More Ohio Wine & Cheese

Join Slow Food and our friends Adam & Susan Fleischer, proprietors of the The Wine Spot in Cleveland Heights, as we continue our exploration of Ohio cheese and wine. 


June is Ohio Wine Month!  In celebration, the Wine Spot will be kicking off a series of monthly tastings highlighting Ohio's wineries with an in store visit and tasting on Saturday, June 2 from 5-7pm hosted by Arnie Esterer owner and winemaker at Markko Vineyards. 


Tasting fee: $20 includes wine samples and locally made snacks. Click here to reserve your spot.   The Wine Spot is located at 2271 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights.

Ohio Cheese & Wine Tasting at l'Albatros

We thought you'd enjoy a recap from the Ohio Cheese & Wine Tasting hosted by l'Albatros Brasserie on Monday, April 23. 

Albatros General Manager and Slow Food member, Brandon Chrostowski led us on a whirlwind tour of Ohio via the cheese plate and wine glass. It was a fantastic opportunity to sample the cream of the local crop and assess the current state of cheese and wine in our region.

In preparation for this event, Brandon took several exploratory cheese journeys over the past few weeks, visiting farms all over our state, cavorting with cows, flirting with goats, sipping, and sampling. His travels yielded some tasty discoveries from near and far that enlightened even those of us who thought we knew a thing or two about local cheese and wine. But who knew that fresh chèvre and sparkling wine shared such a natural affinity for each other? And what a lovely, spring treat to discover the fresh, yellow, cow's milk cheese called Cloverton made by Laurel Valley Creamery in Gallipolis (a cheese that doesn't normally make to markets in our area)?

"What excites me is when the land speaks through the food," Brandon gushed. We couldn't agree more. 

Our thanks to Brandon for the research and effort he put into this event. Thank you also to the very talented Chef Jack Ahern and his crew at l'Albatros for the delicious parade of seasonal appetizers, accompaniments, and desserts we enjoyed alongside the cheeses and wines. And bravo to the band, members of the Waxwing String Band, who entertained us with the perfect, old-time soundtrack.

Below we've shared the cheese & wine pairings that Brandon assembled along with links to each and every one of the cheese-makers and vintners. We encourage you to support these folks who are working so hard to perfect their craft and bring delicious local foods to our tables. Seek them out, visit their farms and wineries, and by all means buy and enjoy their cheeses and their wines. 

L'ALBTROS 

OHIO CHEESE & WINE TASTING

MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012

HORS D'OEVURES

Pate de Campagne & Spicy Lamb Terrine featuring meats from Miller Livestock 

Briarwood Farms Rabbit Rillettes
Poached Canal Junction Farm Eggs with Scallion & Micro-greens from Stanard Farm & the Albatros Garden
Lucky Penny Creamery Chèvre & Lamb Belly Tart

CHEESES & WINES

Mackenzie Creamery - Chèvre

Firelands Winery, Brut, Sandusky, NV

Laurel Valley Creamery - Cloverton

Firelands Winery, Brut, Sandusky, NV

Lake Erie Creamery - Caerphilly

Grand River Cellars, Pinot Grigio, Madison, 2008

Mayfield Road Creamery - "Camembert"

Markko Vineyard, Chardonnay, Conneaut, 2007

Blue Jacket Dairy - Ludlow

Chalet Debonne Vineyards, Cabernet Franc, Madison, 2009

Koko Borrego - "Asiago"

Harpersfield Vineyard, "Clos me Amis", Geneva, 2009

Fulton Creek Jersey Cheese - Sidel

Saint Joseph Vineyard, Estate Reserve, Madison, 2009

Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese - Charloe

Laurello Vineyards, "Christopher", Geneva, 2009/10

Lucky Penny Creamery - Cajeta with Ohio Apples

Rhubarb Cheesecake with Lucky Penny Creamery Chèvre

Housemade Fig Preserves | Rhubarb Jam

Recycle Pots & Pans this Sunday!

Now this is the kind of spring cleaning we can really get into. 

Recycle Pots & Pans will be collecting gently used kitchen items this Sunday at Whole Foods University Heights from 12-5!!! 


Why not do a little spring cleaning and recycle your gently used kitchen items (we know you have a few) to help families in need? Items needed include pots, pans, silverware, measuring cups and baking pans.



Learn more at Recycle Pots & Pans. See you there!

Happy Earth Day

Earth Day greetings from Slow Food! 

May this and every day be one of good, clean, fair food for all. 

Long live giant, pink snails!

Spring Snails

Ohio Wine & Cheese Preview

We stopped in at l'Albatros Brasserie last week and enjoyed a little sneak peak at what Brandon Chrostowski has in store for us at the Ohio Wine & Cheese Tasting on April 23.

Brandon is in the field this week meeting with vintners and cheese makers, flirting with cows and goats, and doing what he does so well -- seeking out the very best our state has to offer.  The preliminary pairings we tasted proved that everyone is in for quite a treat on the 23rd!

If you haven't yet reserved your spot, do so now by calling l'Albatros Brasserie at 216.791.7880.

Ohio Wine & Cheese Tasting, l'Albatros Brasserie

Slow Food Northern Ohio is proud to announce this very special event at l'Albatros Brasserie featuring a selection of Ohio wines and cheeses.

Join us in the midst of Spring at L’Albatros Brasserie as we taste our way through the terroir of Ohio through wine & cheese! Discover our local farms and wine makers as fromager & sommelier Brandon Chrostowski hosts a tour of our local treasures.

The event will also include hors d’oeuvres, petit fours and live entertainment.

Ohio Cheese & Wine Tasting
Monday April 23, 2012
6:15 pm

$55 per guest
plus tax & gratuity
reservations required

Please call l'Albatros at 216.791.7880 to reserve your spot.