French Quarter
- Producer
- Charleston Artisan Cheesehouse
- Country
- United States
- Region
- South Carolina
- Size
- 4 in diameter x 2.5 in height
- Weight
- 14-16 oz
- Website
- www.charlestoncheesehouse.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Pasteurised
- Classification
- Semi Soft
- Rennet
- Vegetable
- Rind
- Mold Ripened
- Style
- Soft-Ripened (Brie-like)
- Flavor
- Flavor added to paste
Flavor added to rind
Charleston Artisan Cheesehouse crafts and ages a range of cheeses on location in Charleston, South Carolina. Since 2014 the creamery has been owned by chefs Greg Tatis and Monica Jaramillo, who specialize in recipe development and cheesemaking, as well as by Pete and Heather Holmes, who specialize in sales and marketing. The four owners strive to create wholesome cheeses that inspire the joy of eating locally produced, artisanal foods. The cultures used in production are chosen to create cheeses with taste and quality characteristics comparable to raw and thermized milk cheeses.
Milk used in production of the cheeses is sourced from Hickory Hill Milk, which has been owned and operated by Watson Dorn and his family the same land for 20 generations. Cows graze freely on pasture for 18 hours a day, and antibiotics are never added to feed. Milk is hormone free and non-homogenized, and pasteurization is performed at a low temperature in an effort to maintain as many of the milk’s natural enzymes as possible.
French Quarter is a flavored version of Charleston Cheesehouse’s flagship Battery Park. Described as a cross between a brie and a farm cheese, the production process for these these bloomy-rinded discs is completely done by hand, from pouring the milk into the vat, to molding, flipping, wrapping and labeling. In making flavored versions such as this, Charleston’s cheesemakers often experiment with adding ingredients to the curd as well as on the surface; in this case, infused olive oil is added to the curds, and Herbes de Provence are rubbed on the surface. The herbal blend is specially formulated for this cheese by The Charleston Spice Company. Discs are aged from three to four weeks.
Tasting Notes
According cheesemaker Greg Tatis, the infused olive oil changes the viscosity of the cheese and adds flavor, while the with Herbes de Provence topping intensifies the aromas that are already incorporated in. The final effect is an infusion of herbal flavor into a mild cheese with notes of grass, butter, and fresh milk.
Pairings
Pair it with a Pinot Noir or with an amber ale.
