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
It’s best to eat it at room temperature because it ripens from the outside in, and the inside becomes runny when the cheese gets sliced.
The best food pairing for Chaource are dark berries and honey.
Chaource is also good as an appetizer.
Wine Pairings
Chaource is made in miniature wheels that gives it an elegant appearance for serving with Champagne or light sparkling wines.
Or alternatively pair with a dry white wine such as Sancerre, Chablis, Bâtard-Montrachet. It also goes well with Nuit St Georges, Pommard, Mercurey, Côte de Brouilly, Irancy, Saumur-Champigny, Saint-Émilion or Lussac-Saint-Émilion.
| Best wine pairing | White Wine: Sancerre, Chablis, Bâtard-Montrachet Red Wine: Nuit St Georges, Pommard, Mercurey, Côte de Brouilly, Irancy, Saint-Émilion, Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Saumur-Champigny Sparkling Wine: Champagne or light sparkling wines |
| Pair with | Dark berries and honey |
| Type | Soft, soft-ripened |
| Texture | Creamy, crumbly and soft-ripened |
| Rind | Bloomy, Mold Ripened |
| Colour | Cream |
| Flavour | Mushroomy, buttery, milky |
| Aroma | Rind: slightly tart and slightly bitter; interior: piquant, slightly fruity |
| Source of milk | Cow’s milk |
| Aging time | 2-4 weeks |
| Country of origin | France |
Neufchâtel or Coeur du Neufchatel |
Neufchâtel originated in Normandy France. It is a very soft, mold-ripened, slightly crumbly, spreadable cheese similar to Cream cheese. It differs from true cream cheese because it is made from whole milk and not cream.
Neufchatel is arguably the oldest cheese in France.
Neufchâtel can be industrial, farmstead or artisanal. Artisanal Neufchâtel has a grainy, close textured and thick paste covered with a soft, downy, velvety bloomy rind.
It can be sold after 10 days of maturation but it is typically matured for 8–10 weeks.
Neufchâtel is traditionally molded in a coeur (heart shape, but is also produced in other forms, such as bonde (cylinders), carre (square shape), logs and boxes. However, in North America it is more commonly found in a briquette (brick shape) form. His heart shape is ideal for Valentine’s Day! Legend goes that French farm girls fell in love with English soldiers during the Hundred Years War and started making heart shaped cheeses to show their love.
The American Neufchâtel is softer than regular Cream cheese. In the United States, Neufchâtel is sometimes called farmers’ cheese.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
The taste is marked but delicate. Its texture and taste is similar to its well known-cousin, Camembert, but saltier and more intense, mushroomy, rich, nutty and slightly yeasty, with a dry, white, edible rind, but the taste is saltier and sharper. The dry rind is velvety white, its gold pate is firm but supple. Unlike other soft-white-rinded cheeses, Neufchâtel has a grainy texture.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
Neufchatel is often consumed spread on a piece of crusty bread; this cheese is a gourmet delight. This cheese tastes great on a toasted bagel.
It is usually used as a low-fat substitute for Cream cheese.
Wine Pairings
Neufchatel goes well with sparkling wines or a strong red wine.
| Best wine pairing | White Wine: Gewurztraminer (Alsace), Riesling Red Wine: Beaujolais or a strong red wine Sparkling Wines |
| Pair with | Crusty bread, toasted bagel |
| Type | Soft, semi-soft, artisan |
| Texture | Close, firm but slightly grainy, spreadable and supple |
| Rind | Bloomy, Mold Ripened |
| Colour | white |
| Flavour | Mushroomy, nutty, salty, sharp, tangy, milky |
| Aroma | yeasty |
| Source of milk | Cow’s milk |
| Aging time | 8–10 weeks |
| Family | Camembert |
| Country of origin | France |
Robiola |
Robiola is an Italian soft-ripened cheese of the Stracchino family. It is from the Langhe region, Piedmont in Northern Italy and made with varying proportions of cow’s, goat’s and sheep milk. Whole sheep’s milk gives Robiola a rich and creamy texture.
Its tangy taste is attributable to being infused with the wild herbs on which the animals pasture.
Characteristics & Tasting Notes
It is a fresh artisan cheese with a soft smooth spreadable texture. The flavour is a complex mix of mushrooms, earthiness and a hint of sour. It’s mild and luscious, marked by tang and saltiness.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings
Robiola is generally served as a table cheese, either alone or with oil, salt and pepper.
It is delicious served with olive oil and salt with some crusty bread.
Robiola can also be used in cooking including famous Piemonte dishes such as “risotto robiola” and “aglio robiola spaghetti” and other dishes.
