The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

If I could describe The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills (located on 419 N. Beverly Drive) in one word, it would be gluttony. Consistently, I find myself walking into the store to buy one item, and leave knowing I have over-indulged and over-consumed! Given that it hosts over 500 cheese varieties from all over the world, you could spend hours perusing this mystical shop. In an effort to embark on a journey through eating my way via the display case, I signed up for one of their weekly cheese and wine tastings by the name of "White Burgundies & The French Cheeses That Love ‘Em". At first, I thought spending $60.00 for wine and cheese was a bit too much, but that was before I spent the evening dining in heaven!

Starter:  Bourgogne Blanc (Deux Montille)   '07   $23
Flight 1: Bourgogne Blanc (Ch. De Puligny Montrachet)   '07   $32 
             Chablis (Herve Azo)   '08   $28
Flight 2: Pouilly-Fuisse (Domaine Manciat-Poncet)   '08   $32
             Puligny-Montrachet (Paul Chapelle)   '08   $48
Flight 3: Pernard-Vergelesses (Deux Montille)   '07   $30
             St. Aubin l'er Cru (Ch. De Puligny Montrachet)   '08   $48

Plate 1: Melodie by Laura Chenel (Goat - Loire Valley)
            * This is similar to brie with a layer of ash
            Bucheron (Goat - Loire Valley)
            * Very creamy and rich
            Colombier (Goat - Rhone-Alpes)
            * Rare; Aged 60+ days
            Camebert "Ferme de Jouvence" (Cow - Ille de France)
            * Slightly stronger and stinkier than brie...yum!
            Vieux Cru de Cremiers (Cow - Jura)
            * A fabulous addition to onion soup

Plate 2: Abbaye de Taime (Cow - Savoie)

            * This is similar to Epoisse; Made by monks

            St. Maure (Goat - Loire Valley)

            * Very creamy; Similar to Colombier

            Comte 39 Mos. (Cow - Comte)

            * Rare; Aged 39 Months --> Amazing!

            Chevre Bleu (Goat - Loire Valley)

            * I didn't particularly like this one

            Napoleon (Sheep - Pyrenees)

As you can see, I managed to taste seven White Burgundies and ten delicious French cheeses. In reality, given the price of the cheese and wine individually, the package was a great deal! For those interested in more information, each item was explained by the host with details of its origin and taste. I highly recommend one of these tastings for a special night out! As a side note, please eat a light dinner before hand to avoid debauchery... :-)