« Bursting with complexities of flavour ranging from dried fruits to honey and caramel. »
These could be tasting notes for the Rives-Blanques late harvest, Lagremas d’Aur – but actually they were written to describe a premium Dutch cheese, produced by the country’s leading cheesemakers, Reypenaer.
The two come together at an exceptional tasting to be held at Rives-Blanques on Friday June 29.
Like wine, cheese reflects ‘terroir’. Reypenaer prides itself on sourcing milk from cows that munch on dandelions, fennel and green pasture in the summer months.
These gourmet showpieces of the art of Dutch cheesemaking are made using traditional methods and natural ingredients. A sign of good cheesemaking lies in the complexity of layers of taste.
There are many similarities between the philosophies of making cheese and making wine, as well as many parallels in the description and appreciation of their qualities. No coincidence, perhaps, that the family owning Reypenaer cheese is called Wijngaard (« vineyard »).
Their roving Ambassador Ron Pieters (@CheeseMasterRon) will conduct a Master Class on cheese appreciation, while pairing them with Rives-Blanques wines.
Although we always believe that cheese goes best with white wines, Ron may have different ideas. For that reason we have invited Chateau de Panéry in the Rhone valley (www.panery.com) to bring their red wines along as well.
The event will be limited to 25 people, and will be in Dutch. There is no entry fee, but attendees are invited to make a donation to a charity devoted to bringing some joy into the lives of terminally ill children and their families: www.opkikker.nl
You can read an account written after this tasting in our Diary of Vineyard