Ah France, the birthplace of cool when it comes to wine and cheese (shhh, don’t tell the Italians). In this Wine Wednesday post, we travel to the Savoie region of France and then north, to Lorraine for a pairing that’s all about rustic authenticity (and portability).
Tomme de Savoie is a perfectly pudgy French cheese from the Rhone Alps. Tommes and Tomas are well loved mountain cheeses made all over the Alpine region in Europe and Tomme de Savoie is a picture perfect representation of the French iterations. It’s made with the raw skimmed milk left over from making butter and carries some classic mountain qualities; earthy, rustic, simple yet delicious. The paste is buttery, savory, and earthy, with a tangy fruitiness throughout along with a slight nuttiness. Really, Savoie is a delightful cheese experience all around; classic and complex, approachable and versatile. Have you perfected your at-home bread making over the past year? Then you already have the ideal food accompaniment to this mountain mama at your fingertips. A crusty loaf loaded with some room temp Tomme and a nice piece of New England Charcuterie Saucisson Sec salami makes for a great happy hour snack.
Speaking of happy hour, what could be happier than Domaine Lelièvre Pique Nique Rosé. A quintessential springtime sipper with a cute & easy swing top screams, “drink me in the sunshine!” It’s distinctive and bright with subtle juicy fruit flavors of strawberry, citrus, and red raspberry. This wine hails from the Cotes de Toul, (where rosé rules over other cuvées) which is in the northeast region of France bordering Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany, where grapevines have been grown since the Roman Empire. The Lelièvre family have tended these vines for generations and have perfected their organic wine making, producing some of our all time favorite rosés. Very little of this wine leaves the region, let alone the country so pick up this Gamay-Pinot Noir blend while you can. As the name suggests, this blushing beauty is exactly right for your afternoon picnic. Pairs perfectly with light snacks a la Tomme-Bread-Salami number mentioned above. Refreshing light fruit plays perfectly with the savory dried fruit tang in the Tomme and washes over the salty salami. Load up on some grapes or pear slices and you’ve got all your essential food groups.
-written by Erin Hepinstall, Cheese Manager
-edited by Leah Mojer, Wine Mgr, M & P