Substitutes/Similar cheeses
Storing
It must be stored properly after being purchased, and will keep fresh for up to one month, but is best used within a week of purchase. Special care should be exercised in properly storing the cheese (do not wrap in plastic, as the cheese can “choke” and spoil). Best stored refrigerated unwrapped in its crust, or wrapped in paper.
Variations
The taste and appearance of Robiola varies depending upon where it was produced.
- Robiola di Roccaverano DOP/DOC has no rind and a slightly straw-yellow colouring with a sweet, yielding taste. Robiola di Roccaverano is named after the town of Roccaverano. This fat cheese is produced in Langhe, a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro between the Piedmont provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Robiola di Roccaverano is a fresh or short-aged soft paste cheese made from goat and cow’s milk. It has a rich goaty aroma and strong, almost piquant flavour. It is typically served with fresh fruit, walnut or raisin bread, or simply some crusty sourdough bread slices. Pair it with fruity white wines.
- Robiola Lombardia has a thin, milky-white to pink rind and tends to be shaped like small rolls. The cream-coloured cheese underneath its bloomy rind has a smooth, full, tangy and mildly sour flavour, likely due to the high (52%) fat content. Its rind can be cut away, but is mild with no ammonia and adds a subtle crunch to the cheese.
- La Tur has a cake-like rind over a tangy-lactic layer of cream and is representative of Piedmont’s Robiola style of cheese where the fresh curds are ladled into molds, and drain under their own weight before aging rather than by pressing with weights. Robiola from the Piedmont region is a fresh cheese, and is usually eaten on its own, or with a little honey.
- Robiola due Latti, a mixed milk cheese (cow and sheep milk) is a delectable treat. It is made in the Piedmont region of Italy. The paper thin rind covers an unctuous buttery paste that coats the palate. Mild and savoury, creamy with a light lingering sweetness, this delicate pillow of soft-ripened cheese is irresistible.
| Best wine pairing | White Wine: Gewurztraminer, Alsace Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio Red Wine: Barbaresco Sparkling Wine: Moscato d’Asti |
| Pair with | Honey or olive oil and salt with some crusty bread, a fruit compote and hazlenuts work well |
| Type | Semi-soft |
| Texture | Soft-ripened |
| Rind | Bloomy |
| Colour | Bone-white |
| Flavour | Delicate, savoury, tangy and slightly sour |
| Aroma | Sweet and milky |
| Source of milk | Cows, Goats, Sheep or a blend |
| Aging time | None to 20 days |
| Family | Stracchino |
| Country of origin | Italy |
Note: I get really excited about cheese and wine, so it’s difficult for me to be brief when there is so much wonderful information to share!
Also check:
- A Complete Guide to Plan an Unforgettable Wine & Cheese Party
- The cheese
- ***Soft Cheese – Fresh – Cow’s milk cheese
- ***Soft Cheese – Fresh – Goat’s milk cheese
- ***Stretched Curd and Brined
- ***Soft and Brined
- ***Soft-ripened and Bloomy-rind – Cow’s milk cheese
- ***Soft Ripened and Bloomy-rind – Cow’s milk cheese – Double/Triple-crème cheeses
- ***Soft-ripened and Bloomy-rind – Goat’s milk cheese
- ***Semi-soft and Brined
- ***Semi-soft – Mild Cow’s milk cheese
- ***Semi-soft – Mild Sheep’s milk
- ***Semi-soft – Swiss or Swiss style
- ***Washed Rind (soft or semi-soft/Semi-hard Cheese/Medium-aged Cheeses)
- ***Aged – Cow’s milk cheese
- ***Hard – sheep’s milk cheese
- ***Hard – Grana
- ***Blue cheeses
- What to serve with the cheese and wine?
- Cheese and Wine Pairing
- ***Classic Cheese and Wine Pairing Chart
- ***Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – Sparkling Wine
- ***Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – White Wine
- ***Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – White Wine
- ***Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – Rosé Wine
- ***Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – Red Wine
- ***Classic Wine and Cheese Pairing – Dessert Wine
- Non-alcoholic alternatives
- How much to buy?
- How to set the table?
- Chronogram & Preparation
***In Development, please keep checking.
Reference: Content and images based on information from: https://www.wikipedia.org/ https://cheese.com https://www.cookipedia.co.uk
https://culturecheesemag.com https://www.gourmetsleuth.com https://winefolly.com/ https://www.tasteatlas.com https://www.wine.com/ https://winemonger.com https://www.terroir-france.com/
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