Has it really been a whole month since the delight of Graham's January Cheese Moment? This month, Graham has mainly been dreaming about his previous life as a jester in the court of Louis XIV of France, who paid him personally in cheese. Whilst he may have shed the bells on his toes, Graham is still paid his salary in cheese. This month, he's rich with Langres.

Langres

Hailing from the Langres plateau in the Champagne-Ardenne region in north France (just north of Dijon) comes the Langres cheese. It is produced from pasteurised cow's milk and is a semi-soft cheese in style and since 1991 has Appellation d'Origine Controlée (AOC) status. The rind, which is Penicillium candidum is regularly rubbed with brine over a five week maturation period in humid cellars and a natural red dye is added to give the distinctive orange colour to the rind. The body of the cheese is soft and crumbly with a mild, salty flavour. This cheese matches with our Fine Cheese Co Charcoal Squares, the slight sweetness of which counteracts the salty tang of the cheese. It will pair very nicely with the following wines Sancerre Les Trois Noyers A modern, almost New World style of Sancerre. Up front aromatic nose of nettles and blackcurrant leaves, the palate is full with crisp citrus acidity and a long balanced finish. Beronia Rueda Blanco Pale yellow with leafy green hues, this is an intensely aromatic wine displaying hints of fennel, white flowers and fresh grass, as well as a rich background of stone fruits. The palate is dry and flavourful but with a sweet edge. Its balanced acidity and some of the bitterness typical of the variety give a persistent finish. So that's my moment over for another month. I hope you all got through that ok, I guess you need to take the gouda with the bad. Until next month's Cheese Moment, Graham