The Cheesemonger's Tales

Arthur Cunynghame has spent 18 years as a wine merchant, followed by 17 years as a cheesemonger. He is the former owner of Paxton & Whitfield Ltd., a Past Chairman of The Specialist Cheesemakers' Association, a Chevalier du Tastevin of Burgundy, a Chevalier de Bordeaux, a Chevalier du Taste-Fromage de France, and holds Diplomas from The United Kingdom Cheese Guild and The Wine and Spirit Education Trust. He has judged at numerous international cheese competitions and was Consultant Editor of 'Fine Cheese'. He has made a number of TV and Radio appearances including Newsnight, The Today Programme, Sky News, You & Yours and Farming Today. As a cheesemonger, his press coverage included: The Independent, The Sun, Good Food Retailing, The Ecologist, The Daily Express and The Independent on Sunday.

The Cheesemonger's Tales are my personal recollections of visits to cheese makers and wine makers, providing an insight into the people who are responsible for their individuality of styles and flavours.They are personal stories about real people, set alongside my guides to: matching cheese and wine; buying, keeping and serving cheese; seasonal cheeseboards; how to make cheese, and essential information about each wine region.A well-matched combination of cheese and wine adds to the enjoyment of both.Over the years, I have conducted many tutored tastings of cheese and wine. In this book I have attempted to capture the essence of what proved enormously popular on so many evenings.