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Wine Happy Hour with Scott Harvey Wines 02/05/2026
- Kerry Jerred
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Wines tasted by Scott and Jana as per the club release:
2022 GSM
2021 Winemaker’s Reserve Zinfandel
2022 J&S Reserve Barbera
2023 Vermentino
2023 Dry Riesling
Three ways to approach pairings:
Parallel - similar tasting notes in the foods will marry well on the palate.
Perpendicular - opposite tastes in the foods will compliment each other, ie salt and sweet
What grows together goes together - terroir influences the flavors of foods, it would make sense that foods derived from the patch of earth and produced by the same hands and enjoyed by the same people would taste good together!
Wine, cheese and chocolate we tasted:
Wines:
The Griffin Society GSM 2021
The Griffin Society 2022 Amador County Barbera
Cheeses:
Deer Creek, The Swan. The Swan went beautifully with the Barbera and dark chocolate salted caramel. We also tasted Imperial Buck, an aged cheddar. Absolutely phenomenal with the GSM and believe it or not, really goes well with Reese's peanut butter cups!
Chris Gentine, licensed Cheese Grader. Self proclaimed cheese hot-rodder! Marieke Golden is an unctuous mid aged gouda/parm blend cheese. Goes great with beer, TBH, as does Marieke. Marieke is originally from Holland and can usually be seen with a Spotted Cow beer (from New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin) in her hand. If you are ever in WI, this is a must visit. Farmstead creamery, the cows are milked on the same property as the cheese is made. You can visit the cows and calves. There is a store, a bistro, little peddle tractors and a bouncy thing for the kiddos. Marieke is one of 4 female Master Cheesemakers in WI. Fun fact: to make cheese in WI, you need to be licensed. It is the only place outside Switzerland that this is the case. To become a licensed Master Cheesemaker, you must be a Licensed Cheesemaker making cheese for 10 years before you can even apply for the program. From there, it takes two years to become ceritfied in a style of cheese. For instance: Gouda, Cheddar, Colby.....2 years more study per cheese style. ORDER ONLINE, TRUST US....IT'S GOUDA!
Marieke Penterman Marieke Summer Fields Gouda with rosemary, thyme and tomato. Dinner in a bite with the GSM!!
Alpha Tolman, an Alpine Style cheese from Jasper Hill. Loves milk chocolate and Riesling. What grows together goes together!
Little Lucy Bleu with the Riesling. Mild salty blue taste in a super creamy brie body should balance well with the Riesling. This is another must go! Redhead Creamery is in Brooten, MN. Just like Marieke Gouda, it is a Farmstead creamery. The cows are being milked on the same site as the cheese is made. Alise Sjostrom is the resident cheese maker and lead redhead and "creator of opportunities" according to her business card! At the farm you can visit the calves, watch the cows being milked, watch the cheese being made, shop in their totally fun gift shop, have a smashburger with your choice of cheese in the bistro and a custom cocktail made from their Araga - yes, they distill whey (the byproduct of cheesemaking) into a clear spirit! Nose to tail, people!
Alise Sjostrom - resident redhead
Pairings we have enjoyed in the past with Scott Harvey Wines:
Sauvignon Blanc Jana Lake Country with Laura Chanel Fresh Goat - makes sense, the Loire Valley is known for both - what grows together, goes together. Our notes: great pairing! Brightness of the goat cheese clears the mouth quickly and sets up the wine. Still able to enjoy the fruit and floral notes at the beginning while pulling out a nice tart/acid finish expected of a sauv blanc.
Barbera J&S Reserve Amador County with Marin French Triple Creme Brie. Our notes: milky / yeasty notes in the cheese balance well with the blackberry / black cherry notes in the wine. Butter, bread and jam. Good pairing.
Mountain Selection Amador County
95% Syrah and 5% Zin. 32 months in non-new French oak with Marin French Triple Creme Brie! Our notes: good pairing... creaminess of the brie balances well with the tannins in the wine while bringing out a little more brightness in the fruit. More toward red fruit.
1869 OGP 2010 Zin with Carr Valley Medium Cheddar. 1869 OGP 2013 with Carr Valley 3 yr cheddar. 1869 OGP 2014 with Carr Valley 5 yr cheddar. We had fun doing vertical tastings of both wine and cheese. Sid Cook of Carr Valley is a 4th generation cheesemaker and one of the Nations most award winning cheesemakers.
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Feel free to get in touch with any questions! email: foragetofromage@gmail.com
