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The Wine, Chardonnay & Malbec:
Hervé Joyaux Fabre, owner and director of Fabre Montmayou, was born in Bordeaux, France, to a family of wine negociants. When he arrived in Argentina in the early 90’s looking for opportunities to invest in vineyards and start a winery, he was impressed by the potential for Malbec in Mendoza. As a true visionary, he bought very old Malbec vineyards, planted in 1908, and built the Fabre Montmayou winery in the purest Chateau Style from Bordeaux. For the Fabre Montmayou line of wines, the owners decided to buy exclusively old-vine vineyards in the best wine growing areas of Mendoza. His passion and “savoir faire” did the rest, enabling him to begin producing exceptional wines.
The Cheese:
It is a truly a treat if you've ever had the opportunity to taste true Brebis (raw sheep's milk cheeses from the Western Pyrenees near Basque). The proper terminology is Ossau-Iraty-Brebis-Pyrenees which is always identifiable by the A.O.C sticker on the cheese. These great cheeses are made in the traditional method from late December to mid-July from unpasteurized ewe's milk over many small farms throughout the region, then must pass strict testing to gain Appellation Controlled status. All Ossau-Iraty (OH-soh-ear-ah-TEE) is nutty, mellow and fruity with a beige to gold paste and rinds that range from orange-yellow to brownish-gray. The prominent feature is the texture, which gives an almost taffy-like feel to the tongue. There are many imitations of O.I.B.P., but any cheese from this region will be exquisite. Even non-A.O.C. Brebis cheeses, like Etorki and Prince de Claverolle, will get top billing in any cheese shop!
All Pyrenees cheese are tremendous with apples and pears. Great picnic or lunch cheese. Serve with pickles, hot tamales and peppers, spicy olives, raw vegetables, cured meats and salamis.
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