The arrival of spring buds, (vaccines,) warmer days and beloved cheeses making their annual appearances on our shelves has us feeling all the optimistic feels. We are all smiles reading this latest post highlighting all the positive vibes (ingenuity and continued friendship) that can come with the arrival of a new season. Enjoy!
Von Trapp Family Farmstead’s Oma is a spring-summer staple in our cheese case; it’s a ride-or-die, bestie-for-life type of cheese that we miss dearly from December through March. Right on time, the daffodils have come up, the trees are blooming, and the mere presence of the sun makes you think it’s a lot warmer than it actually is. Also right on time? Oma season! Named for the cheesemaker’s Grandmother, Oma is as approachable and reliable as you’d expect. Soft and pudgy, the inherent sweetness from the organic Jersey milk is perfectly countered by some tang and salt from the brine-washed rind. Silky & supple but never runny, with notes of brown butter, roasted nuts, and spring-field-after-evening-rain freshness, Oma is a cozy sunshine-y hug wrapped up & disguised as a Tomme-style cheese. Because of its perfectly balanced flavor profile, Oma is the perfect addition to any snack board, regardless of what else you’re tossing on there. Don’t mind us, we’ll just be over here eating all the Oma we can for the next six months. Please, feel free to join us.
While we’re on the subject of new beginnings, season changing Oma-optimism and love, we’re popping a bottle that goes right along with those vibes. Sans Frontieres/Grenzenlos is an endearing little Pét Nat with an equally endearing story behind it. Sans Frontieres is a collaboration between two friends & wine making families. The Lelièvres from France and the Jansons from Germany. When the border between the two countries closed due to Covid, they decided to do what so many of us had to do and collaborate remotely. Oliver Janson sent his German Sauvignon Blanc grapes across the border to brothers Vincent and David Lelièvre’s vineyard where they added their Pinot Auxerrois and thus a pandemic wine-baby was born. The name is literally translated to “Without Borders” in French, and “Boundless” in German in an ode to a border-less Europe. The result is a delicious cloudy treat, with the fermentation finishing up right in the bottle. A bright, soft yellow juice with a pretty pastel label, the bottle alone screams spring. It’s fresh and fruity with rich aromatics – salted grapefruit and citrus pith envelope the palate and delight all the senses. The foamy bubbles play with Oma’s rich paste and refresh both the mouth and the mind. Old-world European cheese-making tradition married to present day pandemic-induced ingenuity makes this the perfect duo to raise a toast to hope and to brighter days ahead.
written by Erin Hepinstall, Cheese Manager
edited by Leah Mojer, Beverage Manager, M & P