March Wine & Cheese Pairing
Jonty’s Ducks Pekin white and Capriole Tea Rose
About two hours from Cincinnati, in southern Indiana, you’ll find Capriole farm. For the past 37 years the Schad family has been lovingly tending the land and for twenty some odd years herding goats. Capriole’s farm is located on a hilly, rocky “knob” (limestone hill) which is riddled with caves, springs, and underground streams making their land ill-suited for cultivation or expansion. They have only about six acres of flat land which are suitable for gardens or buildings and once their herd grew to over 500 animals it was just too large, there was neither space, time, labor, nor energy to manage both animals and cheese. They made the decision to focus on the cheese and their herd was sold to a local farmer who continued supplying the goat’s milk to Capriole.
Judy Schad says “For us it’s always been personal, the place, the cheese, and the people. In a creamery that’s hardly grown in size since we built it 33 years ago, each individual in our small team is essential to the artisan processes we believe are essential to our cheesemaking. We are family, friends, and neighbors, and we love cheese!” Along with her friends Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove, Paula Lambert of Mozzarella Co., and Allison Hooper of Vermont Creamery, Judy was one of a group of women who helped each other create a community of American artisan cheese.
Their love for the land and animals shines through their branding. On their logo you’ll find a nanny goat named Tea Rose. Tea Rose was one of the first goats of the Capriole herd, she was known for being sweet-tempered and a great milker. In addition to being the face of Capriole, her lineage is still woven through the cheeses produced today. It’s fitting that this lovely cheese takes its namesake from a lovely goat! Tea Rose is a breath of spring. As you might guess from the name, this fresh chevre features rose petals, as well as fennel pollen and Herbes de Provence. According to Capriole’s website, their Tea Rose cheese honors the optimism and renewal of spring.
Around here, Chef Serenity often says “We eat with our eyes first.” And this cheese is made to be devoured with a combination of your senses, in addition to its beautiful presentation, the aromatic flower petals light up your nose, and the fresh, bright curd dances on your tongue.
This month we suggest pairing the Tea Rose with Jonty’s Ducks Pekin White. The floral notes on this wine are the perfect complement to the cheese. This South African blend is Chenin Blanc-driven with the balance made up of Roussanne, Viognier & Semillon. This pairing is a great example of “like with like”. In addition to the similar floral notes, you’ll find citrus notes in both the chevre and the Pekin White. The mouthwatering flavors of the wine linger on the palette and its medium-light body will stand up to the intensity of the goat cheese.
And if we’re talking similarities, Avondale Wine and Capriole are both all about conserving the land and using traditional techniques. Capriole is still ladling every 400 gallon vat by hand, meticulously shaping their cheeses and as the farms and woodland around them were being developed into subdivisions they partnered with a land trust to create a conservation area which now abounds with native wildflowers and trees and a haven for wildlife.
Avondale Wines’ winemaking process respects nature's rhythms while looking to the future. They are integrating modern science with natural feedback loops to make sure they are providing the most precise and responsive vineyard management. They also embrace biodynamic farming, which they believe connects them deeply to the cosmos and supports the balance and vitality of their farm. Through their land management and winemaking styles they hope to honor traditional agricultural wisdom.
The most well-known (and cutest) way they have embraced working with nature is right in the name of this line of wines. Jonathan Grieve, owner of Avondale Wines (sometimes known as “Jonty”, a South African nickname for Jonathan”) noticed a snail problem come spring, when the leaves begin bursting from the vines. Many conventional farmers will use a toxic pesticide. Jonathan decided to look to nature to see how to manage their snail problem. And in come “Jonty’s Ducks”! Every April, Avondale now welcomes a whole herd of fluffy, yellow ducklings. They are tended to until they grow and get their full, adult feathers.
At this point their “work” begins. They start taking short daily excursions into the nearby vineyards to get a taste for the snails. Once they are accustomed to the nearby vineyards, they are trained to walk up a ramp into a trailer pulled by a tractor. This trailer transports the ducks between vineyards throughout the estate and they eagerly climb in when the doors open - they know it’s snail time! By early spring Jonty’s posse of “snail assassins” are enthusiastic to hop into their “Duck Mobile”. We highly suggest you check out a video of the ducks in action! You can find that here.
This is such a fun pairing, because not only do they taste great together, these companies have both honored the animals who make their products great in their branding and labeling! Grab a bottle and a wheel this month and let us know what you think.
Sources:
https://jontysducks.com/
https://www.capriolegoatcheese.com/
