Une Fête Dans Ma Bouche

It’s Wednesday night and I’m headed with some friends to the bar Mille Potes for a wine and cheese tasting organized by CIREFE. We sit down at a table where we’re given glasses and tiny tasting forks, and the connoisseur of the event begins the presentation. He introduces four cheeses from all different parts of the country and four wines to compliment them. I’m excited to try new things and learn more about French culture, but I have no idea of the range of intense bodily responses that I’m about to have.

I’ll try to describe them as best as I can.

Chabichou du Poitou

This cheese was cold but it melted in my mouth like warm syrup. It was even better on bread, as it melted into the soft texture like falling asleep on a nice bed after a long day. Needless to say, I have a higher standard now of what I consider to be “comfort food.” The accompanying vin blanc sec brought out a richer flavor while still maintaining the soft, buttery consistency. I had a good time.

Morbier

The Morbier struck a really nice balance for me between intensity and enjoyment. It had a nutty taste and smell which I was less accustomed to, but trying it with the simple red wine yielded a high reward in the taste buds department. While it may not have matched up to the euphoric experience of trying the Chabichou du Poitou, I can say with certainty that it was the most satisfying to savor and probably my favorite from the night.

Munster

It smelled like gym socks. I really had faith in the idea that it would taste differently. I was wrong, it tasted like gym socks. I tried eating a lot of it, thinking that I might adjust to the flavor. I didn’t. The wine neutralized the insufferable taste a little bit, but not enough. That said, some of the people around me seemed to enjoy it, but for me it was trop fort. Now all I can do is try to forget.

Bleu des Causses

This one took me a little bit out of my comfort zone. At first, the cheese hit me with a tangy taste and smell that my undeveloped American palate was not ready for. Nevertheless, I forged on and found that it grew on me a little bit. I don’t know if it was the relief from no longer having the Munster in my sight or if my taste buds actually evolved, but I found myself really enjoying blue cheese for the first time. It challenged me with an acidic flavor but also comforted me in the same way as the Chabichou du Poitou with its melting consistency. All in all, it was a good note to end on.

Julian Ireland

Oberlin College