Fine Cheese & Charcuterie January 2020

Looking Ahead To A New Decade of Cheese & Charcuterie

For the New Year I want to give thanks to all of the hard working individuals that create truly exceptional works of gastronomic art out of a container of fresh milk.  Likewise to those that process and cure meats and fish that seem to pair perfectly with our cheese.  We appreciate their trading partners that import, distribute, and retail these cheeses for Americans to appreciate and consume.  We are truly blessed to have access to such great food in this country produced domestically and transported from far reaching shores.

Case in point.  My wife was treated to a very special aged goat cheese log for the holidays, courtesy of me truly, from France.  She commented after enjoying it for a few minutes that it was unlike any goat’s milk cheese that she had tasted before.  It wasn’t just the flavor that caught her attention, but the texture was equally unique.  She inquired as to why it could be so different from the other goat cheeses on the table.  The answer, of course, is why I enjoy this business so much…it’s about the finishing.  The technique.  The affinage.  Aging cheese and curing meats really is an art form, and we have to appreciate the artisans that labor for our benefit.

In our upcoming issues this year, we will introduce you to some of the artisans that we have encountered, and share their stories and unique creations.  We will take you on a journey from the mountains of Italy to an underground bunker in Vermont, and even highlight a single-producer DOP prosciutto that is the very definition of unique.  

So much is the same in the cheese and cured meat business, yet there has been meaningful innovation in response to changes in consumer demand in the last decade.  We still love the special DOP cheeses that have been made the same way for generations.  We appreciate the new cheeses that have been introduced as techniques and machinery have evolved to make it possible to innovate and create new flavors.  We look forward to continuing to bring to you information on the latest and greatest this year.