Toasting

Charring the inside of new barrels over an open flame. Charring caramelizes the staves of the wood. Wine stored in barrels treated this way will pick up a VANILLIN, toasty character.

What is callu de cabrettu?

A. A breed of cow from Italy renowned for its milk

B. A type of sheep’s milk cheese from Corsica that is aged in patterned molds

C. The nickname for a north African deer-like animal famed for its meat

D. A type of baby goat’s cheese aged inside its stomach

Arguably one of the oldest types of cheese, callu de cabrettu originated in Sardinia, Italy where it can still be found. According to Atlas Obscura, this gamey-tasting cheese is made by taking a baby goat’s stomach still full of its mother’s milk, tying it closed, and letting it age naturally by hanging it in a warm place (conveniently, Sardinia is often quite warm). The cheese is formed in the stomach when the milk reacts with acids and rennet (the contents of the stomach of a young animal). Because this cheese in made in springtime.

4

The number of cups of wine that the Haggadah, the special book that tells the story of Passover, calls for during the Seder meal. Thankfully, today’s selection of kosher wine is vast–annual sales in the United States… Continue reading

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