Savor Dallas - Wine and Cheese Pairing @ Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Savor Dallas – Wine and Cheese Pairing with Paula Lambert, owner of The Mozzarella Cheese Company, and Michael Flynn, the wine director and Sommelier for Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.



My birthday was this past Saturday March 19 and because Savor Dallas was running the same weekend, as part of my gift/birthday celebration MT bought us tickets to the Wine and Cheese Pairing Event ($55/person). I was excited to finally see Paula Lambert in person. She is one of my local idols having started a delicious company full of my favorite savory treat…..CHEESE!
Well, I had no idea it was going to be held at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek until right before we left to make the drive down to Dallas, so upon entering the room, I felt underdressed. Even more apparent was the fact that by far we were the youngest people in the room. I chose a place next to a bright window because it was freezing in the room, and not too long after a Food Writer for the Dallas Morning News sat right next to MT. I had to steal a few glances in her direction to take a few peeks at her notes. I so want to be her! The wait staff immediately placed a plateful of 8 varieties of cheeses and a few slices of bread in front of us and filled us up with the first wine tasting, which I didn’t wait to try. Although, I do wish they would have delayed the cheese presentation a bit because the aromas of stinky and nutty cheese wafted toward my nose for the next 30 minutes, which had me salivating and almost rabid by the time we were actually able to taste the first one. Energetic Paula spoke of the Mozzarella Cheese Company and stated that you can take a tour of it at anytime, and they teach you how to “Cut the Cheese”…..not really….MT made me put that one in there. They also offer some classes that can either be Hands-On, which means that you will actually make some cheese, or you can just to the Wine and Cheese Pairing. I really want to take the Hands-On class. Another good fact that I learned was that Julia Child, my absolute idol, stayed at the Mansions and she filmed a few of her cooking shows there!

Finally, we get to taste the cheese!

8 cheeses (#1 is at the very bottom to the left of
the bread then go clockwise from there)

Here is the list of everything we tasted along with a few notes: (a * means that it was a favorite)

1) Crescenza cow’s milk cheese – creamy and slightly tangy with a low butter fat content; paired with a 2009 Gruner Veltliner Laurenz V from Austria - very subtle and smooth.

2) Hoja Santa Goat cheese – wrapped in hoja santa leaves, which were a little bitter for my taste, probably the least favorite cheese; paired with a 2007 Terroir Coquerel Sauvignon Blanc from Napa – strong herbal fragrance, cheese made the wine less harsh

3) Herbed Goat Log*(MT’s fav) – creamy and tangy with sweet basil, tarragon and thyme herbs; paired with a 2007 Riesling Muhlheimer Sonnenlay from Mosel – slightly sweet, but not too much, very nice with the cheese

4) Smoked Scamorza Cow – smells and tastes like a campfire, the smokiness was too much even for MT, who loves smoked cheeses; paired with a 2009 Folie a Deux Chardonnay from Napa – very dry

5) Montasio Festivo*(my fav) – dark red wine ancho-chile rind with a lovely nutty and salty flavor, similar to Manchego; paired with a 2007 Barbera Tre Vigne from Vietti Piedmont Italy – finally a red!

6) Black Pepper Caciotta*(MT’s fav) – garlicky and peppery; paired with a 2008 Altos Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina*(My fav) – fruity and bold red

7) Blanca Bianca – very strong and stinky aroma “like dirty socks” said Paula Lambert, creamy, but the rind was so bitter that I couldn’t get past it; paired with a 2007 Moscatel Seleccion Especial from Malaga Spain – very sweet but cut the overpowering flavors of the cheese, which made eating it bearable.

My empty plate except for the Blanca
Bianca and bread

8)Deep Ellum Blue **(we both fav) – mild blue, creamy with an almost “eggy” flavor; paired with 20 year old Ferrera Tawny port – tasted like maple syrup and with the cheese it was “like eating French Toast” according to MT. I was thinking “where’s the bacon?”
Along the way, one elderly lady actually complained that the white wine was too cold, which I’ve never heard anyone say before, and people kept knocking over a few nearby patrons wine glasses. As you can see, we enjoyed some good cheeses and quite a bit of wine, which had me feeling quite toasty by the end. The atmosphere was definitely different in the final half hour as well. I was hearing a lot of talking and clinking glasses and even a few stolen kisses between couples. It was a good time!
On final note: Rosewood Mansion does a Wine Chat every Thursday for $25/person, which I think would be something great to try!

Paula Lambert and Michael Flynn