by Sophia Stern
We have a lot of Goudas in our cheese case. At any given time, we have about 5-8 shiny, flat sided, large wheels of Dutch or Dutch-inspired cheese. Each one has its own unique profile, but none of the Goudas are as grassy, as savory, or as vegetal as Coolea from County Cork, Ireland. Although this Irish Gouda is not made in the Netherlands, it is made by a Dutch family living in the mountainous village of Cúil Aodha, anglicized as Coolea. To go with this Irish wheel, we’ve picked a cheerful Italian red made from 100% Barbera grapes in Piedmont.
Coolea is a beautiful merge of Dutch cheesemaking tradition and Irish terroir. At the end of the 1970s, the Willems, a Dutch family, emigrated out of the Netherlands. They settled in County Cork, Ireland in the village of Cúil Aodha located in the beautiful Derrynasaggart mountains. There, Dick and Helene Willems decided to venture into cheesemaking, using the milk produced by their small herd of cows on their small, but picturesque farm. The Willems family drew on their Dutch heritage, making a Gouda-style cheese unlike any other cheeses being produced in County Cork and named the cheese Coolea, after the anglicized pronunciation of Cúil Aodha. Like most of Ireland, Coolea gets ample rain year round and the land is lush, diverse, and green. The cows grazing on this pasture produce a herbal, grassy milk that balances well with the usually-sweet Gouda style. Since the 70s, the cheese has taken off as an international favorite and won national recognition as one of the best cheeses in Ireland. Now made by Dick and Helene’s son, Dicky, Coolea continues to be an incredible reflection of the Irish landscape.
We’ve pared this Irish delight with the Ercole Barbera. If you haven’t yet had the Ercole wines, now is definitely the time. Ercole is the ideal party wine. It’s affordable, comes in a liter, and has a screw cap for easy access. Most importantly, the Ercole line of wines are really, really good. For the Coolea, Barbera works particularly well. The Italian red lifts the rich, nutty notes in the cheese and keeps the grassy qualities front and center. We picked Ercole Barbera not only for the Irish Gouda, but because it should fit right in with the rest of your Saint Patrick’s Day feasting and festivities. While Ercole is perfect for sharing with a group, it’s also easy to enjoy alone or with a partner as the wine is only 12.5%. Try Ercole with your corned beef and potatoes or go lowkey this Thursday and just party with the cheese and wine. Either way, it’s basically spring, so say a fond farewell to the winter months with this fruity red and savory Gouda pairing.