Sartori Foods’ Cheese Plate

Sartori Foods was one of the cheesemakers The Lady visited last month and she created a cheese plate using some of their product line.

She divided the cheeses into groups as follows:

Asiago:

We have previously reviewed the Rosemary and Olive Oil Asiago.

Extra Aged Asiago. One of the first things you notice about this cheese is how beautiful it is: an incredible gorgeous ivory pate that is creamy and finishes nutty and savory on the palate. Sartori uses a double-aging process to make this savory cheese.

Basil and Olive Oil Asiago. Sartori takes their Asiago and hand-rubs it with basil and olive oil. The finish is perfect for a cheese plate and for crumbling over pasta tossed simply in EVOO. This version is aged for six months while the extra-aged is at least nine months old before release.

Bellavitano Reserve:

As reviewed here last winter, Bellavitano Gold is a favorite around the manse. This is a cheese that starts out with Parmesan notes and ends with light fruity notes.

In addition to the Gold Reserve, Sartori has figured out several ways to perfect perfection:

Raspberry Bellavitano which The Lady used in the cheesecake she made for The Man and father’s Day. This cheese has been rubbed with Raspberry Tart Ale from the New Glarus Brewery (the raspberries are from Oregon). This is one damned fine cheese for a plate and desserts.

Merlot Bellavitano: Another winner using Bellavitano Gold and soaking it in Merlot which is The Lady’s favorite red wine – a double winner around the manse. The merlot adds just the right finish and makes for a beautiful looking cheese as well.

Under the watchful eye of Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Larry Steckbauer, Sartori has taken the Bellavitano Gold and bathed it in balsamic vinegar making a sweet coating that cries out for drizzling with a little EVOO and then dying and going to heaven… oh wait, when you eat this cheese, you are already in heaven… Balsamic Bellavitano was added to their line of award-winning cheeses this past January of 2010.

Another new and fabulous cheese to the Sartori Family is Pastorale Blend, their first mixed milk cheese which is a combination of cow and sheep milks. This wheel is bathed with paprika to produce an eye-popping cheese that would make a great centerpiece of any cheese display. And the combination of milks makes for a wonderful finish; the sheep comes through and the cow smoothes it out.

The last cheese on the plate was Dolcino Gorgonzola; an amazingly creamy blue cheese because Sartori added extra cream to enhance the flavor and appeal of this cheese.

I give this Sartori Cheese Plate 4 Paws out of 4 Paws; there’s not a cheese here that is not superb. My hat’s off to Larry, Jim and everyone that puts their hearts and souls into making Sartori cheeses so fine.

Serving Suggestions: Because I reviewed so many cheeses here, I suggest you visit both the Sartori Food website for serving suggestions and recipes.

For Beer and Wine Pairing, visit the Cheese Cupid – their pairings are the best.

Awards: More than 50 in the last 3 years – these folks have got it going on…

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