Dedalus Wine and Cheese Offers Perfect Pairings!
A world-class cheese selection awaits as you walk through an elegant display of assorted wines front and center and edging Dedalus’s stunning interior. The impressive selection of wines here are not just for drinking but offer an opportunity to learn the stories of their terroir and their growers. And once your selection of wine has been made, meander to the Dedalus cheese counter where you will meet artisan food manager and cheesemonger John O’Brien, who will ensure you find the perfect cheese to complement your occasion.
Early mornings, O’Brien is busy at work waking up huge wheels of cheese, gathered from the cooler, and bringing them to ambient temperatures. “We eat with our eyes first,” he smiles as I wait and watch. Soon he is cutting samples of the day’s selection to be scattered around the store amidst large boldly marked displays of wines. The cheeses are curated in a manner unique to each style, whether a great domestic rendition like Hinman Settler, a raw cow and sheep blue cheese from Jasper Hill or a European style like Lincolnshire Poacher, one of the most popular imported raw aged cow cheeses from Alford, Great Britain.
Copies of The Oxford Companion to Cheese, stacked close to the cheese counter, offer a perfect complement. Its editor, Catherine Donnelly, cheese expert and my close friend, had given me a copy as a gift knowing my love for cheese. This book is guaranteed to be the best resource for any cheese lover. Donnelly shared her opinion.
“You would expect to see a cheese selection of this caliber in Paris, London or New York, but to have access to cheese of this caliber in Burlington is a gift to our community.” Donnelly credits former Dedalus cheesemonger Rory Stamp, winner of the 2018 National Cheesemonger Invitational, with the breadth and depth of cheese selection here.
What better pairing for so many delicious cheeses than wine. Stunning labels, like Effervescence and Conestabile della Staffa, grace the shelves and center counters. Wines are carefully selected with attention to their growers and vineyards, and there’s also a sampling of wines available by the glass at the wine bar. That’s where I met up with general manager Scott Doherty to learn more. We were greeted at the table by a warm and friendly sommelier, Hannah, who poured a tasting of Effervescence into a delicate hand-blown Austrian stemmed glass and shared the story of its origins. Nicole Chanrion, a one-woman vigneronne from northern Beaujolais, France, created this vintage sparkling wine fermented in a steel tank. Taking over her family domaine of six generations, she now works all 6.5 hectares herself, pruning vines, driving tractors and making wine.
Sipping this wine in a delicate glass paired with a chunk of Isle of Mull cheddar cheese—one of many that graced the charcuterie board—I was in cheese and wine heaven. Scott Doherty explained that Isle of Mull comes from their friends at the well-known Neal’s Yard Dairy, the primary exporter of cheeses from across the British Isles. It quickly warms to the tongue with deliciously grassy and slightly piquant notes and offers bold, brothy flavors as the cheese dissolves. A small operation, the Reade family pride themselves on sustainable practices like harnessing solar, wind and hydroelectricity and are changing the future of Scottish cheesemaking.
Sardine Toast with a sauce that produced a boisterous rave was enough to summon Chef Michael to our table, who shared his story but not the recipe—a trade secret, he grinned. Paired with a glass of 2017 Conestabile della Staff a, a complex dry red wine, it was delicious! Imagine my excitement when I found a small container with this special sauce waiting for me at coat check, compliments of Chef Michael.
Owner Jason Zuliani and his partners have created a gem. There’s a good vibe here: People are relaxed and the staff truly love sharing stories (a place, a style, a varietal, a grower) delighting their customers. Beneath the elegant facade, there is depth and wisdom. It’s not unusual to observe staff sitting in the glass-enclosed wine bar and restaurant getting briefed on the latest arrival of wine and cheese, learning the charming tales of their origins and more.
Dedalus treasures were front and center of my New Year’s celebration with friends this year. A bottle of sparkling wine, Effervescence, started our evening fun as I regaled my guests with stories of French wine pioneer Nicole Chanrion. Sardines from Spain tossed gently in Chef Michael’s special sauce were served on toasted baguettes. A wedge of Isle of Mull, sliced that day before my eyes by O’Brien, as well as a hunk of Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano, graced my charcuterie platter along with rosemary and olive oil sourdough fl atbread crackers.
You must come for yourself to Dedalus—a tantalizing place where you can discover something new every visit. Dedalus Wine and Cheese Clubs boast just shy of 1,000 members and offer fun, educational and aff ordable ways to broaden your knowledge and learn the stories behind the creators of artisan cheese and beautiful wine.
Come and first eat with your eyes, listen to the stories, and feast with your palate.
Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar | @dedaluswine
Jasper Hill Farm | @jasperhillfarm
The Oxford Companion to Cheese
Rory Stamp | @cheeseopensdoors
Jason Zuliani | @jzuliani
