If only they had taken the time....

 There's nothing worse than going to an event and it being completely unorganized.  I have planned many events in my time - for personal reasons and for professional reasons - from small affairs to weddings to large 100+ attendee political events. When I went to Cheesetique of Del Ray in Alexandria the lack of organization and preparation for this wine and cheese class was embarrassing.

I had never been to the Del Ray shop before but fell in love with the Shirlington shop. While I expected the Del Ray location to be smaller, and it was, I didn't think it would be lacking in other areas as well.

A fellow wine and cheese lover went with me for the Carrick Wines Class hosted by Pacific Prime Wines and Francis Hutt, the winemaker of Carrick Winery in Central Otago, New Zealand one Sunday night. (Don't worry, the Redskins were playing on Monday night.) 

 

 

The class was held in a private back room which would have been very nice if it wasn't so cramped. Perhaps they shouldn't have overbooked this event???

 We ended up sitting at a table with two strangers which didn't bother me but I was stuck in a red vintage-esque high-armed and high-backed kind of chair and literally had to climb into it which was pushed up against the wall. My friend had to squeeze into a normal chair but it was right up against a cement column. Even more irritating was all of the speakers were positioned behind us and it was difficult, if not almost impossible, to turn around to see them as they were speaking. 

The saving grace was the winemaker being from New Zealand had an incredible accent and I almost felt as if Keith Urban was there if I didn't look. (Yes, KU is from NZ. He just grew up an Aussie.)

 

I have problems with the fact that this was called a "class" because I learned more from the handouts received and from a few questions that other attendees asked than I did from any speaker.  What bothered me most of all is that the Cheesetique representative admitted that she did not pick the cheeses to pair with the wines, but chose the cheeses based on what reminded her of New Zealand.  With that being said, the cheeses were delicious on their own but we were left to figure out "what worked" as far as wine pairings.

We had eight cheeses and five wines. While the wines were not terrible, the cheeses definitely won out in comparison.



1.  Selles Su Cher is a goat cheese France with a wood ash delivering mineral notes and a briny, tangy new-mown grass taste. The ashier the cheese the older the cheese.
2.  Mushroom Brie is a cow's milk cheese from Germany where the finest hand-picked German champignon mushrooms are harvested and used in this luscious, earthy, creamy tasting cheese. At first description, I was taken aback but this turned out to be one of my favorite cheeses of the night.
3.  Brebirousse is a sheep's milk cheese from France which is savory, creamy and nutty.  It has a unique bright orange rind with a delicate sweetness.
4.  Mainland Cheddar is a cow's milk cheese from New Zealand which is sharp and smooth. It was one of my least favorites of the night. However, if there had been a bigger wine than a light Pinot, it would have changed my mind, I'm sure.
5.  Pecorino Fogile di Noci is a sheep's milk cheese from Italy .  Walnut leaves are wrapped around this seasonal aged cheese giving it a distinct earthy aroma a sharp flavor. It was almost too sharp for me on its own. Sprinkled on top of a seafood dish or pasta would have been delightful.
6.  Dante is a sheep's milk cheese from Wisconsin based on the Spanish Manchego. It is rich and nutty, reminiscent of buttered toast and grass with a firm texture.
7.  Kinsman Ridge is a raw cow's milk cheese from Vermont which is washed with brine helping it develop an earthy aroma and a smooth creamy texture.   This was definitely one of the night's favorites for me as well.
8.  Gorgonzola Dolce is a cow's milk cheese from Italy which is a sweet, mild, blue cheese that is smooth and spreadable.  While I liked this one, I couldn't eat a lot of it. Had there been a big Cab to pair with it or a nice juicy steak, I would have been extremely happy.

While the cheeses were delicious, I don't think it would have taken much effort ahead of time to actually try to pair the cheeses with the New Zealand wines that we would be tasting. I'm no expert by any means but given an hour I could have chosen cheeses that would pair really well with the wines we were tasting. It still doesn't make sense to me why this wasn't done. No brainer, right?

Carrick is an integrated organic vineyard, winery and restaurant in Bannockburn Central Otago, New Zealand.  Central Otago is New Zealand's highest, and the world's southernmost, winemaking region. 

Carrick is named after the mountain range which dominates the western skyline. The knot logo is a play on the name, tying together winemaking and viticulture, land and wine.





Carrick winery was recently certified fully organic. The grapes are grown and the wines are made organically.  The vineyard soils are broken schist (a type of rock that can be broken into thin flat pieces) with an overburden of glacial sand, free draining and deep below are seams of lignite coal which were mined in the 19th Century to provide fuel for the gold dredges which worked the adjacent river beds.

We tasted the following Carrick wines:

2010 Pinot Gris - made in an off-dry style with aromas of red apples and pears. This wine was sweet but has a hint of dryness.

2011 Riesling - made in stainless steel and super sweet. Bleh

2011 Chardonnay - barrel fermented in French oak but way too buttery for me.



2011 Unravelled Pniot Noir  - cherry and plum flavors but way too light for me. Again, this is coming from the Oregon Pinot snob, however, I have found two New Zealand Pinots that I have enjoyed. This was not one of them. The ones that I have enjoyed are obviously from a different region of New Zealand.



 2011 Bannockburn Pinot Noir - cherry, spice and hints of licorice. Again, it was drinkable but not my kind of Pinot. These wines would have shined had they been paired with just the right cheese.

Most of the cheeses were too strong for a lightweight wine. How hard was this to do? I mean, we're having a wine and cheese event at a cheese specialty shop, right? Am I missing something here?

 

 If only Cheesetique had taken the time to learn and try these Carrick wines ahead of time so that the right cheeses were offered, this evening's event would have been spectacular. If only they had taken the time to plan and show some organization, it may have been more comfortable. If only the staff and the winemaker had taken the time to coordinate, it would have been much more enjoyable.

But.....
It was still wine.
It was still cheese.
It was still a fun night with a handsome man.
 I'm really not complaining....


"Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water."
Benjamin Franklin