On our way back home today we stopped at World Harvest, an international foods store on 6th and University. Upon walking into the store, it felt like any other smaller grocery - aisles arranged in neat rows, stuffed full of oil, vinegar, tea, and much more. Only pausing briefly to glance at the olive oil, we headed towards the the center of the store, to our target: glass display cases full of cheese, made from everything from regular milk to sheep milk, and originating from France, Italy, Holland and all over the world. We tried several different types of cow, goat, and sheep milk cheese, and ended up buying three: Benning mild goat gouda from Holland, cave aged Gruyere from Switzerland, and an 18-month aged gouda (Old Amsterdam) from Holland.

Upon arriving home we set up a makeshift wine and cheese tasting, taking out three bottles of wine and our three pieces of cheese:

Three types of wine

Three types of cheese

Here’s my tasting notes for each wine:

• Williamette Valley Pinot Gris 2006 (W&S 93, WE 90): Fruity, medium body white wine with just a tiny bit of sweetness. We had this several days ago with salmon which was absolutely delicious. Although I prefer sweeter white wines (Riesling, Muscat) I am definitely buying more of this in the future.
• Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Riserva 2004 (WS 91): Fruity, slightly sweet, full bodied wine, smooth and crisp in taste with a long, delicious finish.
• Monte Antico Rosso 2004: Drier and more acidic than the Chianti, slightly fruity. Medium body. Started out tasting just okay, but it grows on you.

And for each type of cheese:

• Benning mild goat gouda: Has a very strong goat milk taste, which I don’t like very much but Morgan loves. Goes very well with the Chianti.
• Cave aged Gruyere: Its subtle yet complex taste is not overpowering, but you can tell it’s there. A review I found online says it best: “This cheese is like that boy your mother wants you to marry—safe, reliable, a little bit predictable. You know it’s always going to treat you right. You hold the idea of it in reserve like an extra ace tucked away. when you’ve been burned by flashier, sexier, more exciting cheeses—what a good idea brescianella seemed like at the time!—cave-aged Gruyere is there to pick you up the morning after. It doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t press its agenda, it’s just there, solid and dependable. It knows the tortoise always wins the race in the end.”
• Old Amsterdam aged gouda: Slightly salty and dry, with a distinct and strong gouda taste. My favorite out of the three.