You most sardinely want these canned seafood ideas!

If you think of just tinned tuna when you think of canned seafood, it’s time to cast a wider net! A variety of the world’s best seafood—often packed straight off the line, with just a bit of salt and olive oil—can be found in canned format. And, we carry them at City Vineyard.

Change Your Perspective on Canned Seafood and Wine

Canning has been invaluable in the seafood industry and has been a great way for non-coastal dwellers (like Montanans) to access quality seafood products. So why is canning so great for seafood? It happens quickly after fish are caught, and it involves minimal processing of the fish. Both attributes result in superior muscle quality of the fish (preservation of taste) and reduced oxidation of oils (maximum health benefits). Further, for fish with small bones, the canning process dissolves these bones. So, there’s no need to search meticulously for these osseous annoyances. Actually, the dissolved bones add a good source of calcium to the canned product.

Our favorite purveyor of canned fish is Matiz Gallego, a Spanish company with a focus on old-world fishing techniques, artisan canning practices and environmental friendliness. City Vineyard’s current selection of Matiz products includes:

• Pulpo (octopus in olive oil)
• Bonito del Norte (white-meat tuna in olive oil)
• Sardines (both in olive oil and in oil with lemon)
• Sardinillas (small sardines with olive oil and sweet piquillo peppers)
• Mussels in oil and vinegar
• Berberechos (cockles, or baby clams, in brine)

These treasures from the northeast Atlantic Ocean are beautiful alone, but they also pair perfectly with a variety of other City Vineyard goodies: For wine, try Albariño, Rosé, dry Spanish whites (like Torrontés) and maybe even a light Spanish Grenache.  For beer, try Pilsners or IPAs.  For food, pair with a light cracker that doesn’t overpower the fish (like Cowgirl Creamery’s Rustic Bakery cracker); a Spanish cheese, like El Trigal Manchego; and Spanish Marcona almonds.

Recently, we sampled Matiz Gallego’s canned seafoods and fell in love all over again, and the most skeptical non-seafoodies joined us in being enamored. Unanimously, we encourage you to add canned seafood to your next City Vineyard shopping list.

January 20 is National Cheese Lover’s Day, and we developed a quick little cheese lover’s quiz to see how much you know about your cheese crush…

Put Your Heart To the Test With This Cheese Lover’s Quiz

Question 1

Which US state produces the most cheese?

(A) Vermont (B) Wisconsin (C) California (D) Oregon

Question 2

The Sardinian cheese Casu Marzu, Italian for “rotten cheese,” is notable for containing what?

(A) Seaweed (B) Live maggots (C) Hard-boiled egg (D) Fermented vegetables

Question 3

Which of these well-known cheese types is not generally made from sheep’s milk?

(A) Feta (B) Pecorino (C) Romano (D) Manchego (E) Havarti

Question 4

Bandel, Paneer and Chhena are cheeses produced in what country?

(A) Belgium (B) Turkey (C) India (D) Egypt

Question 5

Which country makes the most cheese, producing on average 60,000 metric tons?

(A) France (B) UK (C) Italy (D) US

Question 6

Which country consumes the most cheese per capita?

(A) France (B) UK (C) Italy (D) US (E) Greece

Question 7

The Midnight Moon cheese carried at City Vineyard is a unique Gouda because:

(A) It is made from goat’s milk (B) It is the shortest aged Gouda available

(C) It is washed frequently in moonshine

Question 8

True or false, cheese should be served at room temperature.

Question 9

Which of these cheese varieties is not originally from France?

(A) Brie (B) Camembert (C) Gruyere (D) Munster

Question 10

What some are calling the “world’s oldest cheese” was recently unearthed in which country?

(A) Egypt (B) India (C) Mexico (D) China

Question 11

True or false, goat’s milk can make yellow cheese.

