Drinks

Perfect Pairings · Blue and Sweet

This afternoon we’re back with our third course of cheese and wine, courtesy of Dan Murphy’s wine expert Peter Nixon, and cheesemonger Laura Lown from Melbourne fromagerie Milk the Cow.

UK-born Peter boasts 24 years+ of experience in the wine and hospitality industry, while his fellow countrywoman Laura has been sharing her expertise on cheese for more than 12 years. Without a doubt we learned a thing, (or 10!) as they took us through pairing blue cheese with locally sourced sweet muscat wines.

Written
by
Peter Nixon and Laura Lown
In partnership with Dan Murphy's

The perfect pairing of blue cheese and muscat wines, with their distinctive sweet, perfumed aroma. Here we have Queso Valdeon and Crozier Blucheeses from Milk The Cow, with Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Rutherglen VIC Muscat 500ml and Buller Fine Old Rutherglen VIC Muscat 750ml from Dan Murphy’s. Production – Lucy Feagins/ The Design Files, styling – Nat Turnbull, and photo – Eve Wilson.

Flavour-packed tasting plate featuring Queso Valdeon blue cheese from Milk The Cow, accompanied by Buller Fine Old Rutherglen VIC Muscat 750ml from Dan Murphy’s. Props: Tulip tall medium wine glass by Fferrone, Flip Flop plate by The Forty Nine Studio, and Cutipol black knife from Francalia. Production – Lucy Feagins/ The Design Files, styling – Nat Turnbull, and photo – Eve Wilson.

Buller Fine Old Rutherglen VIC Muscat 750ml from Dan Murphy’s and Queso Valdeon blue cheese from Milk The Cow in all its glory. Props: Tulip tall medium wine glass by Fferrone, Blackline chopping board by Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co and Cutipol black knife from Francalia. Production – Lucy Feagins/ The Design Files, styling – Nat Turnbull, and photo – Eve Wilson.

Writer
Peter Nixon
Laura Lown
18th of July 2017

Below our experts have matched Queso Valdeon semi-hard blue cheese and a soft variety, Crozier Blue, with Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Rutherglen VIC Muscat 500ml and Buller Fine Old Rutherglen VIC Muscat.

CHEESE

Queso Valdeon ($12.00 per 100g)

This semi-hard blue is produced in the mountainous Northwest region of Leon, in high humidity mountain caves for three to four months in order for the blue mould to proliferate. The cheeses are wrapped in Sycamore leaves, this was traditionally done to preserve the cheese as it matured, and as it made its long journey down the mountain to the rest of the villagers. With a soft, granular texture and pale-yellow colour, it’s full of small cavities filled with blue moulds. Valdeon is delightfully strong and spicy.

Crozier Blue ($12 per 100g)

A soft blue made from Friesland sheep’s milk in Ireland, this cheese is distinctly rich with a creamy texture, offset by a touch of spice. The cheese has won numerous awards for its complexity and uniqueness. The milk is brought down the hour-and-a-half-long road to the Cashel dairy two or three times a week, however, Crozier Blue is made seasonally, as the sheep are not producing milk all year round.

WINE

The reality is, when entertaining, most of us like to offer a generous selection of cheeses. Finding a table wine versatile enough to suit is not easy. A better choice is the ‘contrast’ option, finding a rich style that will stand-up to the strongest of cheeses, including blue cheese, effectively resetting the palate. Australia’s national treasure: Rutherglen Muscat is hard to beat. Tasting like liquid quince paste (the cheese board essential) this wine style is impossibly delicious and the perfect (and unexpected) crowd-pleaser.

Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Rutherglen VIC Muscat 500ml ($64.99)

Icons of Rutherglen, Morris have been producing some of the worlds finest fortified wines for over 150 years now. Their Rare Liqueur Muscat is rich and viscous with memorising palate density. The perfect partner to rich desserts and powerful cheese platters.

Buller Fine Old Rutherglen VIC Muscat 750ml ($22.99)

From one of Rutherglen’s best producers, this award-winning Muscat is terrific value. It shows characters of caramel, toffee, hazelnuts and brown sugar.

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