This is a rare opportunity to taste the rare Graskaas cheese, a Gouda produced each spring when Dutch cows have their first taste of the fresh young spring pastures. The lush young grasses give their milk a special creamy flavor and texture. Produced in limited quantities and for a limited time only, it is considered a special treat among Dutch cheese gourmets. Come try this cheese and compare it to traditional and extra aged Gouda. This year, we have carefully selected the following cheeses, expertly paired with our wines:

Central Coast Creamery Goat Gouda

A semi-hard cheese made with goat milk and some added goat cream that is aged four months or more. This ivory colored cheese is firm, dense and smooth with the slight graininess of a long-aged cheese. The cheese has a caramel scent with a slightly nutty and cooked milk flavor, followed with caramel notes. (Paired with Le Vigne Paso Robles 2015 Sauvignon Blanc.)

Double Cream Gouda

Holland is in the confluence of Europe’s large rivers. It’s fertile soil and lush green pastures allow Dutch cows to produce unusually delicious milk. We use this naturally rich milk with additional cream to make our Double Cream. It is creamy, has a mild flavor, is sliceable, grates well and melts beautifully. It’s ideal is for making creamy cheese sauces and is perfect sandwiches. (Paired with Le Vigne Paso Robles 2014 Zinfandel.)

Beemster Graaskas

Every spring the Beemster cows rush through the barn doors and excitedly graze on the fresh spring pastures. The cows run and jump with excitement after being released to these untouched pastures. It is only the first milkings from these fresh pastures that are used to make the coveted Beemster Graskaas. (Paired with Le Vigne 2013 Coure della Vigna.)

Ewephoria

This new creation from Holland is unlike any other sheep milk cheese you have ever tasted. The milk comes from a small farm where the sheep are treated like family. Though this cheese has been aged for only one year, it has developed a sweet and nutty flavor, making it an excellent choice for pairing with fruit or dessert. (Paired with Le Vigne 2013 Cabernet Franc.)

Melkbus #149 Truffle Gouda

A new farmstead raw-milk Gouda cheese with shavings of black Italian truffles. Signifying the farmstead raw milk cheeses made on small family farms outside the city of Gouda, Melkbus cheeses are a symbol of hundreds of years of Dutch cheese making traditions.
‘Melkbus’ translates to ‘Milk Can’, which was the container used in earlier times to transport the Dutchfarms’ fresh milk to the creamery for cheese making. Each farm was assigned a number that was stamped on the can and served as its identity. Today, Uniekaas celebrates this process by reviving the stamped milk can tradition and honoring the farms and their numbers in the name of the cheeses. (Paired with Le Vigne 2013 Petite Sirah,)