The artisan cheese movement within the United States has grown exponentially over the last few decades. Not long ago, domestic, small batch farmstead cheeses were hard to find, and when they were being made, supply was extremely tight, or quality was suboptimal. As each year has passed, more and more cheeses have hit the market, and quality continues to improve. For this week’s pairing, we’re highlighting one of the pioneers of our country’s artisan cheese movement, David Major. After graduating from Harvard in the early 80’s, David set out on a mission to save his family’s 250 acre farm, located in West Westminster, Vermont, and it’s tiny herd of sheep. His solution: Cheese. After a series of early struggles in cheesemaking of his own, David travelled to the French Pyrenees to learn from the world’s best sheep’s milk cheese producers. Today, with over 30 years of cheesemaking experience under his belt, David and his family shepherd a herd of anywhere between 300-700 sheep, on the oldest sheep dairy in the country, Vermont Shepherd Farm, milking an average of 200 ewes, twice a day, beginning each year in April. Vermont Shepherd’s flagship cheese is, Verano, which in Spanish translates to “Summer,” which points to the fact that this cheese is only produced while the herd is foraging on fresh pasture. While cows and goats may be milked all year long, sheep milk is seasonal, beginning only once lambs are weaned-off their mother’s milk in early spring, and lasting not longer than November. Because of this, production of Verano is exceedingly small, landing at somewhere between 10-30, 7 lb wheels a day. A rich, earthy cheese with a moist ivory paste, Verano exudes flavors of brown butter, salted caramel, and hearty herbs like fresh thyme and mint. For this week’s wine pairing, we’ve chosen a selection from California’s Central Coast, Union Sacre Pinot Blanc. As we paired this cheese and wine, we found fruit notes in the wine to bring out an underlying sweetness within the milk. Additionally, mouthfeel was improved for both, providing a delicate balance on the palate, as textures married perfectly. Some pairings are good, but others are great. The pairing of these two elevate one another in a way you’re sure to enjoy.