Randy Chandler
The process of making Merlot BellaVitano® cheese involves bathing the cheese in Merlot wine to give it a unique flavour and texture. This cheese is crafted by master cheesemakers at Sartori in Plymouth, Wisconsin, using traditional techniques and high-quality milk. The result is a rich and creamy cheese with fruity notes of plum and berry, complemented by a crunchy texture from naturally occurring calcium crystals during the ageing process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Asiago or Parmesan-style |
| Manufacturer | Sartori |
| Manufacturer Location | Plymouth, Wisconsin |
| Manufacturer's Experience | Cheese-making roots dating to the 1930s |
| Manufacturer's Current Generation | Fourth |
| Cheese Texture | Rich and creamy, yet crunchy and granular |
| Cheese Taste | Somewhere between an aged, premium Cheddar and Parmesan |
| Cheese Ingredients | Pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, Merlot wine (grapes, water, yeast) |
| Rind | Edible |
| Crystals | Calcium Lactate formed during the aging process |
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What You'll Learn
Ingredients used to make Merlot cheese
Merlot BellaVitano® cheese is made with a few simple ingredients, resulting in a complex flavour profile. The primary ingredient is pasteurized cow's milk, which is combined with cheese culture, salt, and enzymes to create a solid cheese block. This cheese is then soaked or bathed in Merlot wine, a key ingredient that gives the cheese its unique flavour and aroma. The wine imparts fruity notes of plum and berry, adding complexity to the creamy, rich texture of the cheese.
The process of soaking the cheese in Merlot wine is an innovative technique employed by the master cheesemakers at Sartori in Plymouth, Wisconsin. Their traditional cheese-making methods and high-quality ingredients, including the finest milk sourced from local farmers, result in a distinctive and award-winning product.
The milk used in Merlot BellaVitano® is of the highest calibre, with many of Sartori's farmers supplying them for generations. This long-standing relationship ensures a consistent quality of milk, which is essential for crafting exceptional cheese. The cheesemakers at Sartori carefully select the milk that goes into their products, ensuring it meets their exacting standards.
In addition to the primary ingredients of milk, culture, salt, enzymes, and Merlot wine, the cheese also contains naturally occurring calcium crystals (calcium lactate). These crystals form during the aging process, contributing a slight crunchiness to the texture of the cheese. This crunchiness, along with the fruity notes from the Merlot wine, creates a unique sensory experience that has made Merlot BellaVitano® a celebrated and award-winning cheese.
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The process of making Merlot cheese
Ingredients
Merlot cheese is made using pasteurized cow's milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, and Merlot wine, which contributes to its distinct flavour and aroma. The wine adds fruity notes of plum and berry, complementing the creamy richness of the cheese.
Cheesemaking Technique
The master cheesemakers at Sartori in Plymouth, Wisconsin, employ traditional techniques to craft this cheese. They follow a process similar to that of Italian farmstead cheese, combining elements of Cheddar and Parmesan cheesemaking. The milk is carefully sourced from local farmers with whom the Sartori family has long-standing relationships, ensuring the highest quality.
Aging and Soaking
One of the critical steps in the process is aging the cheese. During this stage, the cheese develops its characteristic crunchy and granular texture, a result of the formation of calcium crystals (calcium lactate). The aging process also contributes to the complex flavour profile of the cheese. Following aging, the cheese is soaked or bathed in Merlot wine, allowing it to absorb the wine's distinct flavours and aromas.
Final Product
The final product is a rich and creamy cheese with a unique texture and fruity notes from the Merlot wine. The cheese has a nutty, buttery finish that lingers on the palate. The aging process and wine soaking give Merlot cheese its signature flavour, making it a popular choice among cheese enthusiasts.
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How Merlot cheese gets its unique texture
The unique texture of Merlot BellaVitano® cheese is the result of a combination of factors, including its base ingredients, the cheesemaking technique, and the aging process.
Firstly, the cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk, which contributes to its creamy and rich texture. The milk is sourced from local farmers who have been supplying the cheesemakers for generations, ensuring a consistent quality of milk. The other base ingredients include cheese culture, salt, enzymes, and Merlot wine (made from grapes, water, and yeast).
