Sak's
Centredale Liquors &
Wine Cellar

Cheese Review

Pecorino Toscana...Pecorino is a generic name given to all sheep’s-milk made in Italy. The most famous, Pecorino Romano, usually called Romano—is an example of a hard, aged, very sharp Pecorino. It is used mostly for grating. There are many kinds such as Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Siciliano, and Pecorino Nero, but by far my favorite is Pecorino Toscano. This is sheep’s milk cheese made in Tuscany...the famous Chianti region.

Pecorino Toscana is hard-to-find, but when you do find it look for brands labeled
pura pecora (pure sheep). They vary in character, the darker oily types are aged longer and are sharp, the younger types are lighter in color and have a milder flavor. They all have an olivey, nutty flavor. I had an ivory colored semi-hard style which was delicious, somewhat sharp, creamy, with a cheddar-like texture. It seemed to be made for wine.

I recommend eating bread with cheese instead of crackers, and I would serve a Chianti, Brunello, Tuscan red or even Gavi (white) wine.

Aged Gouda (The Netherlands; cow’s milk): is hard and amber-colored, and has a perfumy, Scotch-whisky kind of aroma—both sharp and sweet at the same time. An aged Gouda is totally different and much more complex than a bland young Gouda, it resembles the texture and style of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I recently purchased and served some 3-year-old aged Gouda at our annual wine tasting—it was a big hit. The cheese can be found at Bread and Circus for $11.99 per pound. I found it to be excellent by itself, with fruit, or grated in recipes.

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Classic Collectibles

    We have in stock a supply of great Bordeaux from the "Classic" 1988 (Rated 93), 1989 (Rated 98), and 1990 (Rated 97) vintages.  The wines have been properly stored in our climate-controlled wine cellar and are aging perfectly.

    The following are just some of the wines we have in stock.  For a complete listing, see the wine cellar page.

1988 (Rated 93, Drink or Hold)
    Chateau Mouton Rothschild
            "      Haut Brion
            "      Haut Brion La Mission
            "      Pichon Lallande de Comtese
            "      Cos D'Estournel
            "      Lynch Bages
            "      Gloria

1989 (Rated 98, Hold)
    Chateau Margaux
            "     Mouton Rothschild
            "     Latour
            "     La Conseillante Pommerol
            "     L'Evangile Pommerol
            "     Prieure Lichine Margaux
            "     Meyney

1990 (Rated 97, Hold)
    Chateau Margaux
            "     Mouton Rothschild
            "     Haut Brion
            "     Lafite Rothschild
            "     Petrus
            "     Margaux Pavillon Rouge
            "     Pichon Baron
            "     Haut Brion La Mission
            "     Lynch Bages
            "     Les Ormes De Pez