A Vineyard Walk through Les Celliers de Sion, Valais, Switzerland

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When we arrived in Sion, we were surrounded by vineyards! What a pleasant surprise. Although we wouldn’t be renting a car there, we were determined to find a way to make our way over to the grapes. They are ripening now and it’s the perfect time to go see them.

I searched on Trip Advisor and found an excursion that included a walk through the vineyard and lunch. Just what we were looking for! Les Celliers de Sion (The Cellars of Sion) were only about a 20 minute walk from our AirBnB and although it was warm, we agreed it was close enough to make it happen. Read More…

Trying Raclette at Chirripoberg, San Rafael Norte, Costa Rica

Ever tried Raclette before? We knew it was a cheese dish that originated in Switzerland but had never come across it on a menu until arriving in Costa Rica this year. It always surprises us the things that we find there! Read More…

Yellowstone Cellars Red Blend and Grindy’s Party Ball

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Shortly after arriving in Billings, Montana, we found out there was a local winery, Yellowstone Cellars & Winery. Then as luck would have it, we mentioned to our AirBnB host about #wineandcheesefriday and he presented us with a bottle from there. Right around that same time, we found a Farmer’s Market, which is one of our favorite places to find cheese. Grindy’s Cheeseballs, had a booth there and they offered about a half dozen spreadable cheese options, so we picked up two different ones. Now if only we could get over those head colds so we could enjoy them! Read More…

St Croix Cellars Wine Tasting

Renee began her wine life in a small Michigan winery. Once she was able to return to St Croix she was ready to open her own wine endeavor. She’d source the juice from California vineyards and then make the wine here on the island. They purchased a place in downtown and the wheels were in motion until the pandemic hit. That didn’t stop them though, there was enough room to make wine, prepare small plates and do tastings, right? Read More…

Toro de Piedra Carmenere wine and Morabia cheese

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Today’s entry is being written poolside in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica. We did this pairing in Quebradas, Costa Rica, just outside of San Isidro de General, our “home” for the past 8 months. For a change of scenery we decided to come out to Puerto Jimenez for at least a month. I’ll take the opportunity to sit outside, listen to the waves and birds and get some work done! Read More…

Pata Negra Reserva Tempranillo and Rosenburg blue cheese

After trying a few bottles of Pata Negra Tempranillo, we decided to have one for an official wine and cheese pairing. We’ve tried multiple vintages and styles so we wanted to share it with all of you! The cheese we chose was from Denmark, and we pretty much jump at the chance to have blue cheese, when we can find it. We actually figured out during the pairing that the last time we’d had blue cheese was with our family during the holidays. No wonder we were craving it so much. We present to you the pairing of Pata Negra Reserva Tempranillo and Rosenburg blue cheese. Read More…

Cellar Door Winery, Lincolnville, Maine

We visited Cellar Door Winery, back in December. We were in Maine visiting our friends Dwaine and Beth and she was so excited to show us one of her local favorites. It’s fortunate we were there when we were because they were only days away from closing up for the winter season. They’d open back up sometime in April. How could we have known that would be the last time we’d be wine tasting for a long while? Read More…

Join Maria as she pairs Montes Merlot with a Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese log on Facebook Live for Worcester State University.

Below is the video that aired live on Friday, May 15, 2020 on the Facebook Page of Worcester State University Alumni Read More…

Stemmari Nero d’Avola Wine and Cheese (again)

It’s not often that I even consider repeating a wine and cheese pairing but there’s a first time for everything! During our 2019 trip to Costa Rica, we found a wine that we had been keeping our eye out for quite some time, https://wineandcheesefriday.com/stemmari-nero-davola-and-monterrey-cheese/. The Stemmari brand, from Siciliy, had been featured on #wininghourchat multiple times but I had never found their brand until that trip. Then this year I was back in the same liquor store and saw bottles of Stemmari Nero d’Avola on the shelf. Why not choose a new cheese to pair with this wine that we really enjoyed? It was settled, we’d be repeating a wine on #WineAndCheeseFriday! Read More…

Finally Got Our Hands on a Bottle of Ocio Wine by Cono Sur Winery!

We’ve been drinking Cono Sur wines, since we first found them in Ecuador in 2016. After trying a few bottles then, we became fans. Then I found out about the #conosurwinetalk chat on Twitter, . It was there that I first heard about Ocio. People from around the world would come together for that chat so many of the different labels by the brand would be mentioned. I remember hearing about the upper level wine during one of those first chats and thinking, “Wow, that sounds like some nice Pinot Noir! How can I get my hands on a bottle?” Read More…