Cheese Team Member Picks:

Our friends in the Cheese Dept. at Whole Foods Market
have begun to pick out and highlight their favorite cheeses,
cheeses that have just arrived, cheeses that they feel are
delicious and possibly overlooked. Their cheese case is just
packed with so much to choose from that it's a good thing
to have little helpful suggestions.  We think that's a great
idea and want to make a wine pairing recommendation
to make it even more fun.

There's nothing better than
having the right cheese with the right wine...
 
 Brian has picked Fromage D'Affinois this week.
 One of the top selling cheeses at Whole Foods Market.
 What's not to like! It's oozy creaminess is much like a Brie
 but with more subdued flavor. At just 60% butterfat it's
 not quite as rich as the heart stopping triple creams, but
 still has to devoured in moderation.
 
 Wine Recommendation:
 With all that richness and buttery character the best thing
 to serve is a crisp sparkling wine. Prosecco from Italy, Cava
 from Spain, but we recommend a delightful Cremant de
 Bourgogne. This is a chardonnay based sparkling wine
 produced in the Burgundy region of France. It's made in the
 Methode Champenoise and is crisp, lively and has lots of
 tiny bubbles. The zippy green apple acidity of this sparkling
 wine cuts through the butteriness of the cheese...
 a nice welcome refreshment between bites. Try the
 Collin-Bourisset Cremant de Bourgogne ($20)

 
 Thomas has picked Comte.
 This is the classic French Gruyere from the Jura
 mountains in the Rhone Alps of Franche Comte.
 While you may have tasted many gruyere in your
 lives, this one is the most notable. Just a bit more
 creamy and finishes with a tremendous richness.
 This gruyere is aged for 15 months. Maybe that's
 why it tastes so good. Always great in French
 Onion soup or Fondue. I prefer it in a Onion Tart.
 
 http://www.grouprecipes.com/3461/so-good-onion-tart.html

 Wine Recommendation:
 I recommend making the onion tart and nothing tastes better
 with an onion tart than a nice Riesling. We've got several
 to recommend: Snoqualmie Organic Riesling ($13) from the
 Columbia Valley of Washington State. Or try our new arrival from
 Chile: Cono Sur Riesling ($10). This was recently reviewed in
 The  Globe and is a very nice affordable bottling of this nice
 aromatic  grape variety.

Helen has picked Pecorino Ginepro.
 This is a robust flavored, raw sheep's milk cheese that
 has been aged for roughly four months giving a firm texture
 and a mild creaminess. The rind is washed repeatedly with
 balsamic vinegar and juniper berries, but these flavors are not
 apparent in the cheese. The flavors are more meaty in style
 with hints of grass and butter. It's slightly crumbly so serve
 on its own at the end of a meal.
 
 

 Wine Recommendation:
 This cheese is best served with an elegant red, nothing too
 robust or aggressive. Try the Guidobono Nebbiolo de Langhe ($12).
 This is a new arrival from northern Italymade from nebbiolo grapes,
 the same grape that makes up the ultra expensive Barolo and Barbaresco
 wines, but his bottling has a softer, smoother, mellower quality.
 It would taste great with this cheese.
 

Other Specials of Note:

The Meat Department:
has special Pricing on...

Prices begin May 9 and are good through May 15
 
 
 Bone In Rib Steak
 $9.99 / lb, compare at $12.99 
 Great on the grill! Robust flavor with a great
 meaty texture. Add your favorite spice blend and
 you're good to go. Naturally raised in the Rockies
 without antibiotics or synthetic hormones.

 Wine Recommendation:
 

 Chicken Kebabs
 $4.99/ lb, compare at $6.99
 Made by the staff at Whole Foods Market! These are really
 tasty looking kebabs; big chunks of chicken from their Amish
 Country source; marinated with their own tasty,
 freshly made sauces. These are Nitrate and MSG-free.
 They're ready to pop on the grill!

 Wine Recommendation:
 

The Seafood  Department:
is featuring....
Prices begin May 9 and are good through May 15

  
 Sockeye Salmon Fillets
 $10.99/lb, compare at $14.99
 Look at the color of these beautiful fillets! This color only
 comes from salmon with a diet rich in sweet crustaceans.
 This is wild salmon with lots of flavor.

 Wine Recommendation:
 Any number of Italian white wines will compliment this
 white fish when grilled. Our current favorite is the new
 vintage of Valdinera Arneis ($20). Arneis grapes when
 grown in the Roero Hills of southern Piedmont produce
 pristine  aromatic wines with crisp refreshing acidity.
 This is an  outstanding example of one. It's delicious!