Current Featured Cheese - December 2024

Pantaleo’s rind is a pale yellow. Inside is a firm, crystalline ivory paste that crumbles easily when sliced. On the nose, it shows an inviting juxtaposition of savory herbs and warm, melted caramel. At first the flavors are gentle and mild on the palate, but they intensify midway through. There is pronounced nuttiness and salinity enhanced by lively, bright citrus and floral notes. The finish is clean and pleasantly spicy with notes of...

According to Trevor Hickman, resident of Wymondham in East Leicestershire and a Stilton historian, the background of the cheese is somewhat cloudy. A blue-veined cow’s milk cream cheese was produced by farmers at Wymondham as soon as pastures were enclosed, but the first written reference to Stilton cheese was in 1722. Other references made about the same time clearly indicate that Stilton was very popular even then.

Old Québec Vintage Cheddar has a firm, ivory-colored paste that is crumbly with salt-like crystals. It’s all at once buttery and sweet with notes of tangy fruit and creamy caramel. It is robust and deliciously tangy. Suggested beverage pairings include stout beers, bold red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Rioja (Tempranillo), or a higher-acid white like Sauvignon Blanc. Old Québec will enhance your fruit, nut, cheese, and charcuterie boards.

This Spanish firm mixed milk cheese is aged 6 months and uses a minimum of high quality 60% cow’s milk, 20% sheep’s milk, and 6% goat’s milk collected from local farms. While the cheese is being aged, the rind is repeatedly brushed and rubbed with olive oil, leading to herbal, vegetal and peppery aromas and flavors. The paste is light yellow with small eyes. The finish is particularly interesting, reminding us of savory bay leaves. Los Cameros Red Label pairs well with dry red wines and is traditionally paired with a fruit Dulce de Membrillo, a popular Spanish paste made from quince.

Ur-Eiche is pale yellow in color and crumbly in texture, with aromas and flavors that reflect the one-of-a-kind approach to cheesemaking. It is all at once fruity, nutty, and yeasty, with a touch of salinity and a hint of barrique-like notes that come from the wood influence. Ur-Eiche will be lovely on a fruit and nut platter, accompanied by bourbon or a buttery, oaky Chardonnay. When it comes to Ur-Eiche’s profile, perhaps Egli describes it...