Vanessa & I hit the road bound for Niagara to have a weekend of full of wine & cheese discoveries. Naturally, one of our stops was an early morning amazing visit to Upper Canada Cheese Company. After a tour of the facility & the aging rooms with Cheesemaker – Lauren Arsenault – she asked us to pair their signature cheeses with wines from nearby wineries. “We are always asked here at the store which wines to serve with the cheeses.”
With several bottles of VQA wines uncorked I rounded up the team of Savvy Sommeliers to roll up our sleeves and find delicious matches of cheese & wine. As the saying goes, “It is a tough job, but someone has got to do it”.
Here is a great video about Upper Canada Cheese.
If you have your favorite Niagara cheese & wine pairing, let me know!
Cheers & enjoy,
-Debbie
Upper Canada Niagara Gold
At Upper Canada, Lauren handcrafts her cheeses with milk from a herd of Guernsey cows from a farm down the road. The milk is high in minerals & contains plenty of fat which is key to the rich taste of their cheeses.
Niagara Gold is a washed rind cheese that is handcrafted into a large round that weighs 1.8kgs & is aged for 4 months (or even aged longer!) before it is sliced into wedges & available to enjoy.
Savvy Sommeliers wine pairing recommendations:
White Wines
- Malivoire Chardonnay VQA 2009
- Konzelmann Estate Barrel Aged Chardonnay VQA 2008
- Nyarai Cellars Viognier VQA 2011
Red Wines
- Rosewood Estates Merlot VQA 2010
- The Good Earth Food & Wine Company Pinot Noir VQA 2009
- Marynissen Bottoms Up VQA 2009
Sweet Wines
- Angel’s Gate Cabernet Franc Ice Wine VQA 2008
- Colaneri Profondo Mistera VQA 2010 (Italian style Recioto made with Gewurztraminer grapes)
- Pilliteri Estates Pinot Blanc Icewine VQA 2008
Upper Canada Comfort Cream
Comfort Cream is a camembert style cheese named to pay tribute to the Comfort family who were the first farmers to provide their Guernsey Milk for cheesemaking.
Savvy Sommeliers wine pairing recommendations:
White Wines
Red Wines
- Fielding Estates Meritage VQA 2007
- Pondview Estates Winery Cabernet Merlot VQA 2010
- Riverview Cellars Red Truck Syrah VQA 2009
Nosey Goat Camelot
A bit different from the other cheeses made at Upper Canada, Camelot is a semi-firm washed rind made with goat cheese. Lauren describes the cheese: Its rind is deliciously salty while presenting a cheese that is both delicate and fresh tasting.
Savvy Sommeliers wine pairing recommendations:
White Wines
- Cattail Creek Family Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc VQA 2009
- Reif Estates Meritage White VQA 2009
- Sue Ann Staff Pinot Grigio VQA 2009
Red Wines
- DiProfio Wines Gamay VQA 2011
- Palatine Hills Neufeld Vineyard Cabernet Franc VQA 2010
- Ravine Vineyards Red Coat VQA 2011