Simon Hoggart at La Fromagerie

Simon Hoggart, the wine correspondent of the Spectator and columnist for the Guardian, gave an insight into a few of his favourite wines at La Fromagerie last night. He has just published a book on the subject, Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine, a collection of 100 wines for the discerning drinker. He writes for the enthusiast, the people who really enjoy their wine. There is no wine snobbery in his camp. If you've found a wine at Aldi or Morrisons, enjoy it while you can.

La Fromagerie, Patricia Michelson's superb cheese emporium off Marylebone High Street, was set up into various wine regions from Gascony and Burgundy, Haut Jura into the Veneto, Piedmont with Tuscany following on behind. Along with wine tastings, La Fromagerie had selected suitable cheese.

Stephen Fry said of Simon Hoggart's book '... just like the kind of wine he champions, the book leaves you feeling warmer and happier.' The selection of wines below will do the same, giving you a satisfying glow during the festive season.

WINE & CHEESE RECOMMENDATIONS

GASCONY - Chateau Montus Madiran
Alain Brumont's stunning full bodied rich flavoured wine. Perfect with beef, game and Cassoulet

Cheese Pairings
Ossau, Pyrenees. Ewe
Hand-made mountain semi-hard cheese with a brine rubbed crust.

Roquefort Carles, Rouergue. Ewe
Artisan made well marbled blue cheese. Intense, powerful flavours and gritty texture.

BURGUNDY - Beaujolais Village Nouveau Domaine du P'tit Bellevue , Villemorgon
The domaine was created fifteen years ago and this fruity wine is suitable for drinking young. Chosen for its slightly more sophisticated fruity flavour with a distinct pear drop aroma. A perfect pairing with Saint Marcellin.

Cheese Pairings
Saint Marcellin, Isere/Dauphine. Cow
Classic small medallion shaped cheese, with scattered white and blue bloomy moulds. Pate slightly firmer and less lactic when young, becoming more oozing and melting when ripening. A lovely gentle rounded tasting cheese.

Brie de Meaux, Ile de France. Cow
Soft velvety texture with a tender bloomy rind. Rich golden cheese with an earthy character contrasting with the texture of the crust.

HAUT JURA - Côtes du Jura Cuvée Florine 2006 La Combe, Rotalier
100% Chardonnay. Jean-Francois Ganevat's simple style Jura wine, with a refreshingly zesty yet smooth style and floral aroma is ideal with lighter style cheeses, as well as seafood and grilled fish. Good as an aperitif too.

Cheese Pairings
Vacherin du Mont D'Or, Haut-Doubs. Cow
The season for this traditionally hand-made cheese is short, starting at the beginning of October and running until the end of March. A superb cheese with a meltingly rich verging on clotted cream taste. The billowy crust is washed pinky peach with an earthy sappy aroma. The bark around the cheese helps it to achieve its texture and perfume.


Comte d'Estive, Franche-Comte. Cow
This cheese is aged for 24 months. Ivory coloured pate with a rich nutty flavour and a golden brown crust. In the style of a distinct Gruyere with a hint of caramel sweetness.

PIEDMONT - Gavi di Gavi Bric Sassi, Roberto Sarotto
From the Gavi growing area on the South facing slopes. Made from Cortese grapes of forty year old vines, this is a vibrant, full bodied and top class wine. It has citrus and floral notes with mouthwatering hints of apricot, pineapple and peach. Delicious.

Cheese Pairings
San Andrea, Friulli. Cow
A skimmed cow's milk cheese using both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk, with a semi-hard pate and a hard golden crust, which has been washed and brushed. The simple smooth textured cheese has scatterings of tiny eyelets and tastes mellow and fruity. It is especially good as a table cheese when eaten young. With a year's maturing, the flavours become more complex.

VENETO - Recioto di Soave DOCG Balestri ValaMonte Carnia/Monte CAmpagnola/Sengialta
Recioto sweet wine is derived from taking the ripest possible grapes from the upper part of the bunch and drying them for six months before pressing in March. This wine has a beautiful rich yellow/gold brightness in the glass with an intense, softly fruity aroma with sumptuous juicy flavours etched with almond. Sip slowly and enjoy with hard ewe's milk cheses, or Foie Gras.

Cheese Pairings
Sottocenere al Tartufo, Treviso. Cow
This is a compact flaky textured cow's milk cheese with flakes of truffle mixed into the paste before placing into moulds. The cheese is then brine washed after a little ripening, then left to dry a little before being rubbed in olive oil and then rolled in many spices including cinnamon and truffle essence. Fine ash cinders are then pressed onto the cheese to help retain all the aromatic characteristics.

Ubriaco, Veneto/Treviso. Cow
A firm textured semi-skimmed cheese with its crust dipped and washed in red or white wine pressings. The resulting aromatic vinous aromas house an alabaster white cheese of crumbly close texture and tasting deeply fruity.

TUSCANY - Granchaia Selezione 2003 Le Macie del Ponte alla Granchaia, Gaiole in Chianti
This is a wine of exception depth and elegance with rich, full dark berry flavours. It is produced from hand-picked estate-grown grapes and has been aged in French oak barrells for fourteen months. It is from a small estate which is fast gaining a reputation for its modern style wines made using traditional methods.

Cheese Pairings
Pecorino Montefalco, Montefalco, Umbria. Ewe
This farm produces a small quantity of cheese from their own flock of ewes. In winter they graze under the olive trees and vines close to the farm, and in summer their home is high up in the hills. Hand milking is still valued and the traditional cheese recipe used today. Only a limited amount of cheeses can be made each day from the herd of 150 ewes. The cheese tastes sweetly nutty and earthy. It's a real treat.

Gorgonzola Naturale, Piacenza, Lombardy. Cow
Two layered traditional curd, using both the morning and evening milk which is ladled in layers into the cheese mould. The cheeses are brined in a salt and water solution and left for a week or two before being pierced at the top, sides and bottom of the cheese to allow the blue bacteria mould to evenly distribute into well spread blue/green veins. The taste is rich, fruity and sappy with earthy aromas.

La Fromagerie holds regular tasting events. Sign up to the newsletter on La Fromagerie's site, www.lafromagerie.co.uk and receive news of events.

2 December 09