by Sophia Stern
To celebrate the launch of our July 12th, 2021 select batch of Pleasant Ridge Reserve, we’re rerunning our original pairing: Pleasant Ridge and Red Car Chardonnay. However, there are key difference between last year’s pairing and this year’s. First, this selection of Pleasant Ridge has stronger umami qualities reminiscent of Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s rich with just enough bite to keep you craving more. Second, the wine is a different vintage. Last year we rolled with the 2016 Red Car Chardonnay. We now have the 2018 with totally different tasting notes. This pairing works like it did in 2021, but it’s certainly not the same and nor would we want it to be.
These changing variables begin every spring when a group of France 44 employees go to Uplands Cheese in the Driftless Region of eastern Wisconsin. The goal is to pick France 44’s select batch (or two) of Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Each visit involves a tour, seeing the cheesemakers in action, and greeting the cows. The staff sample different wheels of Pleasant Ridge, noting the nuances from month to month, week to week, and even day to day. This batch was chosen for its roasted, savory flavors and ideal, semi-firm, buttery texture
On the wine front, Red Car Winery champion their location, producing balanced Chardonnays that reflect the environment they are created in. France 44 Wine Specialist Karina Roe writes
Red Car Winery prides themselves on honest wines that reflect vintage and terroir variations... The 2016 bottling of this wine (the original Pairing we did with Pleasant Ridge Reserve) came from a harvest that was just beginning to recover from a significant drought season. The fruit tones were denser and more concentrated, and perhaps because of this Red Car chose to age the wine in French oak for 6 months longer than the wine we are drinking today--the 2018 release. 2018 was fairly perfect as far as weather conditions were concerned, with more consistent rainfall and cool, breezy temperatures. The acidity is brighter, the fruit is less dense, and Red Car highlighted the lifted nature of the 2018 by keeping it in oak for a shorter period of time--10 months in mostly neutral French oak rather than 16 months.
With a more savory, rich batch of Pleasant Ridge and a lighter, tarter Chardonnay, we’re left with a different pairing experience. The wine allows the cheese to shine more than it did back in 2021. The brightness of the 2018 vintage is a welcome addition against the richness of this year’s select batch. Most importantly, we’re reminded of the unique characteristics that come with small, farm focused products. Every variable effects the end result. It’s a miracle that we ever get good tasting cheese and wine at all. We invite you to enjoy the 2022 rendition of this pairing, maybe considering the joys of inconsistency and that supporting food and wine like these means giving up some control. The cheese and Chardonnay are best together without the harsh chill from the fridge. Allow the wine to breathe in your glass and the cheese to come up to room temperature before diving in.