On the evening that would have been our Member’s dinner, World Traders celebrated with a cheese and wine tasting via Zoom. Twenty-four screens joined in the tasting. Master Sue Algeo welcomed us and introduced Love Cheese of York, who provided the five cheeses and wines presented by the enthusiastic, knowledgeable and passionate Mollie, who described this as one of the best jobs to have.

Our first cheese was Brie de Meaux; this creamy cheese was paired with Muscadet Douret, a good match, The second pairing was Tommet de Bribis, a fresh ewe’s milk cheese with some oomph, matched with Domaine Daulny, a clean and crisp Sancerre. Thirdly, St Maure de Touraine, a goats milk cheese, put together with a tasty rosé wine, or blush wine for our American friends, Bieler, Pere et Fils Aux-de-Provence. Our penultimate cheese was Beaufort, one of the kings of French cheese, perfectly paired with a Cotes du Rhone, Massif D’Uchaux Arbouse, a complex flavoured wine. Lastly Fourme d’Ambert, a benchmark for mild blue cheese matched with a dessert wine Maury from Domaine Pouderoux, Languedoc-Roussillon, that takes six years to age, an excellent match.

One enjoyable element of the evening was that almost everyone contributed with either an anecdote or questions for Mollie whom we thanked in the traditional way, unmuted.  

After the tasting had finished, we went into break-out rooms for smaller group chats. Overall an excellent evening seeing friends enjoying themselves.