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Sunday, August 17, 2008

2008 Melbourne Specialist Cheese Show

You know any cheese show is certainly going to be an anticlimax once you've experience the cheesegasm that is Slow Cheese but this is our only chance to get to see if there's anything new on the market.

Just like last year, Mt Langhi Ghiran add Grandridge Brewery are supplying wine and beer tastings.

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With only 24 cheesemakers on show, our first ports of call are the newer (to us) Cheesemakers.

BERRY'S CREEK CHEESE

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Berry's Creek Cheese is located in Poowong North in Gippsland and produces farmhouse cheese using the milk from their Jersey cows.

The cheeses on tasting were:
Brie, Camembert, Washed Rind, Monterey, Paese, Oak Blue, Tarwin Blue, Mossvale Blue

Monterey is based on the Monterey Jack, it has a lovely sweet nuttiness with an excellent creamy texture

Paese is a semi-hard cheese much like a parmesan. It has that sharp but sweet characters.

The three blues are quite different, each utilising different combinations of moulds and will appeal to blue novices and lovers:
Mossvale Blue - is the mildest, exceptionally creamy with a delightful tang
Tarwin Blue - this one used a combination of 3 moulds that offered a more complex taste while keeping that soft creamy texture
Oak Blue - the strongest blue, the veining is quite strong but still the richness of the jersey milk is coming through.

We were impressed with all the complete range.

Berry's Creek Cheese is not open to the public.
Contact Information: bcgourmetcheese@bigpond.com


HUNTER VALLEY CHEESE COMPANY

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Last year we never managed to taste any of their range so this was our second stop. All impressed but they don't have outlets in Victoria but you can mail order from their website.

Contact Information:
Hunter Valley Cheese Company
Cnr Broke and McDonalds Road
Pokolbin, NSW
WEB: www.huntervalleycheese.com.au

MALENY CHEESE

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Maleny Camembert

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Maleny Le Blochon - you can read about it here

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Maleny Buffalo Brie - visually striking, it stands apart with its pure white colour. As we purchased this at the show, a more detailed post will be up shortly.

Contact Information:
Maleny Cheese
1 Clifford Street, Maleny Queensland
web: www.malenycheese.com.au

I was told that the cheese is not available in Victoria but the website does offer delivery to your door.

BOOSEY CREEK CHEESE

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I've posted about the Warby Red, a full flavoured washed rind but the Boosey Blue is worth seeking out. You can find their stall at the Slow Food Farmers Market at the Abbotsford Convent.

Contact Information:
Boosey Creek Cheese
734 Grinter Road
Boosey, Victoria
Open: 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday and Public Holidays


WOODSIDE CHEESE WRIGHTS

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Woodside Cheese Wrights Figaro is a washed rind/smear ripened goat cheese that is wrapped in vine leaves. As it matures a rust coloured paste develops under the leaves.

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Woodside Cheese Wrights Pompeii is a smear ripened cows milk (friesian) cheese that has a layer of ash running through the center.

Contact Information:
Cellar Door - Heritage Park
22 Henry Street, Woodside, South Australia
Open: 7 days 10am - 4pm
web: www.woodsidecheese.com.au

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Having attended this event for many years I found this year one of the most disappointing in regards to organisation and the poor turnout of cheese makers.

Every other year, as part of the entry you'd be given a booklet listing the cheese makers, some information about them and all the cheese they had on tasting - this year there was nothing. I don't know how this is conducive to advancing the profile of Australian Cheese makers. If cost was a issue perhaps they should not have bothered with a live band.

One other bit of farce involved the announcement of the winners - only two photocopied sheets listing the winners were available. We ended up taking a photograph of it rather than relying on the organisers to get around to placing it on the net - the website address was offered as a handwritten scrawl on a scrap of paper (that we also couldn't take). As it was, I think I posted the results online before they did.

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Perhaps this sign was indicative of the austere nature of the organisers.

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