Dairy experts Graham’s certainly know how to capture the imagination.
I’m no stranger to the concept of milk in a wine glass – it’s something my grandmother would give me so I felt grown up. But even so, it seemed a milk tasting event, with its own dedicated sommelier, was too bizarre an offering to pass up.
Hosted at Bon Vivant’s Companion, sampling was lead by newly appointed Milk Sommelier Douglas Wood, of WoodWinters fame. Certainly a man not short of adjectives, Douglas’s descriptions of the white stuff were inspiring.
The evening was a tour de force of Graham’s top quality cow juice, fresh from the family farm. From ‘lighter, grassy’ semi-skimmed to my favourite, the ‘lush, single cream-like’ Gold Top, it made you appreciate how delicious fresh milk can be.
The food was an impressive 7-course canape selection, thanks to the talented folks at Bon Vivant.
Highlights included a spicy venison pastilla, paired with organic whole milk’s soothing white chocolate notes, and the absolute classic we finished on: a freshly baked cookie and a glass of balanced organic semi-skimmed. (The clarified milk punch with dehydrated lemon peel was an inspired start to proceedings too.)
If you fancy recreating the event for yourself (great for kids!) here are the milk’s tasting notes and the food pairings:
- Semi-skimmed (lighter, grassy, sweet) + haggis bon bon
- Organic whole with cream at the top (creamy, white chocolate, panna cotta) + venison pastilla
- Gold top (lush, fruit undertone, single cream) + crispy chicken skin, mash potato, tarragon, mini yorkshire pudding
- Gold smooth (velvety, vanilla, toasted nuts) apple and blackberry crumble slice
- Organic semi-skimmed (balanced, buttermilk, white flowers) + freshly baked chocolate cookie
