-By James Mellgren

Much has been said about the intricacies of pairing wine with food, and particularly as concerns us here, pairing it with cheese. While I am of the opinion that if you like the wine you are drinking and the cheese you are eating, you can't go too wrong, I will concede that putting some thought into your selections beforehand can make the flavor match-ups even better. As an avid beer-drinker, I have been discovering lately that the same is very much true with pairing beer and cheese; and in fact, beer's ability to transform or heighten the flavors as a result of said pairing is even more profound than with wine. I can already hear oenophiles across the country crying out in disgust, "How could anything be more complex than wine?" In fact, the four principal ingredients in just about every beer on the market today — water, malted barley, hops and yeast — combine to make an astonishing range of flavors and styles of beer, from the lightest, most refreshing lagers to the heartiest porters and stouts.

In addition to my lifelong love of beer (OK, adult-long), I've been fortunate enough to spend some time with George Reisch, Brewmaster for Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. For this fifth-generation brewer (he literally grew up in his father's brewery), beer is more than a career, it's a lifestyle and a passion, and I'd wager that no one knows more about pairing beer with food. George thinks that matching beer and cheese is fundamental to understanding the process of pairing beer and food in general.

The three main concepts to keep in mind when pairing beer and cheese are contrast, complement, and balance. In regards to contrast, my first beer/cheese epiphany came when I tried a piece of brie with a light American lager. Think brie and Champagne, a most satisfying pairing that illustrates the concept of what grows together goes together, except that most of the brie consumed by Americans these days is made nowhere near the Champagne region. And with great examples coming to us from places like Wisconsin and Germany, why not try pairing it with beer? As instructed, I took a sip of the beer. When the beer was gone, I took a bite of the brie and then another sip of beer. The brie opened up in my mouth. The flavor expanded in a way that I've never experienced with wine except with Champagne. The light, crisp beer cut through the creaminess of the brie, and the bubbles transformed the cheese into über brie. It was a sensational, eye-opening tasting, one which I hope you'll try. Crisp, refreshing lagers are also great matches for light dishes like salads and vegetarian appetizers, seafood and spicy foods.

For fuller-flavored, more complex cheeses such as aged gouda, cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano, try fuller-bodied lager beers and ales. These beers also complement grilled meats and smoked foods, roasts and casseroles. They have enough body to stand up to the full flavors of those foods without overwhelming them. For more assertive cheeses like big blues and washed-rind cheeses, balance out the flavors with full-bodied ales and dark lagers that bring a sweeter flavor profile to the mix. Big, dark beers also marry well with sweet foods like chocolate-based desserts and rich ice creams. In fact, surprise your grown-up guests at your next dinner party with a glass of stout, such as Bare Knuckle Stout or Guinness, into which is placed a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream you can find. It's an adult float that your guests will remember for a long time. For more information on pairing food and beer, visit www.HeresToBeer.com.

Industry News
Get Ready for SIAL Montréal 2008
As we reported last year, SIAL Montréal has now become an annual event, and this year's installment is scheduled for April 23–25 at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal exhibition center. After attending SIAL Montréal for the first time last March, several things became evident to me. First, the show affords a great opportunity to see a whole lot of Canadian manufacturers in one place, as well as exhibitors from over 80 countries including the United States, whose pavilion is expected to grow by 33 percent this year to 4,000 square feet. Second, Montréal (the Paris of North America) is a wonderful place to go for a trade show. The Palais des Congrès is conveniently located next to a metro station (it was a 20-minute walk from my hotel, which was even better), and the city itself is full of world-class restaurants, cafes, and food shops. The show organizers are expecting over 700 exhibitors this year and over 14,000 visitors from around the world. Familiar to SIAL Paris attendees, the "Trends & Innovations" exhibit will make its Montréal debut this year. This focused showcase featuring many of the most interesting international food trends allows buyers to see new products and spot trends before they hit the retail shelves. All in all, this is a must-see event, so make sure your travel plans are in order and get thee to Montréal. For more information, visit www.sialmontreal.com.

Haystack Mountain Awarded Certified Humane Label
The Certified Humane label has been awarded by the nonprofit Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) to Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, a leading farmstead and artisanal cheesemaker in Colorado. Jim Schott, a former college professor, started Haystack Mountain with five goats on his seven-acre farm near Boulder 14 years ago. The dairy now produces award-winning fresh and aged goat cheeses from the milk of a mixed herd of over 400 goats. The Certified Humane Raised and Handled label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg, or dairy product has been produced according to HFAC's precise standards for humane farm animal treatment. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior. Since the program began in May 2003, more than 60 companies have been certified. For more information about HFAC, visit www.certifiedhumane.org. For information about Haystack Mountain Dairy, visit www.haystackgoatcheese.com.

