Wine Yes, and South Africa Has Cheese Too

Located centrally in the heart of wine country Bien Donné, comes the "most loved foodie festival" in South Africa. The townships of Paarl, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Franschhoek are known for their superior wines, and it's no wonder that this annual Cheese Fest has become so popular, growing from 12,000 visitors in 2002 to 29,000 last year in 2009.

For more information for the 9th Annual South African Cheese Festival April 24-27, 2010 go here.

"Everybody Loves Cheese; Everybody Loves Wine"

Experiencing a cultural rennaisance, upper Michigan can proudly boast of a new recreation, gastronomic and shopping destination for mid-westerners. What was formerly known as the Northern Michigan Asylum has undergone a massive renovation and now the centuries-old Victorian-Italinate buildings sprawling some 63 wooded acres is home to some of the most chic retail shops, restaurants and condos in the Great Lakes region, called The Village at Traverse Commons in Traverse, Michigan.

Fitting in nicely with the European feel of the architecture is the Old World-style restaurant, Tastes of Black Star Farms, offering authentic Swiss raclette and award-winning wines from Black Star Farms Winery.



Local Leelanau Cheese Company supplies the raclette cheese for their Matterhorn Grill Dinners, which provide the perfect backdrop to accompany the highly-prized local wines.

"Everybody loves cheese, everybody loves wine," as tasting manager Kevin Culloty so accurately sums up. For a little taste of some classic Old World tradition, head on up to The Village at Traverse Commons.

Superbowl Commercial Madness - Cheese, Part 2

From Superbowl LVII, 2008

Wine and Cheese Upcoming Events

"It's all about balance and contrast, he said. A delicate wine needs a mellower cheese, but a bold wine and a fine cheddar can go head to head," according to Steve Wassick of The Cheese Shop who will be joining celebrity chefs and fellow fromagieres this weekend for the 19th Annual Boston Wine Expo.

JANUARY 23-24, 2010 - BOSTON

Boston Wine Expo
12:00 – 1:00 PM, Sunday, January 24th
Cheese and Wine Matching Seminar with Steve Wasik of the Wellesley Cheese Shop

~ Seaport World Trade Center

FEBRUARY 13-14, 2010 - WASHINGTON DC

International Wine & Food Festival
5:00 - 7:00pm, Friday, February 12th TastePost Wine & Cheese Pairing
Tickets: $25 (click here to buy tickets)
You’ll derive countless sensations and pleasure from specialty cheeses and perfectly matched wines during this casual yet elegant afternoon at the Washington Post.
~ Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

FEBRUARY 26-28, 2010 - NEW YORK

New York Wine Expo
~ Jacob J. Javits Convention Center

Preparing Raclette is Easy as Pie

Eating Raclette is as easy as boiling potatoes! These are the main ingredients but any can be easily modified to suit your personal tastes & budget:

• Raclette cheese - (or any semi-soft cheese will do) Try: Emmental, Edam, Gouda or Irish Cheddar. Plan for about 4 oz per person. Note: Raclette cheese is mostly imported, and as such, on the pricier end of cheese.
• New Potatoes - (the little ones) but really, any potato will do. Try: colorful varieties if available.
• Dried or Cured Meats, charcuterie - Try: air-dried beef, prosciutto or parma ham from your deli counter but even sandwich ham will do.
• Pickles, cornichons - any pickled or fresh vegetable will do. Try: pickled artichoke hearts, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes or fresh purple onions, bell peppers, or tomatoes for colors.

First, boil or bake the potatoes in their skins and place them on a serving plate, cutting the larger ones in half. Arrange thinly sliced meats on another plate. Slice pickles and any other veggies you desire and place in separate dishes that can be passed around. Cutting off the rind, slice Raclette thinly (Personally, I like the rind but it's not so great for melting.)

With a microwave:
Each person can arrange onto their own small* microwave safe plates whatever combination variety they want, placing the most important ingredient, the Raclette cheese, on top. Microwave until just melted. (*any size is fine but the idea is to nibble and nosh leisurely around the table and to enjoy the food and company, refilling your plates as desired.)

With an oven:
Same idea, but with small oven safe dishes. Place them all on a baking tray and grill until melted. Keep the oven warm for another round!

Not necessary, but rounding out the meal is also easily solved. Just add a hearty brown bread, a crusty bread, or any bread you have on hand with a simple packaged salad as side dishes.

Beverages well suited to a Raclette meal are white wine, a dark ale, beer or hot tea. These are said to aid in digestion of the decadent, high fat content meal... but who's thinking about calories at this time of year!

Advanced Raclette Dining
For the full Swiss experience, the Raclette Grill turns the meal into an occasion with lasting memories. The Swiss will lounge around the dinner table for a few hours, slowly enjoying this luxurious yet casual meal. Make sure there's a free flow of wine, beer and hot water for tea which will guarantee a glorious experience! Raclette grills have two levels: the top is for grilling your vegetables and meat, the bottom for melting the decadent, creamy cheese on top of your individualized creation-combination, or, solely for melting the cheese to pour atop the creation on your plate!

This video shows you just how easy Racletting is!