First published in The Capital Gazette March 25, 2009
By Stacey Adams-Zier
Almost all of the world’s finest wines are ‘blended wines’, made from the blending of different grapes and different barrels or vats of the same grape. Like wine, some of the world’s finest chocolate is the result of expert blending of cacao beans from different regional plantations. So, in the cheese world, is it any surprise that some of the most complex and utterly divine cheeses come from the blending of milks?
The possibilities are endless as artisans continue to exercise their creativity by mixing milk from goats, sheep, and cows to create creamy, rich and complex cheeses. As much as I love a straightforward Chèvre or brie, it’s the mixed variety that keeps me intrigued and guessing.
In a mixed milk cheese, cow’s milk might be combined with sheep’s milk to create the cheese equivalent of butter. Goat’s milk – with its tangy, aromatic and creamy qualities can be mixed with the sweetness and richness of cow’s milk, bringing together two distinct flavors into one memorable cheese.
Generally speaking, cows’ milk provides most of the mass, flavor and desired acidity level in cheese. Goats’ milk contributes whiteness (cow’s milk gives a yellow hue) and mildly zesty and tart flavor. Sheep’s milk increases flavor, richness and butteriness (mouthfeel); since it is rich in dry matter and fat content. It’s often been said that the more sheep’s milk in the cheese, the better the cheese.
A perfect example is La Tur made by the Italian cheesemakers, Caseificio Dell’Alta Langa – three milks, and two textures, that merge into one cheese’s best approximation of butter with an attitude.
Creamy, dense and intense, La Tur is made from a mixture of pasteurized cow, sheep and goat’s milk and is a study in cheese addiction. When perfectly ripe the thin, edible bloomy rind barely contains the full and moist milk cloud. This rich buttery cupcake is even more delicious (if that is possible!) paired with Prosecco. The richness of the cheese melts away with a sip of the Italian sparkling wine. This pairing would make a wonderful dessert – if you can wait until after dinner to eat it!
Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Hudson Valley Camembert burst onto the scene in New York in 1994 and has been gaining ground ever since. Located in the rolling hills in the upper Hudson River Valley, Tom and Nancy Clark won a prestigious “Best Cheese in America” award in 2001 and first place at the 2008 American Cheese Society Awards. But is this really Camembert? It’s not like any French Camembert we may be familiar with. It isn’t runny and mushroomy as the great French Normandy versions. It’s shaped in a small 4-ounce square and made from pasteurized sheep and cow’s milk. This blend of milks creates an intensely creamy, sweet, and mild flavor – a gentler Camembert. Each piece of cheese is hand-wrapped in special paper and labeled with their distinctive Black Sheep logo. Although I typically pair traditional French Camemberts with classic Burgundy reds, I find Old Chatham best enjoyed with softer white wines like Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.
The mixture of milks gives Ibérico [eey-ber-ic-OH] a modern, Spanish cheese, a truly three dimensional character.
Spanish regulations require that mixed milk cheeses contain not less than 25% and not more than 40% of any one milk type. Produced in Central Spain, Ibérico is made with a blend of: cow’s (a minimum of 50%), goat’s (a minimum of 30%) and sheep’s (a minimum of 10%) milk and the flavor profile has elements of all three. The creamy texture melts in the mouth gradually, releasing a rich, full bodied nuttiness before delivering a fruity tang on the finish. Although it’s made in much the same way as Manchego (even the rinds look similar bearing the marks of the esparto (plaited/braided grass) bands used in the draining process), there is no mistaking the textural difference. Pair Ibérico with Spanish reds and lighter Pinot Noirs.
Gabietou [gah-bee-ay-TOO], produced by Gabriel Bachelet and aged by Hervé Mons outside of Roanne, France, is a relatively new (debuted in 2001) French mixed-milk cheese made in traditional Pyrenees style. The blend of raw cow (two-thirds) and sheep’s milk (one third) gives a unique flavor profile that’s buttery, meaty and somewhat “hoofy” (in a good way.) The 7-pound wheel is washed in a brine made with rock salt from a nearby village famed for its warm, salty springs creating a golden-orange hue with a light coating of white mold. When young, about four to six months, it somewhat resembles a young Gruyere on the inside but as it ages the complex flavors of the raw milks emerge. Given Gabietou’s nutty notes, a Madeira in a sweet or dry style, or an Italian moscato would be a good wine partner.
Never before have we seen so many mixed milk cheeses in every classification, including blues, in the cheese counter. The process is more difficult since the milk from each animal contributes its own chemical characteristic to the formula and like a fine bottle of wine, the success will only be revealed after the cheese has aged.
Next up in The Cheese Course: Raw Milk Cheeses – Dispelling all the myths
By Line: Stacey Adams-Zier is the Chef/Owner and Fromager of Tastings Gourmet Market and Artisanal Cheese Center located in Clock Tower Place, Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 410.263.1324 or by visiting their website at www.TastingsGourmetMarket.com
