fabulous drinks
International Cabernet Day: Celebrate with social media, Cabernet and cheesepairings with the help of Whole Foods
Today, September 1st, marks the second annual International Cabernet Day. Cabernet Day is a social media holiday where people from around the globe drink Cabernet and talk or tweet about it online using the hashtag #CabernetDay. Real life gatherings will also take place in wineries, restaurants and at privately held parties across the country. #CabernetDay was started by Rick Bakas.
Bakas is a certified sommelier, author and is touted as the leader in the world of wine and social media. Along with #CabernetDay he also started #ChardonnayDay, #ChampagneDay, etc. Bakas has partnered with Whole Foods Market, the leading retailer that offers the wines he will feature to at this annual event.
This year, in honor of #CabernetDay, Whole Foods Market upped the ante and added an extra layer of fun by involving their global cheese buyer, Cathy Strange, to provide the perfect wine and cheese pairings.
Forget about plain old cheddar and Cabernet, Strange used her expertise to take the guess work out of the equation for us. She considered both the mouth feel and the taste of the cheeses, ensuring they did not overpower the flavor profiles of the wines. The wines were selected by global wine buyers, Doug Bell and Geof Ryan, who picked eight old and new world Cabernets, ranging in price and style.
There will be several private and public celebrations taking place around Austin. Yours truly, @fabulousdrinks, will be joining my fellow wine-loving friends for a private Tweetup, and we will be sure to tweet on behalf of our palates.
You can host your own party using the pairings Strange has profiled below or attend a public tasting party, like the one at Haddingtons hosted by Rob Moshein a.k.a. Austin Wine Guy. (The Haddingtons event starts at 6:30 p.m., with passed appetizers and new and old world Cabernets for $25 per person.)
Participate in anyway you choose and just be sure to include the hashtag #CabernetDay on all of your tweets. Or, simply follow the conversation by searching #CabernetDay.
Here’s a look at Strange’s perfect cheese pairings with the Cabernets Bell and Ryan selected:
Morro Bay Cabernet, from Central Coast California, paired with Robusto, a gouda-style cow’s milk cheese from Holland
Los Vascos Special Select, from Chile, paired with Manchego, a sheep’s milk cheese from Spain
Rodney Strong, from Sonoma, California, paired with Bonne Bouche, a goat’s milk cheese from Vermont
Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Claret, from Sonoma, California, paired with Truffle Tremor, a goat’s milk cheese from California
Chateau La Grange Clinet, from Bordeaux, France paired with Cowgirl Creamy’s MT TAM, a cow’s milk cheese from California
Silver Oak, from Alexander Valley, California, paired with Roquefort, a sheep’s milk cheese from France
Jordan, from Alexander Valley, California, paired with Cremont, a blend of cow and goat’s milk cheese from Vermont
Heitz, from Napa Valley, California, paired with Seaside Cheddar, a cow’s milk cheese from England
---
You can follow Cathy Strange on Twitter @WFMCheese; Rick Bakas @RickBakas; Doug Bell and Geof Ryan @WFMWineGuys and Rob Moshein @AustinWineGuy.