When you think of fall you think of watching football with friends, making cozy recipes with your family and if you live in Grand Rapids you experience all things ArtPrize. With October kicking off this week I’m thrilled to show you how I’m pairing Sartori Cheese this season. In case you didn’t know Sartori Cheese is based in Plymouth, Wisconsin and has been family owned and operated for four generations. Pretty amazing right? Their award winning cheeses are so delicious you’ll have a hard time picking a favorite.
Those who know me well know I’m slightly obsessed with cheese (parmesan is my favorite), so here are some of my favorite ways incorporate Sartori Cheese during the fall months for a perfect pairing.
Host a Football Party
In my house we’re big Michigan fans (go blue!) and the game is always a priority on the weekend. Luckily our friends and family are also big football fans so a typical weekend afternoon or night is dedicated to watching the game. This also means food and drinks are obviously a must, and my pick is always an easy cheese board paired with a mimosa for an afternoon game.
The great thing about a cheese board at a football party is it’s easy and who doesn’t love cheese? My picks from Sartori Cheeses would be the Chipotle BellaVitano® Espresso BellaVitano® or Montamoré® Cheddar. The Chipotle BellaVitano has a smoky and slightly spicy flavor that really gives the creamy cheese great flavor. For an extra wake up call try the Espresso BellaVitano with freshly roasted espresso that gives the cheese a unique flavor great for an afternoon football party. I also love the Montamoré® Cheddar because it’s a mix between parmesan and cheddar and has such a lovely texture and nutty flavor.
Make a Cozy Recipe
On a chilly fall night a cozy recipe that’s easy and quick sounds like a dream. Am I right? If you haven’t tried Cacio e Pepe yet let me tell you you’re going to love this recipe because it doesn’t get much better than pasta and cheese. Cacio e Pepe is quite literally “cheese and pepper” and a popular pasta dish in Rome. The great part about this recipe is that it only calls for a few ingredients and is easy to make with Sartori SarVecchio® Parmesan cheese.
This Cacio e Pepe really is one of my favorite meals and one we make pretty often. Using Sartori SarVecchio® Parmesan cheese is a great option for the nutty and slightly sweet flavor when mixed with the pepper. We love to pair this pasta dish with a crisp white wine like Pinot Gris for a no-fuss weekday meal.
Have a Picnic Downtown
With ArPrize in full swing it’s a great opportunity to head downtown, see the art and enjoy a picnic by the river. The fall weather has still been pretty mild so it really is a fun option to pack a picnic with your significant other or best friends to enjoy before walking around. We packed a picnic last weekend with some of our local favorites like baguette bread and honey crisp apples to pair perfectly with Sartori Cheese. The Merlot BellaVitano® was a delicious choice for our picnic because with hints of berry paired with the creamy cheese we literally couldn’t stop eating it.
While you’re checking out ArtPrize keep you’re eyes open for the Sartori Cheese booth downtown Grand Rapids. You can try some of the cheeses and even enter for your chance to win a year’s worth of Sartori Cheese. How cool would that be? There will be 10 winners and you can find more information here. Also, you can get extra entries for the contest if you go down to ArtPrize and take a photo of yourself at the Sartori booth, or enjoying one of the samples, and then post it to your social media page tagging Sartori and using the hashtag #pairsperfectly.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sartori Cheese but all opinions here are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who allow me to continue to create content on The GR Guide.
Really enjoyed this post. I LOVE BellaVitano Merlot.