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Cabot Cheese with Finger Lakes and Long Island Wines
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Cabot Cheese with Finger Lakes and Long Island Wines
Reported by Kevin Rosin- FDU Student
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Tuesday March 24, 2009 |
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Speakers: Mark Hackett Cabot Cheese Spokesperson
Morgan McLaughlin President of Finger Lakes Wine Country
Jackie Rogers, the Executive Assistant of the Long Island Wine Council.
This tasting proved that the Finger Lakes are not only about the Riesling grape. We sampled five white wines from the Finger Lakes and one rose and four reds from Long Island. Accompanying the wine, were cheeses from Cabot Cooperative.
After we completed the wine and cheese tasting, a vote was held to determine which wines and cheeses were the most popular. The first vote was held to decide the favorite white wine and first place went to Dr. Frank 2006 Rkatsiteli. Coming in a very close second was Rooster Hill 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling. The favorite red was the Bedell Cellars/Corey Creek Vineyards 2006 Merlot. In second place was the Palmer Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.
When we were surveyed about the cheeses it was hard to pick which was the favorite. They were all great in their own way. However, the Clothbound Cheddar, Private Stock Cheddar, and Horseradish Cheddar proved to be the most popular.
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| Flight I: Whites from the Finger Lakes |
Votes |
Full Retail Price $ |
2007 Hazlitt Pinot Gris
Light yellow wine with a nose of slight citrus. It had a creamy texture with a very well balanced acidity and a clean crisp taste, citrus fruits and many legs.
This wine was paired with Mild Cheddar, which was aged 16 months. The cheese tasted fresh, very creamy and smooth.
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4 |
$12.99 |
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Glenora 2007 Pinot Blanc
Vanilla notes in the nose, sweet with fruity tastes of pineapple, pear, and oak, with a full lingering finish.
Paired with Hunters Seriously Sharp Cheddar, Aged up to 8 months. Had a full, well developed flavor, making it not to sharp but just right. |
4 |
$17.99 |
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Knapp 2007
Platinum straw color, semi-sweet, with notes of melon and toasted almonds. This wine has bold citrus flavors of limes and oranges, fruity, light to medium body.
Paired with the Private Stock Cheddar, that was a clean, smooth and extra sharp cheese, with a sixteen-month aging process.
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5 |
$9.95 |
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Dr. Frank 2006 Rkatsiteli
Platinum straw color, extremely fresh, its acidity brought great balance. It was racy, a strong fruit taste of peach, pineapple with a smooth finish and strong length. Paired with the Horseradish Cheddar cheese, very creamy cheddar with a potent bite, a spicy cheese. Perfect for true horseradish lovers. This was the only processed cheese at the tasting. This was the favorite white. |
20 |
$18.99 |
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Rooster Hill 2007 Estate Semi-Dry Riesling 2007
Nose of apricot with a taste of peach and a honeyed creamy texture. A semi-dry wine, with long legs, the taste seemed to match the notes.
Second favorite (by a small margin)
Paired with Garlic and Herb cheese, which was an explosion of the garlic and herb flavor. The flavor combination was very well balanced.
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19 |
$16.99 |
| Flight II: Reds from Long Island |
Votes |
Full Retail Price $ |
Jamesport Vineyards- 2006 East End Rose
Sweet nose of cherries, watermelon, very soft and fruity, with a light salmon color, 100% Cabernet Franc.
Paired with the 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar, which was high in protein and low in sodium. It was firm and much more rubbery than any other of the cheeses that we tasted. It had very mild cheddar taste. |
5 |
$15.95 |
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Bedell Cellars/Corey Creek Vineyards- 2006 Bedell Merlot
Light color, with taste of plum, blackberry, cedar and slight hint of toast. It had notes of vanilla, 100% Merlot with a very well balance of tannins and acidity. Average maceration of 25 days. There were only 1600 cases produced. This was a very complex wine. This was our favorite red.
Paired with the Pepper Jack, which had pieces of actual Jalapeno picante peppers in it that gave it a little heat kick. The cheese was very creamy and savory, great balancing of the cool and hot.
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16 |
$25.00 |
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Wolffer Estate - 2005 Cabernet Franc
Very aromatic with notes of fruits, raspberry, vanilla, cedar, blend of 86% Cabernet Franc and 14% Merlot. Full bodied, ripe black fruits, blackberry, raspberry, long and juicy length with soft tannins on the tongue. Unfiltered.
Paired with the Clothbound Cheddar. This was the firmest cheese we tried and was slightly brittle. The cheese would split when we put the toothpick into it. This cheese is rare and hard to find because of how it is made. It is put into a cave so that it is able to age. Due to this aging process there is not much room and only a small batch is able to be made. This was one of the overall favorites of the class. This cheese averages about $21.00 per pound. |
5 |
$22.00 |
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Palmer Vineyards - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
The nose was complex with notes of cigar, chocolate, with little spices, very soft on the palate, with intense fruit flavors and a supple finish. Second favorite red, was great with the Private Stock Cheddar. |
15 |
$24.99 |
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Waters Crest Winery - 2005 Campania Rossa
Blend of 73% Merlot 15% Cabernet Franc 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, strong chewy, with taste of dark fruits, plumy raspberry notes, with an earthy finish. There were only 156 cases made. Paired very well with the horseradish Cheddar.
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12 |
$35.99 |
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