The Heck with the Diet

The Heck with the Diet

Today was a busy day. I helped a friend of mine, Taylor Michaels, move his wine to a new wine cellar. By the end of the day I was so tired that it didn't take much to convince me to share dinner and a good wine.

For several weeks, I have been on the Nutrisystem diet in order to lose ten pounds. Today was an exception. I don't even want to think about tomorrow. Today is still fresh in my mind as I sip my 20-year Sandeman port.

The wine I had with my salmon dinner was a 2010 Clos Vougeot from the Chateau de la Tour. It was a great wine and was rated a 91-94 on JJ Buckley Wines. By the wine, JJ Buckley has a good selection of wines. However, the 2010 was a little young to be drinking. It was a little on the tannic side. It will be better, I'm sure, several years from now. However, any wine was great to me after not drinking any for the last couple of weeks.

Review of Rond du Cher Cheese

Review of Rond du Cher Cheese

While perusing the goat cheese at Whole Foods this week, I ran across Rond du Cher, a goat cheese made especially for Whole Foods. I’m surprised that I had not seen this cheese before since I am constantly looking for different kinds of goat cheeses, my favorite kind of cheese.

This is a hard round goat cheese whose rind is coated with ash. It is hard and smooth, not crumbly, with an ashen coated rind. When I first opened the 4-1/4 ounce package, the smell reminded me of the goat cheese I had smelled on the barge trips along the canals of France. It brought back very fond memories. Rond du Cher had a pungent smell with a nutty sour taste, but still not as strong as the non-pasteurized goat cheeses I had in France. And, even the rind was edible. My husband said that it smelled like buttermilk. I don’t know what confidence to place in that appraisal, since my husband abhors goat cheese and buttermilk.

I had this cheese with a crusty French baguette -- perfect. However, the 20-year Sandeman port was a little too mild for the sharp taste of the cheese. A vintage or any other ruby port might have been a better choice.

I’m glad I ran across this cheese, but, at $10 for 4-1/4 ounces, it’s a little too expensive for my budget. Maybe I had to also pay for the little wooden crate in which it was packaged.