In The News...

Hi All! We might as well call Inboden's 'Cheese Central' lately! Not only have I been building numerous artisanal cheese trays for all the various Catering events we've been handling lately, but I'm also revamping the Wine, Cheese, and Olive Pairing Trays (more details will follow once I nail everything down). Inboden's will also be hosting several cheese tasting events over the next few weeks. On Friday, December 5, 4 to 6:30pm, we'll be doing a wine and cheese tasting in the Inboden's Wine & Beer Room (IWBR) featuring dessert and fortified wines and European cheese. Then on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 we'll have cheese maker Jack Anderson from Sartori Foods of Wisconsin presenting something truly special: Sartori Reserve Raspberry BellaVitano. This new cheese took the Trophy for the Best American Cheese as well as the Trophy for Best New Cheese at the recent World Cheese Awards just held in Dublin in September. A panel of 240 judges rated over 2400 cheeses this year...and Inboden's will be the first outlet for this Champion outside of the cheese plant itself! Jack will also be giving out samples of a half-dozen of his other cheeses. We're also going have another cheese tasting featuring California cheeses on Saturday, December 27. On the slate for this one are Three Sisters Farmstead Serena and Serenita, Fiscalini San Joaquin Gold, Point Reyes Farmstead Blue, and Rouge & Noir Triple Crème Brie. All of these cheese are major award winners in various categories, and all of them are excellent. But besides these events, the most exciting thing is all the new cheeses we've brought into the store in the just the past couple of weeks, over two dozen, with more on the way. (And somehow I've managed to fit all of them into the case...what's going to happen when I get another 3' merchandiser?) So, here's the list, with brief tasting notes (and with pictures on the webpage, www.meatplace.com). Pepatello, Italy ($11.89/lb) -- An aged Pecorino (sheep's milk) cheese with black peppercorns. A fruity Barbera d'Alba or Montepulciano d'Abruzzo would be great. Taleggio, Italy ($11.89/lb) -- A washed-rind soft cheese dating back to the 10th Century. It has a strong aroma, but a surprisingly mild and fruity flavor. A robust and buttery Chardonnay will hold up to it. Rustico with Red Bell Pepper, Italy ($9.89/lb) -- Another sheep's milk cheese, but with sweet red peppers. Try some shredded on your next pizza. Myzithra, Greece ($9.89/lb) -- More sheep's milk, but exceptionally firm. Similar to a Ricotta Salata, but with more oomph -- bold, assertive, and fairly salty. Suitable for grating, substitute it for Parmesan or Romano next time. Fromager d'Affinois, France ($13.69/lb) -- Similar to a Brie in appearance, but due to the process of ultrafiltration, Fromager is creamier and more flavorful. Only 60% butterfat, but super oozy. Montchevre Mini Cabrie Goat Brie, WI ($3.99/ea) -- Individually handmade. Mild and creamy. Floralie Crottin, Plain and Garlic/Herb, France ($2.99/ea) -- Small blops of goat cheese. Bake them in a 350F oven for about 5 to 6 minutes and spread on warm crusty bread. Soigon Couturier Goat Cheese with Four Peppers, France ($3.99/ea) -- An authentic addition to the other flavored chevres already in the Case. Sancerre, most definitely. Brillat Savarin with Papaya, France ($13.89/ea) -- One of the cheeses Inboden's directly imported from Europe. Almost 75% butterfat, so creamy and super rich. The fruit looks beautiful and tastes even better. Spread some on your morning bagel and you'll be happy all day. (Only two one pieces left at this point!) Petit Jurassic, France ($12.99/ea) -- Another direct import. A cow's milk Swiss with a nice bite and nuttiness. Gourmandise with Walnuts, France ($11.89/lb) -- Easily spreadable. Believe it or not, a fino Sherry works with this one. Gourmandise with Kirsch, France ($11.89/lb) -- A sister to the previous product, but with a subtle cherry flavor. Boursin with Apple, Cranberry, and Cinnamon, France ($5.29/ea) -- A new flavor for the holidays! Comte, France ($12.89/lb) -- The Gallic interpretation of Gruyère; a bit softer and less nutty. Raw cow's milk and