Unlike the other families of cheeses, goat's cheese is not classified by its mode of production but by its milk origin. Because of this it seems fair to put the goat's cheese in a category apart. Not a simple task, as goat's cheeses can be eaten in various stages of maturity - fresh, blue veined or with natural mould on the rind.

Goat's cheese making follows the normal process. The majority of this family of cheeses has a soft pate with a natural rind that forms during the maturing period. Production of goat's cheeses is seasonal, the best cheeses are made between March and November. This is the period when the young goats are weaned.

The milk curd is molded and drained in well ventilated cellars. The maturing period for the cheeses lasts only a few weeks, seldom more than three weeks. The pate, depending on the length of maturing period will be soft, semi-hard or brittle. Slowly the rind of the cheeses acquires a soft white covering, which with time will turn bluish, or even yellowish-orange.

Goat's cheeses are presented in a variety of forms. Some are covered in charcoal to conserve the cheese. Others have herbs added, pepper, or red peppers. Some are wrapped in vine leaves or soaked in olive oil. Also the form of the cheeses can vary greatly - pyramid shaped, a cone, round disk, trunk shaped, etc.

Great names in the goat's family are : Saint-Maure de Touraine, Pouligny St. Pierre, Crottin de Chavginol, Cabecou de Rocamadour, Valencay, Pelardon and others.

The Suggested Wines to Serve with the Cheeses along with comments from the course .. Our comments are in ( )

Couly Detheil - Chinon 1999

The Chinon Blanc is harvested in small quantities and at one time it was a favorite with the Kings of France. The wine comes from the Chenin Blanc grapes, it is also called the wine ( pineau ) of the Loire, but not to be confused with pinot ( pinot and pineau are pronounced the same way in French ) noir grapes of the Borgogne.

It is a good dry wine that develops a lively, aromatic floral taste, which gives the wine elegance and a pleasure to drink. Interestingly, it is a wine that can be easily stored in the cellar, but its fruity freshness allows one to drink it immediately. It is an ideal partner for goat's cheeses.

( A nice summer, refeshing wine, but it's touch to sweetness calls for food... the acid seems to be a touch "ahead" of the fruit and not quite in balance and we think this should be drunk early and not put down in the cellar )

Vacheron - Sancerre 2000

This wine comes from the Sauvignon grape. The Sancerre Blanc 2000 distinguishes itself by it's richness and character. The wine has an all-embracing aromatic flavor of exceptional purity. The mineral qualities in the wine are both present in the bouquet and on the palate. It can be drunk very young or kept in the cellar for 4-5 years. 2000 is an exceptional year.

( a new producer to us .... quite a nice, young wine that has not yet reached it's potential. While we enjoyed it greatly with these cheeses, we think that it would really benefit from a several years in the cellar, after which time it's underlying richness could evolve )

Note - Other wines we love with Goat's cheeses like these are Champagne, Aligote and especially a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Crottin de Chavignol   

The true Crottin de Chavignol is produced from the raw milk of an alpine race of goats easily recognized by their brown thick coats. This is one of the rare cheeses that can be eaten at different stages of maturity. Fresh from the cheese vat, it is often eaten clothed in fine herbs and at this stage in the maturing process it has a creamy, nutty taste. After about six weeks the smell is stronger and its pâte has become dry and brittle and has a harder texture with a pronounced favor. After this period the cheese continues to mature and the robust taste increases, but is never sour. The rind becomes rough and hard over time.

( The STAR of the evening ..... the rich, creamy nutty flavor with just a hint of the sharpness associated with goat's cheese made this one disappear before all others !! We would not have served it first, but rather after the cleaner, sharper ones below were served .. this would have been the one to cap the evening just before the Banon )

Chinon: The wine is the dominant partner. The cheese removes all the acidity from the wine, but at the same time allows the honey taste of the wine to develop. Finally towards the end of the tasting one senses the goat's milk of the cheese.

( not a good match ... while the flavors did not clash, the wine simply did not stand up nor did it enhace the cheese ... just so-so)

Sancerre: This is an example of a great classical association between the wine and the cheese. The cheese is the dominant partner. On the first taste one has a fresh milky sensation followed by the youthful quality of the wine. The tasting concludes with the savors of the cheese's goats milk.

( While this was the better of the wines with this cheese, the cheese was still the winner ... perhaps had this one had a few more years in the cellar, they would have mated fine. We could not help but think of how a nice, aged Meursault would have been a magnificent match. )

Picodon de Cherve   

This cheese is produced from goat's milk of the highest quality coming from the mountains of the Ardèche and Drôme regions of France. Since 1983 Picodon is protected by AOC label. Its pungent odor, with a sweet and sour taste, gives this cheese a light sourness that is delicious

( a classic, clean and refreshing example of a fine goat's cheese. It is interesting how the rind adds the sour note over the pate which is clean and crisp )

Chinon: Excellant concordance. Each partner allows the other to demonstrate it's qualities. The wine losses its slightly bitter taste and all the delicate savors of the chees are fulfilled.

( here we see how a the leading acidity of the wine merges well with the cheese and the balancing effect is that you can enjoy the subtleness of both the wine and the cheese )

Sancerre:

Tasted with the rind: Here the cheese allows the wine to develop its fruity taste, and towards the end of the tasting the mould on the rine gives off a subtle tart taste

Tasted without the rind: Again we first experience the fruity qualities of the wine followed by the salty savor of the cheese. A different tasting experience to the cheese with the rind.

