Blakesville Creamery

By Joe Kastner- Minneapolis Monger

I love Wisconsin cheese. Maybe I’m biased because I grew up there, but I think my home state has some of the best cheeses out there. When most people think of a classic Wisconsin cheese, they think of a big sharp Cheddar, or some fresh squeaky curds, or even Butterkäse or Brick or other dairy co-op favorites, but not so much soft-rinded goat’s cheeses. But that’s just what we’re focusing on this week, some amazing farmstead goat’s cheeses made in classic French styles right off the western shore of Lake Michigan. 

Blakesville Creamery is a great example of passionate people bringing an idea to life in the face of challenging odds. In 2012, the land where the creamery currently sits- just north of Port Washington, WI, a suburb of Milwaukee- was a dairy farm, but with 300 cows. The farmer was looking to sell and retire, but didn’t want to see his land bought by a corporation and turned into condos or a shopping center. He approached his neighbor, Lynde Uihlein, with an offer to buy his farm and conglomerate it with her own. Lynde, who was involved with land preservation and restoration in the area, accepted the offer and took over the dairy, with the goal of switching the entire herd to goats and then making cheese with their milk. At the time this must have seemed like a massively daunting task, but SPOILER ALERT, she made it work!

After 8 years of selling cows to buy goats, changing the farm to fit the new herd, and building cheese-making facilities, Lynde and her team were finally ready to “curd” it up. She brought on veteran cheesemaker Veronica Pedraza to develop the recipes and oversee the production. Then in early 2020, just as the cheeses were getting ready to roll out, COVID happened. Not only did this push back the opening of the creamery due to licensing issues, it also took away a large portion of planned sales to restaurants and other vendors that were struggling at the time. Despite these hurdles, Blakesville released their first cheeses in July 2020 and they’ve been some of our more popular soft cheeses at the shop. If this teaches you anything about cheese people, it’s that we’re willing to wait for a good thing. 

At France 44, we sell most of the selections that Blakesville has developed in their short time. Four of them are soft-ripened, smaller format options in easy-to-manage 5 oz. packages, perfect for  Lake Effect is the cheese that we’ve carried most frequently. It’s a bloomy-rind cheese that’s ripened with the same molds you’ll find on most Camemberts, giving it that classic mushroomy, earthy flavor. The Lake Breeze, on the other hand, is ripened with Geotrichum cultures and B linens, commonly found on washed-rind cheeses. Though the Breeze isn’t washed itself, it has a bit of the funk associated with those types of cheese. Afterglow, my personal favorite of the bunch, is actually a washed-rind style, bathed in New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, an ale made from cherries from Door County. Cheese washed in beer with Door County cherries. If that just doesn’t scream Wisconsin, I don’t know what does. 

We also carry their ash-lined creation, Linedeline. Layering cheese with vegetable ash is an old practice used to protect the milk from bugs between milking sessions, particularly with goats because their yield is less. But it also just looks really cool on a cheeseboard. This cheese is nice and firm and sliceable while young, but as it ages it just becomes creamy and spreadable and even more decadent. The hard cheese option from Blakesville is called St. Germain, a very firm tomme-style with a wild rind with lots of cool growth. This cheese smells woodsy and piney, and has a lingering herbaceousness that keeps me snacking on it.  

Farmstead cheeses like these are awesome to see, especially such newer, up-and-coming operations like Blakesville. The art and science of creating cheese with milk from your own herd of animals is a beautifully sustainable way to honor the land that we call our home, while providing a crucial service to your community and neighbors like us. By buying this cheese, you’re helping support small, sustainable farming and cheese-making, while also enjoying some of the best that Wisconsin has to offer! Cheers!

Gorgonzola Dolce

Haven’t we all at one point or another fantasized about eating cheese out of an ice cream cone? You think to yourself “It’s milk and cream just like ice cream, why wouldn’t I eat it out of a crunchy cone? And the cone is just like a sweet cracker!” Or are you telling me that I am alone in this dream?

Would it surprise you if I told you that I have eaten cheese out of a cone? Probably not. Those of you know how long I’ve been doing this for must imagine that by now I’ve probably jumped Scrooge McDuck style into a swimming pool filled with triple crème brie. So cheese in a cone feels pretty tame.

But I digress, this isn’t meant to be a love letter to the myriad ways of eating cheese. This is a post about Gorgonzola Dolce—the most unctuous, glorious of blue cheeses. To understand my love for this cheese we need to go back almost 25 years to my first encounter with this cheese—I knew nothing of blue cheese or even cheese in general. I was working in a fancy restaurant in Cape Cod and as a vegetarian there was only ever one thing on the menu I could eat for my shift meal—pasta. And more often than not it was pasta tossed with Gorgonzola dolce.

Buddy, I’m telling you, there’s nothing more awakening to a 19 year old’s palate than rich, creamy pasta with just that bit of blue funk to it. This was something novel and I really wanted to understand the magic behind it. Unfortunately it was going to be 15 more years before I really began to understand what was really going on.

Customers approach our counter and often ask for “gorgonzola” in generic terms when they’re looking for a blue cheese. It’s as recognizable a name in cheese as brie or cheddar. There are two major families of Gorgonzola—a harder aged one and the milder creamy stuff I’m on about—so we quickly direct the conversation in the appropriate direction. You’ll notice my eyes lighting up if we take off in the sweet, luscious direction of Gorgonzola Dolce.

Want to know all the fun facts about how this cheese is made and its history and where it comes from? You can ask the robot overlords. I’m here to connect you with a craving you didn’t even know you had. I am here to transform your eating expectations for cheese.  Maybe I am here to indoctrinate you into a cheese eating cult that eats cheese out of a sugar cone (I refuse to acknowledge that cake cones exist).

