And so...as to not rush into the business of tasting French Wine and Cheese unprepared...I have been researching the subject.
Bringing me to the next stop on this Virtual Adventure to
The Loire Valley: Vallée de Loire (prononced Vallee de lwar)
The Loire is to wine and cheese what Lynchburg, Tennessee is to Jack Daniels. Touting some of the finest wine and cheese pairings in France as well as offering Wine and Cheese Workshops/Tastings for 95 euros (about 106 USD)
There are 48 cheeses in France that have the protected AOC status – and six of them are in the Loire Valley. AOC status (used both with wines and cheese in France) means appellation d'origine contrôlée. A documented Origin status. Although Gruyère is the name of a Swiss village, it has recently been given an IGP label (= PGI - Protected Geographical Indication) in France.
As you can see. They take their wine (and cheese) very seriously here.
The Wine and Cheese Workshop typically offers 9 individual cheeses and 6 different wines.
Although for the Virtual Tour I will be procuring 9 or more differnt French cheeses...the wine selection will be limited to two or three. White, Red and Champagne.
I have found several French Cheese Gourmet Tasting Pack available fairly reasonably from Amazon.com.
The Three Families of Cheeses are:
Pressed: A selection of the best-known "pressed" (or "hard") cheeses in France. All of these cheeses come in large units, off which the cheese merchant will cut slices. There are two types, "cooked" cheeses, where the whey is heated during the production process, and "uncooked" cheeses, where it is not. Cooked cheeses can sometimes keep for a very long time.
Soft: There are literally hundreds of soft French cheeses; each region has its own specialities. Many of these - notably those with appellation contrôlée - are manufactured in small units, and (with notable exceptions such as Brie and St. Nectaire) if you want to buy one, you must buy a whole cheese.
Blue: An appellation contrôlée cheese whose quality and taste can vary considerably , going from the bland to the sharp. Even in a supermarket, you can ask to taste before you buy. Specific varieties of Bleu d'Auvergne include the ancient Bleu de Laqueille.
The most famous French blue cheese, though not necessarily the best. Roquefort is an Appellation contrôlée cheese, made from the milk of one single breed of sheep, the "Lacaune" breed. The cheese has been made since the Middle Ages, and has been famous for many centuries; more recently it has been the object of intense and successful marketing.
The Cheeses are also separated by which type of milk they are made from.
Typically three types:
Cow's Milk
Goat's Milk
Ewe or Sheep's Milk.
And then divided a third time into origin.
Farmhouse (fromages fermiers) or Industrial Manufactured.
And you thought it was just cheese.
I am also learning the choices are seemingly endless. Cantal, Comté, Mimolette, Tomme, ReBlochon, Brie, Camembert, Epoisses, Gasperon, Mont d'Or, Munster, all the various blues and even Cancoillotte, which can be eaten hot or cold, and is strongly flavoured with garlic. An acquired taste, they say...but one I am curious to try.
An interesting observation and explanation for the numerous goat cheeses in France, particularly in Loire Valley, is that nearly 1300 years ago, when the Arabs were defeated at the famous Battle of Tours in 732 by Charles Martel, the grandfather of Charlemagne, they left their goats in this region!
The Wines...narrowed down to Pouilly Fumé a semi-dry white, Chinon wine a nice red and Champagne...as yet to named...but definitely imported from Champagne France.
Will be ordering this coming week and having the tasting possibly as early as the following week!
Can't wait!
More anon...