3 CHEESY STAPLES
Mac and cheese: Goatocado
Penne takes a dip in a savory, nutty four-cheese sauce. Hero move: Make it a Billy Mac and add vegetarian chili for a complete and balanced lunch.
Grilled cheese: Coppola’s Deli
The best bite of a grilled cheese sandwich — that crispy bit where the cheese hits the pan — is the whole Cheese Columbo here. Pros add marinated eggplant.
Fondue: Brenner Pass
A velvety Jacuzzi of Gruyere and Emmenthaler in Dansk pots, adorned with tiny, tart cornichons, chewy sourdough and lip-smacking speck.
WINE-FAMOUS AREAS ALIGNED WITH VIRGINIA
5 RARE CHEESE FINDS
Snag ’em if you see ’em
1. Winnimere, Cellars at Jasper Hill
2. Black Betty, Fromagerie L’Amuse
3. Rogue River Blue, Rogue Creamery
4. Rush Creek Reserve, Uplands Cheese Co.
5. Vacherin Mont D’or, Switzerland
VEGAN?
Richmond’s own UnMoo offers plant-based alternatives, from habanero jack and blue cheese to the original “notz.”
SANS-BOOZE PAIRINGS
Who says alcohol and cheese get to have all the fun?
DECODING A WINE LABEL
1. Winery: Typically in the largest font on the front label
2. Vintage: Harvest year
3. Variety: Type of grape
4. Appellation: “Virginia” means a minimum of 75% of the grapes used are state-grown. “Monticello,” an American Viticultural Area, requires 85% of the juice to come from that distinctive sub-region.
5. Alcohol Percentage: Virginia wines are often lower in ABV (alcohol by volume) than other New World wines (think California or Argentina).
6. Sulfites: Natural byproducts of fermentation. SO2 (sulfur dioxide) is also an added preservative.
SEASONAL PAIRINGS
Celebrate Virginia makers all year long
Spring: Caromont Farm Farmstead Chevre + Linden Vineyards Avenius Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Summer: Twenty Paces Farm Noah’s Arcade + Early Mountain Vineyards Rose Pét-Nat 2018
Fall: Meadow Creek Dairy Appalachian + Rosemont of Virginia Traminette 2018
Winter: Locksley Estate Farmstead Cheese Co. Maid Marian + Chrysalis Vineyards Locksley Reserve Norton 2016
3 PLACES TO SHOP FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY
Cardinal State Butchers, 2624 Buford Road. A compact, all-hits-no-misses selection that plays well with charcuterie
Ellwood Thompson’s, 4 N. Thompson St. A killer local lineup and a solid house-made pimento
Chairlift, 3200 Rockbridge St. Cop the cheeses that are on the menu at Brenner Pass for your own spread at home.
THE STINKIEST CHEESES
