15 Nov 2023
This week I ventured into the Larder to catch up with Ed Bevin and find out how things were going in the build up to Christmas.
What do you get when you combine cheese, wine, and good company? A perfect pre-Christmas celebration, of course!
That’s because Mrs M and I have decided to prepare a lavish cheese and wine feast for some friends, rather than a traditional three-course meal or festive party food. However,
planning such a dinner can be daunting, especially if you are not sure what cheeses and wines to pair together. Therefore, I was delighted to discover that Ed Bevin, the owner of the Fleetville Larder, has just launched his Christmas cheese ordering service, which makes it easy and convenient to choose and order your cheese and wine online or in
person. In addition, he offers a mouth-watering selection of artisan cheeses, fine wines, crispy crackers and tangy chutneys, all sourced from a range of fantastic producers. And if you have a cheese in mind that doesn’t show up on his list, he will do his best to source it for you.
To place your order, you can visit the Larder in person, or fill out the online Christmas pre-order form. Orders must be placed by December 9, and you can choose your collection date right up to and including Christmas. So don’t miss this opportunity to treat yourself and your loved ones to a cheese and wine extravaganza this festive season!
In the meantime, as the nights are getter darker, colder and wetter I was in search of a warming, bold wine and a delightful cheese to match this. Whilst I selected the wine (Malbec), Ed carefully chose a cheese that would stand up to the powerful taste of the Malbec and so we co-created the perfect pairing for this week – Cornish Kern and French Malbec.
Starting with the wine, the ‘Man meets mountain’ Malbec 2022 (£13.50 a bottle) is a wine produced in Argentina and made 100% from the Malbec grape variety.
It is a harmonious and fruity wine, with notes of blueberry, blackcurrant and plum, and a complex and delicious finish.
It is aged for three months in old French oak barrels, which give it a subtle touch of spice and vanilla. As with most of the wines available at the Larder, there’s a story behind the label: “Great things are done when men and mountains meet, this is not done by jostling in the street”.
The quest for higher quality has seen Argentina’s most ambitious winemakers push into the Andes foothills where the higher altitude and meagre soils produce the finest grapes. Man Meets Mountain celebrates those that face up to and conquer the challenges posed by nature and brings to you a harmonious Malbec.
It is a wine that captures the spirit of adventure, the challenge of nature, and the joy of discovery.
It is a wine that invites you to explore its rich and complex flavours, from the ripe and juicy fruits to the subtle and elegant oak. It’s perfect for sharing with friends, family, or for savouring alone in a quiet moment. It is a wine that is more than just a drink, it is an experience.
It is a great wine to pair with barbequed and grilled red meats, or to enjoy on its own but it’s crying out for cheese.
Ed’s recommendation is Kern cheese, a hard cheese from Cornwall, made by the same producers of Cornish Yarg. It is aged for 16 months and has a buttery, caramel, and nutty flavour.
It is similar to Comté or Gruyère, which are Alpine cheeses.
To pair this cheese with wine, you need to consider the intensity, acidity, and sweetness of both the cheese and the wine.
Kern cheese is a fairly intense and complex cheese, so it needs a wine that can match its flavour and not be overwhelmed by it. It also has a smooth and creamy texture, so it needs a wine that can cut through the richness and refresh the palate. A wine that is too acidic or too sweet might clash with the cheese and create an unpleasant sensation.
This wine is a good match for Kern cheese because it has a similar intensity and complexity as the cheese and can complement its nutty and caramel flavours. The wine also has a medium acidity and a medium sweetness, which balance well with the cheese and do not overpower it. The wine has a smooth and velvety texture, which contrasts nicely with the slightly flaky and crunchy texture of the cheese.
The wine also has a long and satisfying finish, which echoes the cheese’s deep and savoury aroma.
Lynher Dairies is the cheese producer in Cornwall, England, who makes this award-winning cheese from local milk. They are the sole makers of Cornish Yarg, a semi-hard cheese wrapped in nettles or wild garlic, and this Cornish Kern.
Cornish Kern is a cheese that was created by Lynher Dairies in 2016, inspired by Alpine cheeses like Comté and Gruyère.
It is made from the milk of their own herd of Ayrshire cows, as well as other selected Cornish farms. It is aged for 16 months and has a smooth and creamy texture, a black wax coating, and a deep and savoury aroma. It won the Supreme Champion award at the World Cheese Awards in 2017, beating more than 3,000 other cheeses from around the world.
Lynher Dairies sells their cheeses through Fleetville Larder, and you can also visit their dairy near Truro and see how they make their cheeses by hand in open vats.
They also offer cheese-making courses, tours, and tastings for cheese.
If you’re enjoying my recommendations, then please follow me on Instagram @dmc_uncorked. And if you are a wine retailer or an events company who would like me to feature your range of wines, then please contact me via mccabetwe@gmail.com
