The various cheeses from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region have garnered mixed reviews during the course of my tastings.
The bright orange Boulette d'Avesnes was acrid, harsh and too in your face, while Bergues tasted like, well, for lack of a better description, air. Le Cameau was a hit, but Le Cados was a miss. Maroilles was a nice enough cheese and melts beautifully into a delicious sauce for pork, and smelly Vieux-Boulogne was spectacular and utterly memorable.
Le Carré du Vinage, an unpasteurized cow's milk fromage férmier, has officially cured my ambivalence toward the cheeses of this region. It is unbelievable!
The sticky, washed rind of le Carré du Vinage releases a heady aroma that doesn't try to hide the fact that this is a very strong, intense cheese. Its flavors are multidimensional; mushroom and nuts, yeast and salt, fruit and spirits. I love it and hope that one day I have the opportunity to meet Thérèse Marie, the fromagère at the farm, and congratulate her on a job well done.
This cheese would pair will with either beer or a white wine from Alsace, such as Riesling.
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