Secondly, the cheese is crafted using traditional, time-honored techniques by master cheesemakers in Plymouth, Wisconsin. The cheese is then soaked or bathed in Merlot wine, which gives it its distinctive fruity notes of plum and berry. This soaking process adds to the development of its unique texture.
Finally, during the aging process, calcium crystals (calcium lactate) form naturally on the rind of the cheese. These crystals give the cheese a slightly crunchy feel, adding to its unique texture. The aging process also contributes to the development of the cheese's complex flavors and signature crunchiness.
Overall, the texture of Merlot BellaVitano® cheese can be described as a combination of creamy and rich, with a slight crunch from the calcium crystals. This unique texture, along with its fruity and nutty flavors, makes Merlot BellaVitano® a popular and award-winning cheese.
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How Merlot cheese gets its unique taste
The unique taste of Merlot BellaVitano® cheese is achieved through a combination of traditional cheese-making techniques, high-quality ingredients, and a unique ageing process that involves soaking the cheese in Merlot wine.
Created by master cheesemakers at Sartori in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Merlot BellaVitano® cheese is made using time-honored techniques and the highest quality milk, with many of the farmers supplying them for generations. The cheese is a part of Sartori's BellaVitano line of cheeses, which also includes other unique flavours such as Black Pepper, Chardonnay & Citrus, and Raspberry.
Merlot BellaVitano® cheese is inspired by traditional Italian farmstead cheese, with a unique twist of being soaked in Merlot wine, giving it a distinct flavour profile. This process infuses the cheese with fruity notes of plum and berry, complementing the rich and creamy texture reminiscent of aged, premium Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. The result is a complex and crave-able taste that has made it a popular choice among cheese enthusiasts.
During the ageing process, the cheese also develops crunchy calcium crystals (calcium lactate) that provide a slight crunchy feel to the otherwise creamy and rich texture. These crystals are a natural part of the ageing process and are considered a sign of a well-aged cheese. They add to the overall texture and mouthfeel of the cheese, enhancing its unique sensory experience.
Overall, the unique taste of Merlot BellaVitano® cheese is a result of the combination of traditional cheese-making techniques, high-quality milk, and the innovative approach of soaking the cheese in Merlot wine, all carefully crafted by experienced cheesemakers. The resulting flavour profile, texture, and mouthfeel have made it a favourite among those who appreciate a complex and indulgent cheese experience.
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The history of Merlot cheese
Merlot BellaVitano® is a brand of Asiago or Parmesan-style cheese, with a unique flavour and texture. Its texture is described as rich and creamy, with a slightly crunchy feel from the calcium crystals (calcium lactate) that appear naturally as part of the aging process. The flavour profile is fruity, with notes of plum and berry, balanced by a full-flavoured Parmesan.
The cheese is made with pasteurized cow's milk, sourced from local farmers who have been supplying milk to the company for generations. The master cheesemakers at Sartori in Plymouth, Wisconsin, use time-honoured techniques and the highest quality milk to create this unique cheese. The cheese is then soaked or bathed in Merlot wine to give it its distinctive fruity notes.
Merlot BellaVitano® has become a popular and award-winning cheese, known for its complex and crave-able taste. It pairs well with a variety of wines and foods, making it a versatile option for cheese lovers. The Sartori Company continues to innovate, offering different varieties of BellaVitano cheese, including Black Pepper, Chardonnay, Raspberry, and Espresso flavours.
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Frequently asked questions
Merlot BellaVitano® is a variety of cheese created by the master cheesemakers at Sartori in Plymouth, Wisconsin. It is inspired by traditional Italian farmstead cheese and is soaked in Merlot wine to give it notes of berry and plum.
Merlot BellaVitano® is made from pasteurized cow milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, and Merlot wine (grapes, water, yeast).
Merlot BellaVitano® has a rich and creamy texture with a nutty, buttery finish. It is reminiscent of an aged, premium Wisconsin Cheddar cheese balanced by a full-flavored Parmesan.
Merlot BellaVitano® is made by soaking the cheese in Merlot wine. During the aging process, the cheese absorbs flavors from the liquids it is treated with.
