Yay! After driving by the adorably named C’est Cheese a million times, I finally have a reason to visit this specialty store in North Hampton. My girlfriends have organized a wine and cheese tasting, which I’ve always wanted to do but never actually done (well, not formally anyways). It’s go time!
We’re all seated on tall stools and cozied up to the counter…let the tasting begin. Julie, the store’s sommelier and wine buyer has selected three white and three red wines for us to sample. As she begins pouring, Nancy (the owner of C’est Cheese and resident expert) offers us cheese that pairs perfectly with the wine selection, or so I’m told. I like wine, and I like cheese, but I know nothing valuable about either. Luckily for us, the two ladies are extremely well versed in both. Each selection of cheese (we tried 10 or more types over the course of the evening) and wine comes with a story about its origination, its unique traits and how it’s meant to be served. We’re given tips on how to identify the different tastes and aromas, and although we’re learning a ton (did you know brie doesn’t have to taste like a rubber tire?), the atmosphere is relaxed and fun.
C’est Cheese offers wine and cheese tasting parties Monday through Friday evenings which make for a perfect Parents’ or Girls’ Night Out. If you can gather up five to ten people, you have yourself a party. The cost is only $30 per person, although we dare you to leave without purchasing a slab of your favorite cheese or delicious wine. And C’est Cheese is keeping our budgets in mind—all the evening’s wine selections sell for $10-$18 a bottle and I ended up bringing home my new favorite cheese, Pecorino Papato, which only cost a little over $4.
C’est Cheese is also the perfect place to shop when entertaining at home or just hanging out with the family. The store is filled to the gills with crackers, olives, cured meats, pasta, sweets, preserves, culinary gadgets and…miniature toy animals? Yep, there’s something for everyone. In addition to the wine and cheese selections, the store sells “the best” frozen croissants and breads that you can bake up fresh in your own oven. Looking for a special something? C’est Cheese can put together the perfect gift basket for any occasion. Don’t feel like cooking dinner? The deli case is stocked with salads and ready-to-eat entrees that are made fresh every day right there in the store’s kitchen. Go ahead, take it home and pass it off as your own. We won’t tell.
Thanks for the fun times C’est Cheese, you make us smile!
C’est Cheese
122 Lafayette Road, North Hampton NH
(603) 964-2272
