We kicked off English Wine Week in style this year with our Open Estate Day on Saturday 15th June, even though we had a classic English Summers Day (wellies and raincoats were needed!) it didn't put a damper on the event, which was a huge success.
Following the Open Day, each day since we have been showcasing a different New Hall English wine paired with a fabulous British cheese with our friends at Feast and Fromage on our social media stories and through our subscriber newsletters.
If you have missed any of these then don't worry, here is a recap for you.
Single Estate Bacchus & Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire. Kirkhams Lancashire is the UK’s last remaining traditional raw-milk Lancashire cheese, and is famous for its ‘buttery crumble’, due to the fact it is coated in Lard and clothbound, left to mature between 2 to 6 months. It’s flavour is buttery, light and yoghurty, with a crumbly texture, which is fluffy and light and melts in the mouth. This cheese pairs beautifully with the Bacchus, due to its gentle creamy nature, contrasting nicely against the intense aromas present within the wine, allowing the Bacchus’s full flavours to be present and not overpowered. The wine’s crisp acidity also works well in cleansing the palate from the buttery nature of the cheese.
Signature & Wyfe of Bath. Wyfe of Bath is produced by The Bath Soft Cheese Company, and is based on a traditional Gouda recipe, yet unlike its Dutch cousin, it is not pressed, therefore has a much more springy texture. The cheese is entirely made by hand from the farm’s own Holstein Friesian cows organic milk, and has a rich and nutty flavour, with sweet undertones redolent of ‘buttercups and summer meadows’. This cheese pairs wonderfully with the Signature, due to the wine's nutty savoury undertones harmonising with the cheese’s nutty flavours, whilst the wine’s more sweeter perfumed notes match wonderfully with those sweeter elements present within the cheese.
Barons Lane White & Montgomery Cheddar. Montgomery Cheddar is one of the last remaining traditional clothbound Cheddars, and is quite often referred to as being the best cheddar in the world. Similar to the Wyfe of Bath, Montgomery has nutty undertones, yet this is more full flavoured and lingers longer on the palate. Because of this, its a great pairing with the Barons Lane white, as the crisp, dry wine, will undercut the more full flavoured cheddar presenting a pleasant balance of flavours.
Barons Lane Rose & Rachel. Rachel is a semi-firm Alpine style goat’s cheese made by White Lake Cheese in Somerset. Rachel is name after the Cheesemakers (then) girlfriend, as it is ’sweet, curvy and slighty nutty’ - They are now no longer together ! As well as being sweet, and slightly nutty, Rachel is a very mellow cheese, that isn’t overly goaty. Rachel pairs amazingly well with the lighter, more fruity Rose wines, as the sweet, light nature of the cheese really compliments the light, summer fruits present within the wine creating a beautiful harmony.
Single Estate Pinot Noise Rose & Cornish Yarg. Cornish Yarg is an all time favourite, being a beautifully creamy, light cheese wrapped in stinging nettles (which are completely edible!). The nettles are hand-picked from the local Cornish countryside and frozen for use throughout the year. The leaves protect the cheese, whilst allowing it to breathe and produce specific moulds encouraging the lace-like appearance of the rind to develop. The Cornish Yarg’s flavour is beautifully fresh, light and clean, with notes of lemon and yoghurt, and has a buttery, crumbly texture. The Cornish Yarg is a great pairing for the Single Estate Pinot Noir Rose, as the wonderfully elegant, light crisp wine works well with the fresh, light tasting cheese to produce a light balance of flavours perfect for a spring or summers day.
Barons Lane Red & Kingcott Blue. Kingcott Blue is produced by Kingcott Dairy, an award winning family run farm in Kent. Kingcott Blue is described as a beautifully light ’summer blue cheese’, with a more creamy texture, in comparison to the typical more full-flavoured crumbly stilton style cheeses. Because of this, it is a great pairing with the slightly lighter Barons Lane Red.
Pinot Noir Precoce & Colston Bassett Stilton. Colston Bassett Stilton is one of the world’s most award winning Stiltons, and is rich, silky and creamy, with beautiful blue veins throughout. Its texture is smooth yet crumbly, and melts in the mouth, without the typical acidic twang some stilton are known for, as such it’s often deemed gentler than the typical stiltons. The Pinot Noir wine works wonderfully with the Colston Bassett Stilton as the full flavoured, yet smooth wine deserves an equally full flavoured cheese, in order to match the intensities, creating a wonderful harmony of flavours on the palate.
English Classic Cuvée Brut NV & Baron Bigod. A match made in heaven. Baron Bigod is the UK version of a traditional farmhouse Brie De Meaux style cheese, and is entirely made by hand on the farm at Fen Farm in Suffolk. Its full flavoured and has notes of mushroom throughout, whilst the texture is incredibly creamy - more so, the longer you allow the cheese to mature as the moulds present within the paste work to naturally break down the lactic core, this too intensifies its flavours. Baron Bigod, as we’ve seen before, pairs amazingly well with the English Classic Cuvée Brut, as the light refreshing bubbles undercut the fatty flavours present and act as a palate cleanser from the more full-flavoured creamy cheese.
English Rose Brut NV & Edmund Tew. Edmund Tew is a beautifully creamy, lactic, washed rind cheese from Blackwoods Cheese Company in Kent. The farm was sadly recently flooded, and so they have been out of production for a little while, and have only just started to re-release their cheeses, but they are better than ever! Edmund Tew is named after a 16 year old who was sent to Australia as punishment for stealing cheese in the 1800s. Edmund Tew is based on the French Langres, which is famous for having the dip in the top due to only being turned one during maturation - which is used by many to pour Champagne in! Although this cheese is washed in a brine solution, rather than the local eau de vie in Champagne-Ardenne, the cheese is just as deliciously moorish. The thin, wrinkly rind, encapsulates a delicious gooey cheese with a firm lactic core. Similar to the Baron Bigod, the longer you leave, the longer the paste works to breakdown the lactic core and create even more goo. There are an array of different flavours that come from the varying textures within the cheese - Savoury, almost nutty/bacon flavours on the thin rind, intense butteryness from the lovely soft paste, and a more acidic, clean, lactic flavour from the crumbly core. Create a show stopping masterpiece by pouring the fizz into the crater formed in the top of the cheese, yet also drink alongside. The fresh, crisp, slightly sweet bubbles play a brilliant contrast to the more savoury notes of the cheese, and similar to the Baron Bigod, the bubbles will act as palate cleanser, and undercut the full fatty flavours present within the cheese.
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