strictly controlled by AOC laws. Excellent with a Brut sparkling or a light Gamay. Cambozola, Germany ($10.89/lb) -- Leave it to the Germans to engineer a French cheese (Camembert) with an Italian one (Gorgonzola). A double crème blue that's fairly mild but distinctive. Champignon, Germany ($12.99/lb) -- Another double crème, but this one has mushrooms...even better than the flavor-enhanced Bries I make. Rougette, Germany ($13.79/lb) -- Kicking it up a notch, this is a triple crème (higher than 70% butterfat), both mellow and piquant depending on maturity. Works exceptionally well with tropical fruits such as mango and kiwi. Montagnolo, Germany ($13.39/lb) -- Aged longer and more slowly than the Cambozola and with a higher butterfat content, the Montagnolo has a slight sweetness to the crumb, but a more piquant rind. Vincent, Holland ($10.89/lb) -- Another the the line of Dutch Masterpiece cheeses, Vincent is named after van Gogh. Tangy, rich and refined, a wonderful addition to a cheese tray. Pimentino, Spain ($13.59/lb) -- A small round of goat's milk cheese rubbed with paprika. The spice provides a brilliant orange appearance to the rind, but actually adds only hints of flavor. The cheese itself is more sweet than salty. Stilton with Mango and Ginger, England ($16.99/lb) -- I may have mentioned this one before, but I really like this fruit-infused creamy but crumbly cheese. Cheddar with Isle of Arran Single Malt Whisky, England ($13.59/lb) -- The Brits really seem to like to add unusual flavors to their cheeses! The flavor is actually quite subtle and intriguing. Eichten's Chipotle Gouda, MN ($10.99/lb) -- Americans aren't afraid of tweaking their cheeses either. The heat on this one grows pleasantly through the finish, but never becomes too extreme. Melt some on your burger and you'll have a Tex-Mex treat. Montera with Caprese Tomato or with Kalamata Olive, WI ($6.99/lb) -- Available both as chunks and sliced, either of these cheeses is unique. Great in salads or on paninis. Cypress Grove Purple Haze, CA ($6.59/ea) -- Perhaps the most intense additional flavors on top of a soft goat's milk-- lavender and fennel pollen! Not for the faint of heart, but those who are adventurous will enjoy this one. See what I mean about Inboden's being Cheese Central!? But what's more, we've also added some charcuterie items (Finocchiona with Fennel Seed, Crespone Salame, and Cacciatore Dry Salame from Columbus Brands) as well as a selection of pates from Trois Petits Cochons (Truffle Mousse, Three Layer Vegetable Terrine, and Duck Liver and Pork Mousse with Port Wine). Of course, Inboden's will be bringing in even more specialty items for the holidays: caviar, Scandinavian delicacies, smoked salmon, and more. Of course, the IWBR is also gearing up for the holidays. Perhaps the greatest sign of the change of seasons is the release of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau! Louis Tete Beaujolais Nouveau, '08, France, Burgundy ($14.95/btl) -- Now that it's the third Thursday of November, I can legally sell the current release. Celebrate the end of the harvest, and get an extra bottle or two for Thanksgiving dinner. Notro Tinto de Montana, '07, Argentina, Maipu ($7.95/btl) -- A large proportion of Argentina's winemakers are of Italian descent, and while they export a good amount of Malbec and Bonarda, they have a tendency to keep their traditional wines at home for themselves. Such is the case with Notro, a blend of 50% Bonarda and 50% Sangiovese. (I know, I know, quite an atypical blend.) Medium-bodied with plenty of soft fruits and a little spiciness, this value wine will go with pizza or empanadas. Valdivieso Reserva Carmenere, '06, Chile, Central Valley ($15.95/btl) -- The deep color in the glass corresponds with the dark forest fruit and cassis aromas and flavors. The tannins are rather sweet and supple, with just a bit of the 'green' which gives Carmenere its charm. Valdivieso Reserva Pinot Noir, '07, Chile, Casablanca ($15.95/btl) -- Intense color and a big nose with a bit of smoke and funkiness intertwined with the red fruit. A true example of Chilean terroir, not an attempt to copy a French paradigm. Valdivieso Reserva Chardonnay, '05, Chile, Casablanca ($15.95/btl) -- The nose is fairly buttery with lots of crisp tree fruits. In the mouth, the 6 months of oak aging has added a nice structure which is made more elegant due to the slow ripening possible from this coastal vineyard. Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay, '07, South Africa ($30.00/btl) -- Tight and minerally with classic finesse and length, exceptional character, and superb elegance. Definitely not your 'typical' Chardonnay. Consistently the highest scoring white wine from South Africa! (I also have a couple of bottles of the Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir, '06 ($42.00/btl) and Ashbourne Pinotage, '01 ($30.00/btl) which are also a stunners.) Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc, '08, South Africa ($18.95/btl) -- Complex and expressive, this vintage of the Right Sauv has more intense aromatics then previous vintages, but still has that classic Hamilton-Russell combination of Old World minerality and length and New World mouthfeel and attack. Southern Right Pinotage, '06, South Africa ($19.95/btl) -- Intense and classic, Hamilton Russell is doing wonders with this variety unique to South Africa. Lots of intense berry fruits are buoyed on beautiful tannins with undertones of wood spice. Besides these new arrivals, the IWBR will also be hosting a Thanksgiving Wine Tasting this coming Saturday, November 22. Jennifer from Heritage Wine Cellars will be providing samples of these wines, any of which will be great with your big meal next week: Alexander Valley New Gewurz, '07, CA, Central Coast ($9.95/btl) -- Big aromas of rose petal, ginger, grapefruit, litchi, and baking spice, and a palate of citrus, honeysuckle, and nutmeg, combined with a decent sweetness level and a slight effervescence. Franz Karl Schmitt Riesling Spatlese, '06, Germany, Rheinhessen ($18.49/btl) -- If ever you've wondered whether it was possible to find aromas and flavors of red currants, cassis and raspberries in a Riesling, wonder no longer, for here they are. Don't let that hold you back though, for together with these you will also find citrus and tropical fruits, apricot and white peach, and hints of mineral. Alexander Valley Rose of Sangiovese, '07, CA, Alexander Valley ($12.49/btl) -- I had this one in stock during the summer; it was one of my favorite roses of the season. I've brought back some more for Thanksgiving. Fairly hefty with good tart fruit notes and a crisp acidity, this will cut through all that richness and still be palate-cleansing. Louis Tete Beaujolais-Villages, '07, France, Burgundy ($11.95/btl) -- 100% Gamay. Sticking with tradition, Louis Tete bottles his wine in a 'Pot' - a clear glass, particularly shaped bottle. The bottle allows you to see the vibrant color before even catching a whiff of its cherry & strawberry nose. Schafer Spatburgunder Spatlese, '01, Germany, Rheinhessen ($15.95/btl) -- Spatburgunder is the German term for Pinot Noir, and Spatlese means that this was a later harvest, which generally means a sweeter wine. Cranberry notes, baking spice hints, a bit of residual sweetness on the finish, this bottle will be a hit with everybody at the table. (Hint: There's a coupon on the website, www.meatplace.com, for this bottle!) Paringa Sparkling Shiraz, '04, South Australia ($12.49/btl) -- It's been awhile since I've visited this wine, but I did so last week at the Grateful Palate tasting and was pleasantly surprised by how well it's developing. The Shiraz has the structure to appeal to big red drinkers, but the effervescence adds a lightness and sense of fruitiness which will please the rest of you. Boy, with all of this talk about wine and cheese, I've neglected the rest of the Market, so in a nutshell, this weekend's sales are: Flank Steak, $4.99/lb Teriyaki Steak Kabobs, $3.99/lb Bone-In Chuck Short Ribs, $3.99/lb Cranberries, $2.49/bag Red Potatoes, 69¢/lb Tomato Basil Salad, $2.99/lb Pumpkin Bars, 99¢/ea Raisin Pecan Bread, $2.39/loaf. Sale prices are valid Thursday, 11/19 through Saturday, 11/21. Also, a whole new set of Coupons is up on the website, www.meatplace.com. Hope to see y'all soon! Dale 815-756-5852 inbodens@yahoo.com