Getting the ball rolling...

I am going to start this blog with a recent trip that I took to Abbie & Oliver's artisan cheese in Downtown McMinnville. Recently I found out I can't have dairy, I LOVE cheese, therefore no bueno. Right? Wrong... Andrea the owner introduced me to "good" goat cheese, my previous experience has been supermarket chèvre. She carries in her cheese case a goat cheese called Sunset Bay from River's Edge Chèvre in Logsden, OR. Sunset Bay is a wheel of chèvre that contains Spanish Paprika in the center, is coated in ash and encompassed by a bloomy rind. The presentation is stunning. The flavor is out of this world. Smokey, tangy & earthy. The tang wakes up your taste buds which are dancing by now. Your brain finally reconnects and you realize there is a nice smokey tone.... hmm... ah the paprika just joined the party. Followed closely by this beautiful earthy, mushroomy tone that is the rind. Very satisfying. I ended up with a two pound wheel that those I love and I enjoyed, and a new found appreciation for artisanal goat cheese. Abbie & Oliver's is located in the Anthony Dell Cellars Tasting Room located @ 250 NE 3rd St.