Question 12

The Cinderella cheese carried at City Vineyard has blue/black streaking because:

(A) It is a blue cheese (B) Black pepper is added to the curds

(C) The rind is rubbed with black sea salt

Question 13

When making triple cream cheeses, cream is added to the milk before the curds form, this brings the butterfat in the solid product to at least:

(A) 30% (B) 45% (C) 60% (D) 75%

How do you think you did?

​Whether you aced or flunked your cheese lover’s quiz, we don’t doubt your love for cheese. (Answers ​can be found below.) And, remember that City Vineyard is always your best destination ​to get set up on the perfect cheese date.

ANSWERS

​1. B (approximately 2.8 billion pounds)

2. B (female cheese flies lay eggs in the cheese; ​the larvae/maggot’s digestive systems break down the cheese’s fats, making its texture ​very soft)

3. E

4. C

5. D

6. A

7. A

8. True (remove from refrigeration 30-60 ​minutes prior to serving, depending on cheese type)

9. C (this cheese is originally from ​Switzerland)

10. D (kefir-type cheese dating back to 1615 B.C. was found hanging around ​the necks of mummies in northwestern China)

11. False (only cow’s milk can make ​yellow cheese; goat’s, sheep’s and buffalo’s milk cannot)

12. C

13. D​

​Quiz adapted from csmonitor.com

At City Vineyard we love this time of year, not only for all the fantastic excuses to splurge on wine and beer, but for the foodie-friendly festivities cooking up through Christmas and New Year’s! While there are some amazing goodies produced for our gourmet market from all over the world, this month we are highlighting some of our favorite American cheeses from top-flight local communities and passionate producers. Check out these delectable domestic delights in our gourmet market for snacks that are sure to please.

5 Favorite American Cheeses That Will Have You Drooling

Pugs Leap Samson

All Pugs Leap farmstead artisan cheese is made by hand at White Whale Farm, a small family owned goat dairy in Petaluma, CA. The milk is provided by 120 happy and healthy goats who are free to roam on pasture. By using only their own goats’ milk they are able to control the process and quality from start to finish. Both the dairy and the creamery are housed in a beautiful old barn that was built in 1867. The Samson is an aged cheese maintaining freshness in flavor, Samson brings a bright taste of raw goat’s milk, slightly sweet and floral, together with grassy and saline notes.

Hook’s 5/10 Year Cheddar

Hook’s Cheese company, a family owned cheese company from Madison, Wi., has been producing cheese since 1972. Their 10 year cheddar won 1st place at the 2006 American Cheese Society Show, the only 10 year cheddar to get a 1st place in this, or any competition. It’s packed with calcium crystals and has a full, rich cheddar flavor and a smooth finish.

Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam/ RedHawk /Wagon Wheel

Cowgirl Creamery opened their first location, a renovated hay barn in downtown Point Reyes two decades ago. Today, with dozens of awards, two creameries, four retail stores and two thousand tons of cheese later, Cowgirl Creamery continues to support and promote artisan cheesemaking, offering over 200 cheeses from all over California.

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Cabot Creamery is a cooperative of 1,200 dairy farm families located throughout New York and New England. They manage four plants in three states, employing over 1,000 people, who make “The World’s Best” cheese and dairy products. Clothbound is an approachable but complex natural-rind, bandaged cheddar with a crumbly texture and nutty aroma.

Bee Hive Cheese Co. Promontory Cheddar

Promontory, as well as all Beehive cheeses, is made from the milk of Jersey cows from Ogden’s Wadeland South Dairy. Wadeland’s Jersey cows enjoy 350 acres near the salty marshes, ponds and mudflats of the mineral-loaded soil of the Great Salt Lake. The same nutrient-rich soil that feeds thousands of migrating birds, feeds the lush alfalfa that the cows love to eat.

Think you have all of the gourmet snacks you need for the upcoming holiday season? Give our favorite American cheeses a try. Better yet, come into the store and grab some wine to go with those tasty treats! We want you have the best holiday time possible, so let us know if you have any questions on what you should bring to the table!