Raclette

There is something so convivial about gathering around a table to share an informal and leisurely meal that stretches out for a couple of hours. Sipping wine, enjoying conversation, and nibbling away. No rush

The tabletop raclette is the perfect device to grill veggies, seafood or meat while simultaneously melting cheese. People cook their own portions and eat at their own pace. You can stretch out the festivities for hours... and that's exactly what we did did!

A group of us gathered to test out the tabletop grill, tasting asparagus, kielbossa, potatoes, and of course... cheese. These are some of my favourites and the flavours seemed to deepen when they were slowly melted:

• Le Marechal
• Smoked Applewood Cheddar
• Extra Aged Comte
• Etorki Basque (Sheep's Milk)

I can't believe I didn't actually pick up the traditional Swiss raclette cheese to try in the grill.  Maybe next time...

The following wines were satisfying accompaniments:

The  Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt RK Riesling 2008 (Germany), just released last month, was a fabulous match with the cheese, fruity & not overly sweet.

The red on hand was Bodega Volcanes Tectonia Pinot Noir 2012 (Chile), which was better paired with the more flavourful cheeses and kielbossa.