“Cultivating Good Taste,” THE magazine, November 2008

“Cultivating Good Taste,” THE Magazine, November 2008

Walking into the Mozzarella Company in Deep Ellum is like arriving at the high point of a cheese pilgrimage. Immediately inside you will find three refrigerators—loaded with you know what—and an explosion of 27 years worth of newspaper articles, awards, and reviews covering every inch of the vestibule’s dark finish.  That is, every inch except a white board that looms high above the counter, listing no fewer than 20 varieties of cheese. And they are all freshly handcrafted there on the premise.

I found Paula Lambert, cheesemaker, food author, and founder of the Mozzarella Co., in the shipping room as she was preparing for the night’s event—“French Wine and Texas Cheese” sponsored by the Dallas Opera. (Drinking songs are a staple of 19th century opera. Composers used them to set up boisterous scenes.) A bit fiery to be sure, Ms. Lambert embodies an entrepreneurial spirit that explains why she—and only she—has been able to start a cheese factory, of all things, just east of downtown Dallas and grow it into one of the most successful of the city’s businesses for the better part of 30 years.

A California native, Ms. Lambert spent the late 1960s and early 1970s in Italy studying the language and art. “It was there,” she tells me, “that I fell in love with fresh mozzarella.” Loving pure, fresh mozzarella is one thing; starting an artisanal cheese factory in a place like Dallas is quite another.

“When I returned to Dallas, I realized how much I missed it. And when I discovered that no one here had heard of fresh mozzarella, I decided to build a cheese factory and make it!” Those early days raised some eyebrows, not even grocery stores were interested in buying it. Today, Ms. Lambert’s cheeses are widely celebrated: they have won more than 100 awards and been served at the Academy Awards, to presidents, and royalty.

But mozzarella was just the start. She now produces nearly any cheese you can think of, like Deep Ellum blue and mascarpone, and more of the ones you cannot like scamorza and caciotta. Her team assembles at 2:00 a.m. and works shifts throughout the morning and into the evening preparing the milk for its rebirth as cheese.

As we stand in the shipping room surrounded by the stainless steel counters and scales, Ms. Lambert uncorks bottles of one of tonight’s selections of sauvignon blanc. She explains that cheese is simply a way of preserving milk. Adding, “about 9 pounds of milk will make 1 pound of cheese.” The Mozzarella Co. goes through nearly 2 million gallons of milk each year to produce its 200,000 annual pounds of cheeses.

Ms. Lambert assures me that there is more to it than just a scientific process. Cheese making is an art form, influenced by the individuals’ hands, the seasons, the milk, and the mind of its creator. “We practice the art, rather than the science, of cheesemaking,” she says.

With bottles uncorked, and an assortment of light cheeses prepared, Dallas Opera enthusiasts begin to join us in the cheesemaking room to discuss the operatic theme for the night—Puccini’s La Bohème. Set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, an area not too different from today’s Deep Ellum, the opera focuses on the romance of young bohemians.

Tonight’s event is part of the Dallas Opera’s innovative “Figaro and Flip-Flops” series, an assortment of happenings appealing to opera veterans and novices alike. Each event features one of the Opera’s seasonal programs juxtaposed with some entertaining and tangentially related theme. Hence, this evening’s French wine tasting in honor of the Parisian La Bohème.

Francois Chandou—mustachioed French native and founder of the Dallas landmark wine establishment La Cave—takes an impromptu podium, a step ladder from the shipping room, to discuss the evening’s selections. Through beautifully accented English, Mr. Chandou explains a bit about the three wines offered tonight—a Domaine de la Charmoise, sauvignon blanc 2006, a Les Fontanelles, pinot noir 2006, and his family chateau’s red creation from the Bergerac region (55% merlot, 45% cabernet).

His talk is followed by the slow crescendo of cocktail discussions of wines, cheeses, and romance in 19th century Paris. Although, fewer phrases roll of the tongue more elegantly than “wine and cheese,” pairing them on your own can be tricky. “There is a school of thought,” says Greg Forshay, wine director at Tivoli Wines in Ft. Worth, “that only white wine should be paired with cheese.” Just like the idea of pairing red and white wines with the respective meat color, some suggest that only white should be enjoyed with cheese because, well, cheese usually comes in shades of white and yellow.

While constricting your palette by color may be acceptable, Mr. Forshay, does not buy into it. Instead he believes in “accentuating the flavors of the cheese and vice versa” through solid pairings using both red and white wines.

His advice? Old world style wines such as cabernet, merlot, and Bordeaux would make an excellent complement to a creamy havarti. And that “new world” California sparkling wine you have waiting to celebrate would go well with a buttery brie or some gouda.

Paula Lambert takes a slightly different approach. She subscribes to the idea that lighter bodied wines go well with lighter cheeses. So, try a fresh mozzarella or a goat cheese with a sauvignon blanc or a chardonnay. In general, “cheeses of a particular geographic region pair nicely with the wines of the region,” she says. So try pairing that Chianti, for instance, with Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Toscano.

Although wine is the obvious libation, beer has its place. Now that things have cooled down outside, Ms. Lambert suggests warming up by the fire pit with some cheddar and a light-bodied microbrew.  Mr. Forshay, on the other hand, is a personal fan of kicking back with a strong goat cheese and a Texas-born Shiner Boch.

Whatever you do, Mr. Forshay makes it clear that the food and drink you choose should first complement your tastes. “There are no wrong answers.” Remember that not all individual pairings you select will be ideal, but with thousands of wine and cheese possibilities out there, experimentation and taste for adventure is part of the fun.

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