Wine and Cheese?…Yes, Please! – As committed turophiles, (or cheese lovers, to avoid any confusion) with a deep appreciation of everything from crowd-pleasing, traditional cheeseboard favourites, to more funky, pungent, or downright scary “acquired tastes”, we honestly can’t get enough of the stuff. And we’re equally passionate about finding the best drink pairings to enhance the tasting experience. So, here are a few suggestions of local venues, events and businesses which will satisfy the needs of any confirmed cheese and wine enthusiasts.
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Trait Late, Belfast.
Since its humble beginnings in Comber, creating artisanal craft-bakes and speciality coffee, Trait has blossomed into an iconic brand with coffee outlets across the city. And now, Trait’s flagship location on Belfast’s High Street, is home to “Trait Late”.
Read more on our website, link below and in our bio :-
This wine bar concept serves up house-baked breads, cheese platters from the legendary Mike’s Fancy Cheese, tasty sharing boards, delicious desserts and a wine list which includes some stunning natural varieties.
We love Trait Late’s contemporary vibe, with its signature artwork, trailing ivy and potted plants, Scandi-chic furnishings, and chilled vinyl choices from the resident DJ.
We started with Loaded Homemade Crisps; warm and moreish, with green onion pesto and grated Parmesan, and our go-to nibble of salty, charred Padron Peppers.
Sipping a light, lip-smacking “Cloud Factory” Pinot Noir from New Zealand, zingy with cranberries and redcurrants, we continued our sharing feast with an Antipasti plate of local meats and cheeses, and Focaccia Pizza with salami, caramelised onions, mozzarella, and rocket. There was also a terrific veggie version.
And for the designated driver, the alcohol-free “Drop Bear” was a refreshing lager-style brew with hints of raspberry.
Of course, don’t miss out on Trait’s sweet treats; the “Crois-misu” was a brilliantly bonkers croissant, strawberry, matcha, and mascarpone hybrid, the rich Chocolate Mousse was decadently delicious, and we loved the sea salt sprinkled Vanilla Soft Serve, drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sensational!
Trait Late: serving up wonderful wines, excellent Irish cheeses, and scrumptious baked goodies every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.
70-74 High St, Belfast BT1 2BE
https://www.facebook.com/TRAITcoffee
Mike’s Fancy Cheese, Belfast.
Mike’s Fancy Cheese is a Belfast City Centre emporium selling Irish and international cheeses, storecupboard treats, and an abundance of local favourites such as Benchmark breads, Ispini charcuterie, Irish Black Butter conserve, and pickles from Bethel’s Kitchen, all making the shop a must-visit foodie destination.
And of course, it’s renowned for the success of its utterly delicious and some might say ubiquitous Young Buck, as this raw milk “stilton style” cheese graces many a top restaurant’s cheeseboard, and it’s not very hard to understand why.
Aged for a minimum of twelve weeks, made in Newtownards, and inspired by ancient blue cheese recipes, Young Buck is mature, rich, creamy and rounded, with a long-lingering finish. It’s our traditional go-to blue!
The shop is celebrated for its fantastic range of cheeses, and we’re also big fans of buttery sweet Durrus, smooth smoky Milleens, and sharp earthy ash-rolled St. Tola.
With helpful staff in possession of considerable “cheese expertise”, and a passionate focus on selecting quality, farm-produced stock, Mike’s Fancy Cheese is a truly fabulous fromagerie.
41 Little Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2JD
Direct Wine Shipments: Creu Celta.
DWS is Belfast’s oldest independent wine merchant, having traded since 1954. In fact the McAlindon family has been involved in the drinks industry for more than 80 years, so we were delighted to meet up with Neal and the team for a chance to sample the three Creu Celta wines from their vineyard in Salanques, one of the coolest ‘climats’ in Priorat, Catalonia.
Creu Celta is an expression of the traditional grapes of the region. It is a mixture of very old vines (70+ years) plus maturing vines planted over 20 years ago. With strong imagery inspired by the exceptional 15th Century High Cross found on Devenish in County Fermanagh, Creu Celta means ‘Celtic Cross’ in Catalan, and this artisan micro production vineyard currently has three varieties available to purchase at DWS.
Firstly, Creu Celta Blanc 2024, from a vineyard of White Grenache, is the McAlindon’s first white wine from Priorat. The aromas burst with green fruit & citrus notes. Plump & rich with juicy pear flavours that lead into lean herbal notes of green almond, dried green herbs with minerality due to the slate soils. Medium to full bodied, and ideal with seafood, poultry, and pork dishes.
We then had the Creu Celta 2022 Priorat: fresh, elegant with notes of dark chocolate, pepper, cherry, raspberry, pine and a savoury minerality. Full, fruity and long with a rich finish, and perfect with cheese.
Finally, the Terra Sagrada 2022 Priorat; 100% Syrah, offering a full & rich glassful. Blueberry & black olive notes are underpinned by smoky & mineral nuances. A big powerful red, it’s equally sumptuous and elegant.
What a joy to experience the company’s passion for its product in this exceptional, award-winning retail, wholesale, wine education and wine production business. Importing directly from family-owned and artisan producers across Europe and the New World, Direct Wine Shipments has a reputation for quality, integrity and expertise.
5-7 Corporation Square, Belfast BT1 3AJ
www.directwineshipments.com/
Bullhouse East x Indie Füde: Beer & Cheese Nights.
Bullhouse East, Belfast’s very first permanent taproom, in collaboration with local artisan stockist Indie Füde, regularly runs Beer & Cheese tasting nights, proving that wine isn’t mandatory when it comes to choosing a refreshing pairing for cheese.
Seated in this cool East Belfast craft beer bar, adjacent to C.S. Lewis Square, customers can enjoy a wonderful selection of beers chosen to perfectly complement some amazing Irish cheeses, along with a few wise words from the knowledgeable hosts, and scoring sheets to rate your top tipple and cheese of choice.
On the evening we visited, the pairings included; “Whiplash Space Operator” IPA with creamy Gort na Móna goats Brie from Tipperary, fruity “So I Shall” IPA with Rockfield hard sheep cheese from Velvet Cloud, “Whiplash Rollover” Session IPA with Knockanore Red Cheddar, hoppy “Blue Pool” New England IPA with Cooleeney Camembert, and a big, juicy “Bullhouse Kingsize” Double IPA, with an award-winning Kerry Blue from Knockatee Dairy.
This guided tasting experience, in Bullhouse’s cozy taproom, is a great way to discover new beer and cheese combinations in an informal, relaxed atmosphere.
442-446 Newtownards Rd, Belfast BT4 1HJ
https://bullhousebrewco.com/pages/bullhouse-east
