Posts Written ByAaron Estes

Spout Creek Farm “Margie”

Having lived in the Hudson Valley for a number of years, I always keep an eye on the events and releases from Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie, NY. I have tasted and reviewed several of their cheeses, finding some of them to be good and tasty, to others that left me wanting more. Sprout Creek is an interesting find as it is rather unexpected to maintain a working farm, educational center, market, and full-time cheese farm, right in the middle of a historic town. Maybe it is because I lived there for so long, but finding any sort of locavore culture…

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R&G Cheesemakers Blackbert (Goat’s Milk Camembert)

A couple of weekends ago, I had the privilege of conducting a beer and cheese pairing workshop at Empire State Cellars. This occasion marked a fresh start back in the cheese world as my past year was a chaotic whirlwind of buying a house and becoming a father. Although I had certainly consumed plenty of cheese during my time off from NYCR and other cheese-related activities, this was my first opportunity in a while to lead a group of people through a guided cheese and beer tasting with New York cheeses and Port Jeff Brewing Company. After tasting the beers and making my pairing selections, the supplier…

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Sprout Creek Creamy and Sixpoint Craft Ales Join Forces to Produce “Point of Origin”

Beer and cheese make a perfect pair. I have said it many, many times here at the NYCR, behind the counter at a cheese shop, and talking with other cheese geeks. It is pretty universal that when these two are brought together, there is an opportunity for good things to happen. As the Specialty Products Coordinator for Whole Food Market, Chris Manca takes concepts such as beer and cheese together, develops them, and finds a way to make a product from them. With the plethora of local artisans and producers in the Northeast, what better way to celebrate this than by…

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Goodale Farms Valencay-Style Goat

There has been a lot in the local press about Goodale Farms as of late. A year ago, in May 2011, the farm received a license to start making and selling cheese. Just five months later, they had already won first place in their categories at the American Dairy Goat Association’s 2011 national convention. Winning awards just after a few months in production is quite impressive for cheesemakers new to the business. Goodale Farms in Aquebogue places a strong emphasis on milk quality and the natural farming practices required to support it. They don’t use pesticides and the fertilizer is…

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Artisanal Cheese Pairing Event at Peconic Bay Winery

As a cheese geek I am continually preoccupied with the age-old question that plagues the majority of the cheese obsessed here in NY and elsewhere. “What makes the better cheese pairing? Wine or Beer?” I am clearly not alone in this as a sold-out crowd was on hand at the Artisanal Cheese wine and beer pairing event this past weekend, hosted by Peconic Bay Winery. Working with The Village Cheese Shop in Mattituck, and Greenport Harbor Brewing, the staff at Peconic Bay chose 4 different cheeses and subsequently paired them with complementary beer and wine. This is a pretty perfect…

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A Visit to C’est Cheese (Port Jefferson, NY)

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor Artisanal cheese has made its way to the forefront of the local food movement. Farmstead cheesemakers elevate the milk from their farms, and the rock star cheesemonger expounds upon the history, the background, and unique qualities of that particular cheese. So what is the best way to accomplish this? Specialty cheese shops are all over New York City and surrounding areas to bring a piece of the farm to your table, but is that enough to distinguish one shop from another? If the quality of the product is essentially the same across the board, and…

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Sprout Creek Farm: Redux

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Taste of the Hudson Valley. Each year, local restaurants and artisans are given the opportunity to shine as they pair a couple of dishes with wine, beer, or other beverages of their choosing. The event is always well-attended as ticket holders move from table to table, chat with local chefs, sip wine, and comment on the successfulness of a particular pairing.  It’s a great time, but the purpose of this post is not to talk about the use of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, butternut squash soup,…

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The State of New York Cheese

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor Photo courtesy of newyorkcheese.org “Change is difficult. If it were easy, then everyone and everything would be perfect…”  I have heard these words (or some variation) many times throughout my life as I am sure that many of you have as well. Making changes is a way of life for us as we strive to learn, grow, and succeed. Now, you are probably asking yourself why the Cheese Editor is waxing philosophical at the top of a post but I assure you; this speaks directly to the state of New York cheese. For many years, New…

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New York Cheese: Kunik from Nettle Meadow Farm

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor One of the things I love most about the cheese made in New York state is the diversity. We have cheesemakers all over this great state, from Long Island to the shores of the Finger Lakes,  to the Hudson Valley that strive to bring unique and high-quality products to your cheese board and table.   Even though we have historically been a large producer of industrial cheese (think Polly-O), it is the smaller and artisanal production that is slowly but surely finding its way to the forefront.  Whenever I talk or write about New York cheeses,…

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