Hans’ Place: A chalet of wine and cheese
Hans’ Place: Cheese Please
Wine and cheese is perhaps the most classic pairing out there. But rarely is there a winery and cheese shop in one place. Outside of Little Switzerland in Amish Country, find a Swiss chalet-inspired complex with Broad Run Cheesehouse and Swiss Heritage Winery, and a restaurant, Hans’ Place, where you can enjoy the best of both.
The setup allows you to experiment with pairings, but president and winemaker Chad Schindler recommends distinctive Gorgonzola and riesling. Start by ordering a pizza ($13) with Italian-imported Gorgonzola, bacon crumbles and caramelized onions topping a nan flatbread slathered in house-made fig jam. A honey drizzle makes the pie dynamic since the sweet honey mellows the salty, sharp blue variety.
“We call it bite with sharper cheeses. There is a lot of fat in those cheeses, which brings out a lot of different flavors [in it],” Schindler says. Another interplay comes when you pair it with Sweet Thunder (bottle $13.95), a semisweet riesling made with Northwest Ohio grapes. The sweetness of the light wine balances the funky cheese to punch up its creaminess. “Because it’s a creamy cheese, it goes well with riesling,” he says.
The fruity riesling also has honey, apricot and peach notes that boost the honey and jam even more. “When you drink the riesling without any food, you’ll pick up honey in the riesling, so when it pairs with the honey in the pizza, it enhances the flavor,” Schindler says. Dine on the picturesque patio or decks nestled at the bottom of a hill amongst woods and a small waterfall.
Honoring veterans, the label for Sweet Thunder has a photo of Schindler’s great aunt, who married a member of the Army’s 53rd artillery battalion. Schindler’s dad, Hans, the tavern’s namesake, was a veteran. Schindler learned winemaking tips from his parents, who launched the winery, and now he is carrying it on while helping others find fresh ways to enjoy the classic pairing of wine and cheese.
“The more you are eating cheese with wine,” he says, “you learn what wines go well with cheeses.”
Craving more? Hans’ Favorite Bites cheese plate, $20, and Cornerstone red blend, bottle $19.95, carryout available, 6011 Old Route 39 NW, Dover, 330-343-3884, broadruncheese.com