CHE E SE & WINE – LIFE S T YLE
RO CA M ADOU R by La Cave à Fromage Perched on the edge of a dramatic cliff,
very small disc and is consumed very
overlooking one of the most scenic
young – it is aged for a minimum of six
regions of France, rests the village of
days, but usually for around 12-15 days
Rocamadour.
before being eaten. This is what gives the
This commune in the Lot department
Rocamadour its exceptionally creamy
is just south of Brive-la-Gaillarde and very
and smooth texture.
near the Dordogne. It is surrounded by a
Its flavour, meanwhile, is rich in
host of some of France’s most picturesque
mineral aromas that derive naturally
medieval towns. It is also at the heart of
from the goat’s milk it is produced from.
some of the most beautiful grottos in the world, such as Lascaux
Indeed, the goats graze on the dry and floral pastures of the
and Padirac among others.
southwest.
But this village is mostly known for the Cabecou de
As a young cheese, it is often consumed on hot toast or is broken
Rocamadour, which translates as ‘little goat cheese’ in Occitan.
up into fresh salads. When it is aged further – sometimes for
It is a very old cheese: in fact, in the Middle Ages, the cheese
several months – the cheese takes on a more intense flavour,
was used to pay the ‘dime’, the tax paid to the Catholic church.
and is then typicially eaten on its own with a red wine, toward
Weighing just 35 grams, the Rocamadour is shaped as a E: eric@cheese.biz T: +44 (0)845 108 8222 W: www.la-cave.co.uk
the end of the meal. I Eric Charriaux
TO BUY YOUR CHEESE, VISIT LA CAVE A FROMAGE SHOPS 24-25 Cromwell Place, 229a Chiswick High Street, Kensington, London SW7 2LD Chiswick, London W4 2DW
34-35 Western Road, Hove, Brighton BN3 1AF
TH E I D E AL WI N E TO PAI R WITH RO CA M ADOU R by Wine Story As a town found on the route to Santiago of Compostela, generations of Christian pilgrims have visited Rocamadour – indeed, every year the Occitan village welcomes 1.5 million tourists, making it one of the most visited sites in France. Now imagine yourself on a hot summer’s day, climbing Rocamadour’s ancient and narrow streets. At the top of the hill, you find a tiny wine bistro and sit down next to a cheese board that boasts a selection of the local Rocamadour cheese: which wine should you drink with it? To match the fresh and creamy texture of the young Rocamadour, which has ripened for just a couple of weeks, the ideal wine would be a dry white that is packed with fruity scents, such as a dry Jurançon, which hails from another part of the southwest, near Pau. A Jurançon such as the Cuvée Estela (the Occitan cross)
do just fine, too.
from the Domaine de Montesquiou is a crisp, dry and tangy
For a drier, more ripened Rocamadour, the more local reds
wine, picked early and made from Gros Manseng and Petit
of Bergerac and Gaillac would be ideal, or even a southern
Courbu grapes. If you are unable to find a dry Jurançon, a white
red Bordeaux, such as Chateaux Haut-Peyruguet. Délicieux!
Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes could
I Thibault Lavergne
TO ORDER THE ABOVE-MENTIONED WINES AND OTHERS, CONTACT: E: thibault@winestory.co.uk T: +44 (0)7921 770 691 W: www.winestory.co.uk
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- may / june 2017 - 55