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Karen's 3 Picks for Cheeses

Smoked Gouda
Piave
Manchego

I'm have no picks of wines since I'm not into wines.

Piave/Sherry

Stilton/Port

Brie de Meaux/Sparkling Wine

mmm, I can almost taste them now.

almost =(

Roquefort w/ Late Harvest Vidal, Stilton w/ Port, Crottin w/Riesling.

On top of that an Honorary mention, Cremeux du Jura with Pinor Grigio. Tasted funky at first and it gets better on your second bite (i ate it together with apple slice as well).

loved the first pairing.
Manchego & Rioja

loved the Piave

hated the goat cheese. can't remember the name.

looking forward to chocolate and coffee.

I very much enjoyed the French cheeses, though the English weren't far behind:
Brie de Meaux + Blanc de blancs
Crottin de chevre + Riesling (German interloper!)
Roquefort + Late Harvest Vidal

Of the English cheeses I liked the Stilton + Port pairing. A delicious evening!

Stilton/Port!

and my fav cheese:

Manchego.

Course 1

Manchego and Rioja

This all Spain pairing was not as good as I had hoped. Individually, the Manchego and the Rioja are excellent, but the bitter aftertaste of the Manchego clashes with the Rioja tannins. These should be enjoyed on their own.


Brie de Meaux and Henkell Blanc de Blancs

The smooth, creamy sweetness of the brie dovetails nicely with the sparkling wine. It's still not entirely perfect, but that's just me.


Stilton and Port

I must admit that I have a bias toward Stiltons. It's my favourite blue cheese, after all. The Stilton wasn't too harsh, which says much about the high quality of the Stilton. Its inherent sharpness is complemented by the rounded flavours of the port. This is my top choice so far. Let's see what happens below.


Course 2

Saxonshire and Cabernet Sauvignon

The Saxonshire is a nice cheese. But using the word "nice" to describe it is to use the word in the same sense with which you would describe a "nice" girl, i.e. someone you can take home to see your Mom. However, a "nice" girl is quite a bit different from a "hot" girl, which is someone so desirable that she could start wars. This is definitely not one of those cheeses. However, the wine is incredible. The 1996 Magnotta Millenium has complexity, but it's also accessible, thus making it an ideal wine for a gift that says much about the giver. Such a fine wine, however, deserves more than just a "nice" cheese.


Piave and Sherry

Bold and decisive, the Piave is naturally superior to its strong tasting brethren. The Osborne Santa Maria sweetly complements it without asserting itself too much. As such, the two are much like the typical Little-House-on-the-Prairie Canadian couple, where the wife exists solely to support the husband's pioneering endeavours. (This does not reflect the personal views of the author!)


Smoked Gouda and Gewurtztraminer

A truly delicious cheese. Mild, yet full of flavour. The G-wine was a bit weak, and didn't do much to bring out the playful characteristics of the cheese. This pairing is like a broadway actress married to an accountant. Infidelity is just around the corner.


Course 3

Fourme D'Ambert and Select Late Harvest

Both excellent on their own, but perhaps not so well together. Both seem to assert different characteristics, and very strongly at that. Like two debaters talking past each other.


Crotin and Semi-dry Riesling

A surprising cheese. Very goaty, which is not surprising since it came from a goat, and it never lets you forget it. I imagine the Riesling would be a great dinner wine, but this time, it was unfortunately drowned out by the overpowering Crotin. The Crotin seemed to be so strong that it could've constituted a meal in its own right.


Cremeux de Jura and Pinio Grigio

A shocking cheese. It initially strikes you as foul and uncouth. But after some reflection, it was actually quite delicious. This cheese keeps on hitting you hard even after you've had it a couple times. The shock never really goes away. The pinot grigio lamely tried to keep up with the cheese, but, as those Trek geeks say, "resistance is futile!"


Course 4

Roquefort and Late Harvest Vidal

They say it's the king of blues, and they were right. The Roquefort gives it to you with authority! But it's not overpowering. The Late Harvest Vidal complements it neatly in what can only be deemed a perfect marriage of powerful individuals. Kinda like a high powered lawyer marrying a heart surgeon.

Thanks Matt & Giz for organizing. This was a lot of fun!

Faves:

Stilton/Port
Smoked Gouda/G-wine
Roquefort/Last Harvest Vidal

The only cheeses I found difficult to eat were the Crottin and the bitter one--Cremeux du Jura? Oh, loved the piave/sherry combo as well.

Nonetheless, there are some essential factors that need considering before making any selection.
They need only ten to thirty percent as much power as C7s
or C9s. There's a color screen option which works the same way as the light bulb but has less of a harsh glare.

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