We had a stellar crowd, more than fifty local wine, mead and cheese lovers joined us as we guided them through the tasting.
I have added pictures from the evening and an update regarding our next tasting at the end of the previous posting:
I will be leading the Cheese Tasting part of the event along with Blue Haven Bee Company Co-Owner, Brianna Brown Kidd who will educate the group on the meads, wines and honeys we will be sharing. My credentials include being an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional® and a Garde et Jura of the International Guilde des Fromagers, with a decade of experience in specialty cheese.
Included in the tasting will be the history of each cheese and its producers… what we like to call “its story”. You’ll learn why the EU protects the production of two of the cheeses we are sharing and how Artisan Cheesemaking in the US is holding its own against the cheeses of Europe.
Our pairings for the evening will include:
We will begin with a White Haven Sauvignon Blanc paired with a Fresh Chevre – This New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc’s fresh cut grass and tropical fruit aromas and flavors pairs well with the clean, citrus notes of the fresh goat chevre.
Our tasting will continue with a Traminette from the Noble Wine Cellars. This aromatic Gewurztraminer Hybrid with a fruit forward entry and bright, crisp finish is paired with the robust Cabot Creamery’s 3 Year Cheddar with nutty and spicy notes.
Next pairing is the iconic French AOC Comte, hand selected by Herve Mons* to pair with Southern Origin Meadery’s Pollinator Pyment. The 40% honey mead and 60% wine blend stands well with this sublime Alpine-style cheese.
Cheese, Mead and Wine tasting event – August 2017 at Blue Haven Bee Company
I next chose DO/PDO Certified Manchego to pair with Southern Origin’s Wildflower Mead. The silky sheep cheese accentuates the flavorful smoothness of the mead.
We will finish the evening with Habersham Vineyards and Winery’s Peach Treat which we will pair with Blue Haven’s Southern Cotton honey and and BelGioioso’s creamy Gorgonzola. The salty tartness of the gorgonzola blends with the peach notes of the wine and finishes perfectly with the sweet, buttery honey.
We will include crackers and a few other accompaniments to add to your tasting experience.
The cost of the evening is a modest $30.00 per person and includes a Southern Origin logoed wine glass. The event begins at 6:00 pm and will be concluded by 7:30 pm so you can shop for the wines and honeys and still have time for your dinner reservations.
Brianna Brown Kidd, Andrew Brown, Me and Caleb Kidd
Tickets can be purchased by calling 706.245.6586 – tickets are limited. You must be 21 years of age to attend this event.
All of the cheeses for the evening were purchased at Costco in Greenville, SC, but are available at Whole Foods Markets, Ingles and Murray’s Cheese Shops located in select Kroger stores.
*The Comte is hand-selected by Herve Mons for Costco.
Canon, Georgia, home of Blue Haven Bee Company and several other beekeepers, has been names a Bee City by Bee City USA – one of only five bee cities in Georgia and fifty-nine nationwide. At the December meeting of the Lake Hartwell Beekeepers Association, December 7th Canon Community Center, Caleb will judge local honeys. Check out the website for more info.
Our next holiday tasting at Blue Haven Bee Company will be early December. Stay tuned for details.
Also, 2018 Cheese Study Group Fund-Raising is about to start. Please read Matt Bellingham’s experiences as a 2017 Scholarship Winner and pledge your donations now to help us send 10 worthy recipients to the 2018 ACS CCP Exam™ and the ACS Conference in Pittsburgh.
UPDATED: October 11, 2017
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