WineLovers Discussion Group

Interesting article in today's NYTimes on the shelf talkers used in selling cheese:
NYTimes:CheeseProse

I like SteveJenkins' claim:

The customer has no idea what he or she wants. The customer is dying to be told what they want.

Hmmm...sound familiar???
As I read thru the article, I had this sorta uneasy feeling that something was missing here. Then it dawned on me...dohhhh....these shelf-talkers have no scores on them.
Cheese has just like wine...it varies from yr to yr and season to season. A Cheddar from Vermont is not the same as a cheddar from Wisconsin. There's a lot of fantasy names out there....TruffleTremor/ConsiderBardwell/BarickObama/HazyBlur...yada/yada/yada.
What this world needs is somebody to wrap around himself (or herself) the RalphNader mantle....write a newsletter (maybe call it the CheeseAdvocate)...advocate for the consumer...save us from ever buying "Swiss" cheese from Kraft wrapped in individual slices... develop a 100-pt scale...with MatosStGeorge as a 100 and Velveta an 80...maybe CheezeWhiz in a squirt can a 50. The possibilities are endless. Fame and fortune would be his/hers. Declare the March/2013 cheese harvest in Wisconsin the greatest vintage of the century. CowgirlCreamery Mt.Tam..."filled w/ gobs of hedonistic cream". It sort boggles the mind.
Anyway...the article is an interesting read.
Tom

That's too funny. I think I'll pass on the Cheese Advocate, thank you.

I love going into Formaggio in Cambridge, MA. telling them a few basic things (like - serving it with Port, some guests may not be into really stinky blues, etc.) having them let me taste 3-5 options and I pick some.

That's a lot of fun and I don't think the process needs to change.

My favorite Steve Jenkins Fairway sign was for Cambozola , something like "this German cheese is made in a factory (and tastes like it). Supposedly a combination of Brie and Gorgonzola, it has the worst qualities of both. Somehow, despite its lack of character, people still buy it. Go figure”

Gentlemen....

May I call your attention to CULTURE.

http://www.culturecheesemag.com/

Brian K Miller wrote:Gentlemen....
May I call your attention to CULTURE.
http://www.culturecheesemag.com/

Yup, Brian...one of my favorite magazines. I've...ummmm...errr...followed it from the very start.
But they haven't figured out the 100-pt scale for cheeses yet!!!
Tom