This is an interesting tasting exercise as one experiences the association of wine and cheese with or without their rind. A top drawer and bottom drawer marriage

( the herbal flavors of the wine come flying out with this cheese. While it is subtler when tasted with the rind ... it is still a delightful match ... no matter what "drawer" )


Banon   

The making of little cheese goes back to the Roman times. It comes from the dry arid pastures that surround Banon in the Haute Provence. The Banon is an uncooked, unpressed cheese with a fine white (on maturing the pate turns a yellowish color), soft pate. Principally made from goat’s milk. After a period of allowing the cheese to mature for two weeks it is dipped in eau-de-vie and then wrapped in a chestnut leaf. The alcohol protects the cheeses against bad mould and slowly the chestnut leaf aroma influences the cheeses taste. The farmers of the region eat the cheese by scooping it up with a teaspoon and washing it down with cooled local red or white wine.

( ... Stand back !! ........ as we unwrapped this cheese from it's leaf enclosure, we were hit square in the nose with "barnyard" ....... wow what a heady cheese. Damp forest tastes with tons of complexity ... and very, very BIG. This cheese should NOT have been served in this order since it dominated the palate so much. We would have served this as the last cheese in the series )

Chinon: A continuing exchange between the differnt savors of the cheese and the wine. Unhappily they do not harmonize, leaving one with a sense of frustration.

Sancerre: The two products never meet. This is an association that was never made to concord, together the individual savors form a metallic taste. After this tasting, refresh the mouth with a class of water.

( There is no other way to put it than, neither wine went with this cheese and they both tasted bad together. If we were to serve this cheese again we'd go reaching for a nice big red Rhone that could stand up a to the cheese )

Selles sur Cher  

This cheese, by reputation, is extremely old. Over many generations Selles-sur-Cher has maintained its original artisan method of production. This cheese was one of the first to be accepted as an AOC product, in 1975. Its form is in the shape of a thick disc with beveled sides. The more it is aged, the Selles-sur-Cher character becomes more pronounced and its nutty favor is accentuated. The fine wood charcoal covering is subtly tainted blue. By contrast its pâte is snow white with a downy rind that shows superficial molding. At the first taste the cheese is faintly heavy and elastic; this is followed by a softening as it melts in ones mouth. This delicious taste is reminiscent of the gentle valleys life of the Loire and the Cher.

( a really nice cheese where the rind is an integral part of the total flavor. There is so much richness in the pate that sharpness of the rind really does a nice job of balancing the favor out in your mouth )

Chinon: A splendid association! A perfect osmosis between the two ! The honey aroma of the wine marries with perfection to the salty savors of the cheese. Excellant example of sweet and salt association.

( here the underlying sweetness of the wine really marries nicely with the cheese and the last bit of acidity from the wine helps to clear the palate for another bite. This was our 2nd favorite combo )

Sancerre: Again the two products destroy each other. The richness of the cheese kills the wine, and one cannot appreciate the savors of the cheese, all the balance between the two products is lost. This is a good example of a concordance that does not work

( The cheese wins ... the wine folds ........ a slight bitterness developes .... here a nice fresh vin de pays from Burgundy would be a nice match )

Ste. Maure de Touraine   

Sainte Maure is the masterpiece of Touraine goat cheese. This cheese is easily recognized because it has a long straw that traverses the middle. The straw is placed there to facilitate handling of the cheese. A Saint Maure farm cheese must have a thin, smooth rind with blue-grey moulding. Its "pâte" is a fine texture, white and firm . The aroma is of walnut. The cheese has a slightly salty taste and depending on the period of maturation, the savour is nutty.

( chuckle .. you should have seen me first serving this .. I forgot about the straw in the middle and couldn't figure out why it would not slice nicely ! .... still don't know what the straw does for the cheese ! A wonderfully clean, sharp/sour with cream fraiche taste. )

Chinon: Both products come from the same region of France; consequently on would imagine they marry well. Unhappily, the savors of the cheese are completely masked by the bitterness of the wine.

( this is a case where the acidity of the wine wins ... and the sweetness does nothing for the cheese ........ not very good )

Sancerre: Remarkable! Fantastic ! At the first taste one instantly enjoys the communion between the two products. An elegant and subtle marraige. The Flavores are in perfect balance, allowing one to enjoy the union. Not to be missed at any price.

( we can't adde much to this except to say that the matching with the Rouleau below was even better )

Rouleau de Provence  

A delightful little goat’s cheese full of all the aromas and enchanting savors of the Provence. This cheese is produced by a limited number of farmers in the Alpes of the Haute Provence. Their goat herds feed of the meadows were one finds the perfumed grasses of Provence: thyme, rosemary, sage, etc. Delicious...accompanied by a well cooled rose wine de Provence.

Chinon: The first taste sensation is very rich in flavor without any bitterness. The wine allows the cheese to develop all it's quality, at the same time towards the end of the tasting the character of the wine is clearly distinguished

( here is were the "fun" of tasting comes ...... we disagreed with their notes. We found, as in the pair above the wine and the cheese formed a disjointed flavor in our mouths that was not complimentary to either. The subtleness of the cheese was lost to the wine. )

Sancerre: Once more this is an excellant concordance, difficult to find better. The wine develops all its aromatic qualities ( thyme, rosemary ), whereas the cheese losses some of it's richness. A surprising marraige !

( The BEST Match of the evening !!! .... a great way to end the tasting since both the wine and the cheese left a refreshing cleaness on the palate. In fact we found that having either without the other to be much less enjoyable)

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