As a self-proclaimed foodie, spending an evening sampling cheeses and learning all about what flavours and textures to pair them with is my idea of heaven.
But as someone who starts work at 7am and enjoys an early bedtime, venturing out on a weeknight is…not.
So, when I got the chance to try out some of the Swiss brand Kaltbach’s incredible cheeses on a virtual tasting event from the comfort of my living room sofa, it was a firm yes.
Having been to several cheese tastings before – often held in restaurants or wine bars – the set-up was fairly typical: the team had selected three cheeses for us to sample, each paired with a nibble and a tipple designed to accentuate and complement the flavours.
To do this virtually, the wonderful team working with Emmi, the famous Swiss cheese supplier, sent over a box of goodies ahead of the video call.
Inside, I found a Kaltbach Creamy, a Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP and a Kaltbach Le Gruyère – as well as their accompaniments.
We were given simple instructions to slice the cheeses – generously, and with rind on (or else!) – and serve up the nibbles in ramekins.
Finally, it was go time, and the virtual event was hosted by Pat McGuigan, a well-known cheese writer who very clearly knew his stuff.
He had curated the pairings himself, and even gave us an illustrative history of Kaltbach’s story – and how the cheeses are created in an incredible sandstone cave, formed over 22 million years ago and discovered by the team in 1953.
We even got to watch a quick video message from one of the senior ‘cave masters’, who gave us a glimpse into the (humongous and cheese-filled) cave.
Mouth-watering with the array for snacks in front of me, I was relieved when Pat gave us the green light to try the first pairing: Kaltbach Creamy paired with fresh chilli jam, and a peony blush sparkling tea – a non-alcoholic take on a sparkling rose.
As a brie lover, I was expecting this to be up my street, but somehow this cheese was even creamier than anything I had sampled before.
The rich flavour was cut through with the sharp, sweet chilli jam – by Wiltshire company Tracklements – which was delicious, and the dryness of the unsweetened fizzy tea was perfect to follow.
Next up, we moved on to the Emmental cheese and, even after Pat explained how the bacteria releases gas, causing the holes to form in the cheese, I wasn’t put off.
This was a lot drier than the first cheese, and altogether quite different from any Emmental I’ve tried before – it had the signature nutty taste, but less off the sweetness that you might expect from a supermarket brand.
This cheese was paired with sweet honey and sea salt casher nuts, which I loved – and the texture difference was a particularly good match, with the crunch of the nuts against the pliable cheese.
Pat had selected Belgian ale La Chouffe to go with this. I’m not a blonde beer person, but admittedly it was a great match – the ale packed a punch and was really refreshing after the dryness of the cheese and nuts.
The Gruyère was the final cheese of the night and, of course, arguably the most famous of the Swiss cheeses.
Pat explained that we had built up in strength over the course of the tasting, so I was a little apprehensive.
I must have been living under a rock (rather than a cave), as I’d never tried a Gruyère before this evening – and, clearly, I have been missing out.
This cheese was absolutely delicious. Pat paired it with a date molasses that was a rave amongst the other attendees, but not personally to my taste.
I first tried the molasses alone and, predictably, found it too sweet and heavy. But, following Pat’s example, I drizzled it on a wedge of Gruyère and was pretty blown away.
I also mixed things up and tried the chilli jam with this cheese, and immediately saw the difference – it wasn’t nearly as good, and I came away appreciating an expert’s opinion more than ever.
This cheese was paired with a dark, white port – which, alone, I didn’t particularly like (I *really* love rich red and tawny ports), but sampled with the cheese, it enhanced the flavours beautifully.
Overall, I loved the virtual pairing and came away with a newfound appreciation for all the work that goes into creating luxe cheese like Kaltbach’s range.
I’m pretty basic when it comes to cheese – eating it either solo, or with a typical pairing like caramelised onion chutney, crackers and a tawny port – so learning what flavours match well with the different types was an eye-opener.
We were also encouraged to smell the cheeses – not something I’m used to slowing down enough for before digging in – and this really enhanced the experience.
We lingered on the texture, the smell, the feeling and, yes, the taste – and at the end voted for our favourites.
It was a near-even split between the Creamy and the Gruyère – with the former taking first place for me.
Pat also recommended getting creative with your own pairings at home, with ingredients that don’t need to break the bank. He said ready salted crisps often work incredibly well – so that’ll be my first port of call when I dig back into the Kalbach range!
