On Friday, November 9, our educational wine and cheese tasting will pair a classically-prepared local cheese, Plymouth Artisan Cheese’s Smoked Cheddar, with a selection of Pinot Noirs.

Plymouth Artisan Cheese, led by a husband and wife team, make raw cow’s milk cheeses that are crafted, cut and waxed by hand. The milk has no additives, antibiotics or rBST and is sourced from a single dairy close to their cheesemaking facility in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. That facility is the second oldest cheese factory in the United States; cheeses have been produced there for over a century. Cheesemaker Jesse Werner uses some of the same recipes and techniques that were used 125 years ago, and they pride themselves on producing a “distinctive and original American heritage cheese.” They describe their smoked cheese as “cold-smoked over hickory wood in the classic Vermont tradition, this natural raw artisanal cheddar comes to life somewhere between creamy, savory and proud. With hints of salt and bacon, this sixty-day recipe is one of our best sellers, with enough grit as is, melted, or on a sandwich.”

We will be pairing this delicious cheese with a carefully chosen assortment of Pinot Noirs from our wine department.  A crowd-pleasing and popular wine, Pinot Noir is known for being light-bodied and approachable. It was first crafted in the Burgundy region of France, where it is known as “Red Burgundy” and, some say, you can still find the highest quality of this varietal. It also has a reputation for being one of the most difficult wines to grow and make, causing some to passionately dedicate themselves to the mission of finding the perfect Pinot Noir (see the movie Sideways for an entertaining version of that Pinot dedication). The state of Oregon has become a major player in Pinot Noir production, and we’ll have two wines from that region on Friday, from Willamette Valley Vineyards and Pike Road Wines. Additionally, we’ll feature two Californian Pinot Noirs, from Dark Horse Vineyards and Meiomi.

We hope to see you on Friday between 3pm and 6pm for this exciting educational wine and cheese experience.