Savor This Pairing! Tieton Semi-Dry Apricot Cider Paired with Rogue Smoky Blue Cheese

Creamy blue cheese from Oregon with a touch of smoke makes a great pairing with tart and refreshing Apricot Cider from Washington State for a casual appetizer to share with friends.

I love discovering cheeses and finding a beverage to pair with them. This makes a light meal or first course to your dinner. We have so many wonderful artisan creameries in the US that produce amazing cheeses you should find your local artisan cheese shop in your area. Sampling is the best way to find the cheese you like and in Austin, Texas the best place for that is Antonelli’s Cheese Shop and in Nashville, The Bloomy Rind located in the Porter Road Butcher Shop in East Nashville.

How about an artisan cheese paired with cider?

Tieton Cider Works semi-dry Apricot Cider is a refreshing discovery and this pairing is just perfect!
The sweet,nutty and creamy Rogue Smoky Blue, from the Rogue Creamery in Oregon (with a hint of smoke infused by cold-smoking the cheese wheels in hazelnut shells) is just the right cheese to pair with Apricot Cider. The cider has just a hint of sweetness and tartness from the Harmony Orchards in Tieton,Washington and nuttiness and crisp acidity from the fermentation of this Yakima Valley fruit. The fresh tanginess of the cheese complements the acidity of the cider.

Add a touch of apricot jam-especially if it’s homemade-and toasted walnuts or hazelnuts which are flavors that complement this cider and cheese pairing. I added local cranberry-nut bread to further bring out the fruit flavors.

Tieton Cider Works Ciders are artisanally crafted ciders pressed from organically grown cider apples and dessert apples from the family owned organic orchard, Harmony Orchards in Tieton,Washington. This is located in the Yakima Valley of the Pacific Northwest in Washington State.

Tieton Ciders are a great alternative to pairings with food. Like wine, ciders have similar flavor and characteristics such as acidity, sugar levels and tannins that are the same characteristics that are necessary for a great wine pairing.

They are refreshing and will pair with a cold winter night’s meal as well a sweltering summer night.

When describing wines that have a unique characteristic or quality due to its specific growing site, the term often used for this is terrior. You can taste the “sense of place” which is defined by the climate,the aspect or geography of the area and the soils where the fruit is grown. All of these qualities play a role in giving the wine’s distinctive character.

“TIETON CIDERS ARE AN EXPRESSION OF THE HARVEST AND REFLECTIVE OF THE FRUIT AND THE PLACE THAT IT IS GROWN.”

The fertile soil, long and dry sunny days combined with cool nights are in just the right combination to produce ripe apples,pears,apricots and cherries with complex flavors and crisp acidity for exceptional ciders.

Toast with Cider!

CHEERS!