A recent trip to France not only intensified my regard for elegant, classic wines with a sense of place but also rekindled my appreciation for artisanal cheeses.  Throughout our stay in the Rhone and Burgundy, it seems that great cheese was an integral part of virtually every dining experience.   Of the many fine fromages we enjoyed, including Brillat-Savarin and Chaource, my absolute favorite was Epoisses.

Epoisses (pronounced ‘eh-PWAHS’) is an unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese produced in the village of the same name.  It’s a washed-rind cheese, meaning it is dipped in Marc de Bourgogne (the French equivalent of Grappa).  The “washing” process is repeated several times a week for up to two months.  It’s this method combined with the cheese’s fermentation that gives Epoisses its signature orange hued exterior.

The result is a rich, creamy cheese with sublimely pungent, earthy, nutty and salty flavors – a wonderful match with an aged red Burgundy!  On one particular evening, winemaker Francois Lequin of Rene Lequin-Colin treated us to a stellar bottle of Santenay Vielles Vignes ’99; the deep, loamy essence of the wine proved a perfect foil for the mushroom notes in the Epoisses.  

 

It also works remarkably well with Côte de Beaune whites too.  The velvety texture of the Epoisses was the right counterpoint to Francois’ racy, mineral-tinged Lequin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot ’07.  To my delight, this mingling of Burgundy and Epoisses would be repeated on several occasions throughout our stay.  Happiness indeed!

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

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