By Gabbie Burton
Contributing Writer

In the middle of the swirling, swishing and sniffing at a recent wine tasting at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library sat two, 23-year-old women feeling slightly out of their depth but nevertheless excited at the chance to participate.

Accompanied by my friend and personal designated cheese taste tester, Ariana, we took our seats at Winterthur’s Taste of Terroir wine and cheese pairing event on Aug. 21, and while my days of splitting cheap wine boxes with college roommates moves further into the distant past, my potential future of being a wine connoisseur like those who sat around us seemed equally as distant. However, one unexpected perk in my role as a young journalist at the Chester County Press has been my exposure and education in wine.

From Kennett Summerfest to interviewing local winemakers, my knowledge and palette for Pennsylvania wine has grown exponentially and proven that stereotypes in the wine industry and the surrounding culture are no reason to deter anyone’s interest, including my own. I was able to expand on my limited wine knowledge on our recent visit to Winterthur.

While the event focused on the terroir of Italian wine and cheeses, special note was made for the wine and dairy legacy at Winterthur that dates to when Henry Francis du Pont began a program in order to breed the best herd with the best milk possible. Additionally, Winterthur has a history of wine extending from the 1800s to the 1960s with the du Pont family’s dedication to wine with massive stockpiled and curated collections on site during their time living there.

We may have arrived at the event just a few minutes from Chester County but were quickly transported to Italy. Led by local wine making consultant Virginia Mitchell and cheese makers Catherine and Al Renzi of Yellow Springs Farms - founded in Chester Springs - attendees were presented with three wine and cheese pairings while receiving a lesson on terroir.

“Terroir is this concept that the wine has a sense of place, and that comes through in the flavors and the aromas that form the tasting profile, but there is also the terroir of cheese,” Mitchell said.

“It depends on what the animals eat, what the grass is, what the climate is, and how long the growing season is,” Catherine added. “It depends on the breed, type of cow, sheep or goat, that would thrive in that climate.”

The first pairing of the day brought us to the Piedmont region with a Enrico Serafino Alta Langa Metodo Classico Oudeis Brut 2020 and La Tur cheese. The sparkling wine has a DOCG designation, the highest Italian wine classification. Made from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay grapes, the wine was acidic, light and dry, made to contrast and pair with the creamy La Tur. The cheese made from goat sheep and cow milk, was soft and comparable to brie in appearance and has an earthy taste.

Not to get too far ahead of ourselves but this was our favorite pairing of the day and one of the best wines we both have ever had.

Our second pairing brought us to Sardinia, an island west of the Italian peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. We had a white wine – a 2024 Pala Soprasole Vermentino - paired with Pecorino cheese. The Vermentino, a signature grape for the island, had flavors featuring citrus, floral and saline notes due to the terroir, according to Mitchell.

Pecorino, which is the generic term for the sheeps’ milk cheese, is a harder, sharper cheese with herbal notes due to the sheep’s grassy diets. While Pecorino is made in other regions, Sardinia has a strong tradition in Pecorino cheese, with peasant shepherds living mostly in isolation from the outside world.

Our last pairing explored the Veneto region in northeastern Italy through Zeni Valpolicella 2023 and Piave cheese. Our only red wine of the day featured a fruity aroma of cherry, rose petals and raspberry by Mitchell but tasted smokier and richer than the aroma implied. The Piave was a cow’s milk cheese aged eight months. The cheese was described as having a coarser texture and a nutty-sweet profile, according to the Renzis, and is similar to Pecorino.

“The Piave cheese, to me, is your ultimate charcuterie plate cheese,” Catherine said. “It’s strong enough to hold up to the salamis and prosciuttos and cured meats, but light enough to go with the stone fruits and the pears and apricots and so I think this is a delicious cheese, but not it’s not going to win the world’s best cheese.”

As our tasting tour of foreign countries concluded, Ariana and I were thoroughly impressed by the selections that were offered on our tour. This event was an opportunity for us to try something new and learn all about wine and cheese from distinguishing flavor profiles and building pairings to the many steps and procedures of both wine and cheesemaking.

Abigail Miller, associate manager of audience engagement and an organizer for the event, emphasized the educational factor of the event.

“Who doesn’t love food and wine?” Miller said. “We always like to entertain and provide hospitality with an educational twist, too."

Make your reservations now.

Taste of Terroir: A Wine & Cheese Experience

October 23 at the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate the deep connection between land, flavor, and tradition. Savor locally produced wines that are expertly paired with artisanal Pennsylvania cheeses. To learn more and register, visit www.winterthur.org/programs-and-events.