Sunday School

WINE

Cabernet Blend, Claret, Joshua Cooper, Dash Farms, ’24

Victoria, Australia

Joshua Cooper has a knack for making wines that feel thoughtful, restrained, and quietly compelling, and his Claret from Dash Farms is a perfect example. The term “claret” originally comes from England, where it was used as a catchall name for the red wines of Bordeaux, and over time it came to describe a style of red wine meant to be dry, balanced, and easy to drink at the table rather than big or heavy.

Grown at Dash Farms in Victoria, the fruit comes from a cool, elevated site that naturally reins in Cabernet’s darker side. The wine shows red and black currants, subtle herbal notes, and a gentle savory edge, with fine tannins that keep everything smooth and approachable. It feels more like a long conversation than a monologue.

This is claret in the classic sense, a wine built for food, friends, and finishing the bottle without noticing how quickly it went. Joshua Cooper’s light, confident touch delivers a modern Australian Cabernet blend that nods to tradition while feeling completely at home right now.

$20 glass   •   $13 glass

CHEESE

Jasper Hill Farms Alpha Tolman

Greensboro, VT · Cow–R

Calling all cheese-loving bookworms! Mr. Alpha Tolman was a philanthropic dairy farmer responsible for building his local library and enriching the community with many noble works. His namesake cheese is crafted using traditional Alpine methods of cooking and pressing the curds during cheesemaking, thus achieving a smooth, elastic texture and robust nutty flavors. The 10-lb wheels are washed with cultured brine (essentially saltwater), which lends a funky and delicious depth to the ripening paste beneath. A rose-colored rind protects a semi-soft cheese with a buttery, fresh onion, hazelnutty flavor similar to a young Gruyere or Emmental. This cheese is both made and aged in the cellars at Jasper Hill Farm of Greensboro, Vermont.

$9  •   $6