This Friday, Dec. 14, we will have an educational wine and cheese tasting from 3-6pm in the center of our store.

For this pairing, we will feature a selection of Chianti wines, a red blend from Tuscany made mostly of Sangiovese grapes. The thin skin of that grape causes the wine to have a familiar ruby red color that lets the light shine through. Considered one of the most recognized Italian wines outside of Italy, it is known for a flavor profile that can be tart and spicy,with notes of red fruit such as cherries, herbs like oregano, balsamic vinegar or even dry salami. Not surprisingly, Chianti is a great companion to pasta dishes with tomato sauces or all manner of pizza varieties. We will be sampling 90 Plus Cellars Chianti Riserva, Vecchia Cantina Chianti, Bruni Poggio d’Elsa,and Badia a Coltibuono Chianti

Those wines will be paired with an Italian Fontina cheese. Fontina is produced in a number of places but the real deal only comes from a region in Italy in the Alps near the French and Swiss borders. This alpine cheese is considered best when it’s made from summertime milk, while the cows graze among the mountainous meadows and pastures. It’s then aged in the low temperatures of the nearby caves those same mountains provide. A rich, creamy cheese, typically made with unpasteurized milk, its sweet flavor has notes of butter and nuts. It’s perfect for melting and can be used in fondues, grilled cheese sandwiches or macaroni and cheese recipes, but is also excellent simply placed on a cracker or as part of a charcuterie board.

We hope to see you on Friday from 3-6pm for this exciting Italian pairing.