IDDBA's New What's in Store 2008
The International Dairy•Deli•Bakery Association (IDDBA) has released its 22nd annual trends report, What's in Store 2008, a nearly 200-page book that is jammed full of information that can make you a better retailer, or at least one that is more readily adaptable to the fluctuations and vagaries of the food industry. It provides insights on department operation trends, product sales data, shopper profiles, product mix trends, management issues, merchandising strategies, as well as equipment and packaging trends in the supermarket dairy, deli/foodservice, cheese, and bakery departments. In addition to the full chapters on Dairy, Deli, Cheese and Bakery, there are chapters on State of the Industry, Consumer Lifestyles, and a Ready Reference section with contacts for all kinds of food industry associations, government agencies, and university food programs. Buying the book gets you Web access to quarterly updates of national random weight sales data for deli meats, deli cheese and prepared food. New for this year, for purchasers of three or more copies, is access to that same data on a regional basis. The cost is $99 for IDDBA members and $399 for non-members, plus shipping and handling. For more information or to order, call the IDDBA Education Department at 608-310-5000, or visit www.iddba.org.

Dairy
Unique New Flavors for Brewster House Line
The Shullsburg Creamery of Shullsburg, Wis., has introduced 11 unique new flavors to its Brewster House Cheese Spreads line. The flavors include Apple, Plum Wine, Bacon, Chipotle Pepper, Garlic, Hickory Smoked, Horseradish, Sharp Cheddar, Spinach, Tomato Basil and White Sharp. The Brewster House 10-ounce container packaging features an original hand-drawn label, and each pound of cheese is inspected for flavor, appearance and consistency. The Shullsburg Creamery was founded in 1934. For more information, call 800-533-9594 or visit www.shullsburgcreamery.com.
CLICK VENDOR LINK NO. 401

New AOC Regulations for Comté
The Comté dairy farmers, cheesemakers and affineurs have been given new modifications to their AOC status from the INAO, the organization that oversees all controlled appellations of origin in France. The modifications are meant to reinforce the rules as well as to:
Strengthen the connection to the terroir and preserve quality and authenticity. Strengthen the extensive and artisanal nature of Comté cheeses. Encourage the existence of the greatest number of dairy farmers, fruitières (cheesemaking houses, or fromageries) and affineurs (those who guide the maturation of the cheese), whose diversity is integral to the success of the AOC. Furthermore, the modifications prohibit the use of GMOs, limit the size of the cheesemaking facilities and the area of milk supply, as well as other measures concerning the feed of the cattle, the grazing pastures, and the holding temperatures of the milk after milking. Comté was one of the first cheeses in France to be granted AOC status in 1958, ensuring that Comté would continue to represent the culture, the landscapes, the history and the traditions of the people of the Jura Mountains.

DCI's County Line Cheese Gets Some Culture
DCI Cheese Company, a leading supplier of high-quality, value-added specialty cheese, has launched the company's first probiotic cheese under the County Line brand of specialty cheeses. Probiotic cultures help maintain a healthy digestive system and internal bacteria levels. The styles of the new line include Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack and Mild Cheddar, all available in 8-ounce squares. For more information, call 262-677-3407 or go to www.dcicheeseco.com.
CLICK VENDOR LINK NO. 405

Frozen
New Take-and-Bake Dinner Rolls From French Meadow
French Meadow Bakery has introduced three new frozen take-and-bake dinner rolls. Healthy Hemp Rolls are made with organic sprouted grains and are loaded with hempseed, flaxseed and pumpkin seeds. Organic Ciabatta Rolls are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. Sprouted Organic Peasant Rolls with Ezekiel Grains combine organic whole wheat berries, barley, millet, lentils and spelt. None of the new rolls contain any sweeteners, oils, artificial ingredients or preservatives. MSRP for the Healthy Hemp Rolls is $4.49, and the others are $3.49. For more information, call 612-870-4740 or go to www.frenchmeadow.com.
CLICK VENDOR LINK NO. 402

New Lotsa Pasta Family Packs From Putney Pasta
Putney Pasta (formerly The Natural Pasta Company) has added five new "Lotsa Pasta" family packs to their line. The new Lotsa Pasta family packs include Three Cheese Ravioli, Three Cheese Tortellini, Cheesy Pizza Mini Ravioli, Whole Wheat Spinach & Cheese Ravioli, and Portobello & Grilled Onion Ravioli. The new packaging for the family packs uses gusset bags instead of trays, and they require only two to three minutes to prepare. Putney Pasta recreates Italian-style pasta with extra-fancy durum flour, and the pasta is frozen moments after being made so the flavors and freshness are preserved. MSRP is $5.99 for 18-ounce packages. For more information, visit www.putneypasta.com.
CLICK VENDOR LINK NO. 406