All the "Fall Vibes" - a Wine and Cheese Pairing

Wow, what a gorgeous weekend it was here in Pasadena, MD. Temperatures were just below 70 and the skies (and water) were bright blue. This weekend, I had the fun opportunity to participate as an artisan vendor at Wine on the Water at Kurtz Beach where I was sharing my yummy charcuterie cups! It was such a great event; I made connections with other extremely talented local vendors and listened to some great music. My kids also had a blast playing on the playground and eating some delicious food. And, of course, I cannot forget the wine!

I can be the person where to me, wine is wine. No matter what, red, white, dry, sweet, I can drink it. However, I do find myself generally favoring rieslings, pinot grigios, and pinot noirs. I was pretty busy during the event so I was only able to try a few wines, but one that truly stuck with me was Stone House Urban Winery’s Riesling. Stone House Urban Winery is located in Hagerstown, MD and my husband and I are definitely going to make some time to get there to visit. As I was getting ready to take my first sip, I immediately noticed the floral aroma. The wine overall was slightly sweet and left a dry finish. As you may have noticed from the wines I tend to favor, slightly sweet is my jam! I couldn’t resist bringing a bottle home.

Now to the cheese please! I love many things about making charcuterie boards, and one of the things that I love the most is incorporating what is in season into my boards. Using seasonal ingredients not only gives that “seasonal vibe” aka “fall vibes”, but contributes to the freshness and quality of ingredients as well. Trader Joe's Annapolis has a cranberry white stilton cheese on their shelf for the fall and it is truly to die for. It also happens to be a great cheese to pair with a riesling.

Once I was able to unload from Wine on the Water, get my kids in bed, and wind down a bit, I poured myself a glass and cut a semi-large piece of cranberry white stilton cheese. It was a perfect pairing. The cranberry white stilton cheese is creamy with a generous portion of cranberries - giving it a sharp cranberry taste complemented with the smoothness of the cheese. If you like riesling and charcuterie, then adding Trader Joe’s white stilton cheese is a must. It was delicious. It was a little rich for me, so I wasn’t able to eat much, but it also did not leave me feeling heavy, which would not have been good for wanting a small snack and drink before bed.

The next time you plan a wine night or are contemplating on what to have with your glass of riesling, I would highly recommend this pairing.

Thank you so much for being here and supporting me through this journey. Check back often for more blog posts on charcuterie pairings. Now, go enjoy some wine and cheese please!

-Sarah