My Final "Curds"

VBC's Cremont - a new favorite

Wow! Where did October go?? I feel like it was just yesterday that my brother and I got back from our Montreal “cheese-xcursion” and couldn’t wait to celebrate the First Annual American Cheese Month with all of you.

To be honest, probably like many of you, we didn’t know what to expect. How would you all respond to an entire month just about American cheese? Would you embrace (and taste!) over thirty new cheeses? Would you participate in over twenty events? Well guess what? You embraced, tasted and participated your ways into cheese history with us!

All across the nation, cheese stores are reporting overwhelming interest from their fan bases, too, for an entire month devoted to American cheese. That’s incredibly cool! Look how much support we showed for all the small farmers out there who take immense pride and care in what they provide for our tables. I can’t believe how many incredible cheeses I tasted in a one-month period. Cheeses that I might have never tasted for months if it weren't for a whole month dedicated to American cheese. 
Some of my favorite finds were Robinson Farm’s Tekenink Tomme, Blue Ledge Farms Lake’s Edge and Rogue River Blue, just to name a few; some of your favorites, judging by the amount we sold: Beehive Cheese Co Promontory, Jasper Hill’s Harbison and Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Cremont (excellent choices we might add!) Come find me at the cheese counter and I’d love to share these with you, along with some of my other favorites (yes, I know - I have a lot of favorites)! And don’t forget about our Fall Food and Wine Festival on Saturday, where you taste most of these, along with some others.

So what’s going to happen now that October is coming to a close? Well, we still have Allison Hooper’s visit to look forward to—you’ll actually get to make cheese with a legend! (Our events page has all the details. Call and sign up now before it fills up - this is a class you don't want to miss!) You'll also notice a slight transition at the cheese counter. We’ll certainly hold on to some of this month’s big hits, but we’ll have to phase out some others to make room for our incoming shipments of French and Italian classics. We’re talking goat cheeses hand-wrapped in cabbage leaves, real muenster…our new shipments are cheese that are made in the old-world style of century-old recipes. Truly beautiful cheeses that are equally delicious. I can’t wait.

Who knows what else could happen at the cheese counter! We’re Shubie’s—we change a lot. One thing that will never change, though, is our passion for finding good food and wine that makes you happy. We really mean it. It’s not like we expect all of you to like every single thing we share with you, but I hope—we hope, that you will at least try it with us. And if you have something you think we will love, share it with us! Maybe you’ve just had the most incredible maple syrup of your life, or you just saw the coolest kitchen gadget, or drank the best syrah last night. We want to know! Maybe we’ll love it just as much and add it our shelves—we’re always looking for the next big hit.

Thank you for making my October so great!
Your Foodie Friend,

Dougy

Refrigerator Real Estate Boom

Don't they look happy together?

With the absence of hotter days and nights, so comes the absence (at least in my fridge) of bottles of summer's whites and rosés, and more room for beer.

Some of you might be saying, “But, Dougy, I thought you were my tequila guy!” Don’t worry, I still am. But there’s been such an incredible “beer-evolution” over the last few years that it’s hard not to be tempted by the many local offerings, especially during Oktoberfest! It seems like every restaurant and bar now offers at least one seasonal beer this time of year, and regularly offers craft and local beers on the menu.

Lake's Edge and IPAs go great together

I never have to make room in my fridge for cheese, however. Did you think I forgot about American Cheese Month? It’s not a secret that wine and cheese can make magic when paired together well, but with certain cheese, I’d dare to say that beer is the better friend. Let’s look at craft beers and artisan cheeses, for example. Both highlight an industry that is propelled forward by enthusiasts putting their own twists on old-world, rustic traditions. What’s more, the public has embraced both and is making a conscious effort to support both movements.

When pairing cheese and beer, always put your own preferences first (a good rule in general!) I’ve said it before: have fun! Food is fun and not an exact science. Seriously, let us know on Facebook or Twitter or email me (dougy@shubies.com) if you think you found a great match. Chances are, you’re right and others are missing out!

But until you get some time to play mad scientist, here are some of our suggestions.

Wolaver’s Organic Oatmeal Stout with Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
The delicate balance of sharpness, slight nuttiness and candied sweetness stands up great against the complex flavors and nuttiness of big dark ales.

Notch Session Pils with Hudson Valley Sheep’s Milk Camembert
The boys up in Ipswich provide a proper salute for the traditional Czech brew. Notch Session Pils has a nice crispness with herbal notes and pleasant hoppiness that, when partnered with the near uber-butteryness of the New York delight, creates a satisfying Fall duo.

Ipswich India Pale Ale with Blue Ledge Farm Lake’s Edge
IPAs typically are pretty hoppy, and the bright tanginess and crumbly smooth paste of this cheese are so good together. And that line in the middle (see the picture above) is ash, not blue, so blue cheese haters join us! Have your cake and drink some IPA, too!

Pretty Things St. Botolph’s Town Brown Ale with Springbrook Farm Raclette
The mild, sweet and slightly sour Vermont beauty is perfect for the silky texture and rich malty flavors of this brown ale.

Behold the power of beer and cheese! Cheers!

Your Foodie Friend,

Dougy

19 Caps, 1 Cork

"Look at this - 20 wines, just one cork!"

That's what George said just before our Australian wine tasting on Saturday. Normally when we host a tasting, regardless of where the wines come from, we end up with dozens of corks strewn across the tables. Australians have embraced the use of screw-cap enclosures for a long time, much more so than wine makers in other countries, but this was really striking - just one cork! One!

So many screw-caps!

What's the reason for this? And are screw-caps better?

There are a few reasons, but the most important one, and the best argument for switching to screw-caps, is cork taint. All cork is sterilized before being used, but the sterilization process is imperfect. About 3% to 5% of all corks remain contaminated with a chemical compound known as TCA - it is harmless to humans, but ruins the wine. If your wine is "corked" - contaminated by TCA - it will either smell like nothing at all (if it is very mildly contaminated), or like a damp, moldy basement or wet socks. It's not pleasant, and it can happen to any wine with a cork enclosure - whether it's your $8 bottle of Pinot Grigio or your $200 bottle of Bordeaux. No wine is safe.

Unless you use a screw-cap, that is. Screw-caps completely side-step this issue. They provide a perfect seal to every bottle, every time. And don't believe the myth that only cheap wines come in screw-caps. John Duval, one of the great wine makers of the world, makes absolutely stunning wines in Australia's Barossa Valley, and all but one of his wines come in screw-caps.

The lone cork.

Screw-caps do have two main disadvantages, though. I once spoke to a French wine maker considering making the switch from cork to screw-cap. He told me that he had been experimenting with screw-caps for years, including aging them long-term in his cellars. He found that there were no flavor differences between wines sealed with corks and screw-caps until they'd been aged for about 8 years or so, after which point the cork-sealed wines started to perform better. So if you're planning on aging your wine long-term, cork is probably the way to go. (I'll be putting a couple bottles of John Duval's screw-capped wines in my cellar - you can read about one of them here. When I open them up in 10 years, I'll let you know how they do!)

The other disadvantage is probably the one most people are concerned with - no "pop!" A lot of people enjoy the ceremony of using a cork screw to pop open a bottle of wine, and they miss that when they drink a screw-capped wine.

The conclusion? I'm a fan - I'd much rather give up the cork popping ceremony for a guarantee that my wine won't have any defects, and almost all of the wine I buy is wine I plan on drinking within in the next six months, so cellaring isn't an issue. I've been pleased to see more and more of our customers coming around to screw-caps, too - I know some people will always want to see a cork in their bottle, but I encourage you all to at least give screw-caps a chance!