If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of blue cheese, this is your cheese. Are you wanting something to spread on your apples with a dollop of honey? This is your cheese. Are you burned out on the Instagram phenomenon of “jarcuterie” and want to start your own trend? Here you are. Come and indulge in the most pleasurable of cheeses and leave your food inhibitions behind.

Children in Italy know that it’s cool to eat blue cheese out of an ice cream cone

Challerhocker!

By Jared Kaufman, Minneapolis Monger

Until a few nights ago, I had never seen Lord of the Rings. I know, I know. I’d seen the online jokes — “One does not simply walk into Mordor” or “You! shall! not! pass!” — but never knew their context. As I watched Gollum scarf away his precious inside his cave, my first thought was “Wait… That reminds me of the Challerhocker Boy!”

 Perhaps you’ve seen him, too: The unsettling, vaguely demonic-looking child peering out from the burgundy label in the center of our cheese case, grubby fingers gripping an edge of brick. I suppose it’s apt; the name Challerhocker translates roughly to “sitting in the cellar” or “cellar dweller.” And I see why the boy would feel protective over the cheese: It’s so delicious.

 Challerhocker’s texture is fudgy, custardy, with just a little bite. Right from the get-go, you get deep notes of roasted hazelnuts and alliums and woodsy sweetness. It’s approachable but still a step up in complexity among its Alpine cheese family. It’s a gateway cheese. Even though I was reminded of the cheese from a mainstream hit, I’ve often heard Challerhocker described as more of a cult classic, like Rocky Horror or The Princess Bride. It might fly under the radar, but once you’re in, oh — you’re in. 

 And you can get funky with pairings, too. My classic drink recommendations are dry, nutty white wines like chardonnay and fino sherry, or reds like nero d’avola. But try switching things up and serving Challerhocker with ciders or toasty Belgian ales, or even cocktails like old-fashioneds or boulevardiers. Challerhocker is also one of my go-to cheeses for almost any sweet or savory jam pairing, since it’s unbelievably versatile.

 So who is the Gollum-like Challerhocker Boy that protects this delightful cheese? Let us descend into the cellars of cheese history to explore.

 The man responsible for Challerhocker, Walter Räss, started out by making Appenzeller, a traditional Swiss recipe that’s a little firmer and funkier and made from the milk of native Brown Swiss cows. In 2001, he was asked a favor: His brother-in-law had just imported a herd of Jersey cows to Switzerland, and could Walter work his cheesemaking magic with their milk?

 This was not an easy ask. Jersey cows’ milk is higher in butterfat content than Brown Swiss cows’ milk is, and Walter was already skimming some fat off the Brown Swiss cows’ milk to make his Appenzeller. But he mixed the Jersey cows’ milk with rennet and yogurt-based cultures his wife, Annelies, had made; added additional cream; tossed the 15-pound test wheels into his cellar; and hoped for the best.

 Three months later — it wasn’t right. Walter said the wheels were “hard, with little taste.” He left them to dwell in his basement for even longer. After another half-year, the cheese had softened and developed its trademark custardy, floral earthiness. It was perfect. Walter came up with 15 potential names for his creation and took the list to his town’s architect-slash-painter, which every good village should have, to help him decide. 

 It was this creative Swiss genius, apparently, who drew the wild-eyed child that graces every wheel of Challerhocker the world over. “It is a young man who works in the cellar or aging room,” Walter says. “He holds the stones from the wall and calls up: ‘The cheese is ready to eat.’”

 Or, as Glenn Hills of Columbia Cheese, which imports Challerhocker, put it: “Imagine someone in their parents’ basement playing World of Warcraft. That can be a Challerhocker.”

 To us, it’s the perfect cheese for this season — not only because it warms you up on cool fall days and pairs with pretty much anything you throw at it, but also because Challerhocker Boy makes for a deliciously spooky jack-o-lantern.

Photo and artwork by former F44 Monger, Alex Pears

Pasamontes Manchego

by Sophia Stern, Minneapolis Monger

It’s no secret that the cheese case at France 44 (or any cheese shop) can be overwhelming to navigate. We tend to gravitate towards cheese styles we’ve heard of or tried before: cheddar, gouda, brie, and, often, manchego. Buttery and balanced, herbaceous and tart, manchego is the perfect mix of comfort cheese and dynamic flavor. This week, we’re featuring this familiar favorite and highlighting why, out of the plethora of manchego makers, Pasamontes 3-month and 12-month raw milk manchego has a place in our case. 

The reason United States consumers gravitate towards this Spanish sheep cheese is due to a successful marketing campaign by the Spanish government. While many US cheese consumers had heard of brie or parmesan, there was a hole in the market for sheep cheese, especially from Spain. Before the turn of the millennium, the United States imported minimal sheep cheese, except for pecorino from Italy. The US also lacked domestic sheep milk production until the early 1990’s when Vermont Shepard pioneered domestic sheep cheesemaking with their signature Verano. Capitalizing on this gap in the US cheese market, the Spanish government picked an ideal star with manchego. Most manchegos are buttery and accessible, with slightly nutty and grassy notes that aren’t too aggressive, ideal for the curious American palate, unused to the oddities and craveability of sheep milk.

Pasamontes, like all PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) manchegos, is made with the milk of Manchega sheeps in their native region of Spain, Castilla-La Mancha. All sheep milk is high in butterfat, but Manchega sheeps, bred to yield ideal milk over wool or meat, produce particularly tangy and fatty milk perfect for making balanced and craveable cheese. Most importantly, their milk tastes of the land they graze on. This makes the animals and land inseparable from the cheese they create. The La Mancha region is the largest natural region in Spain. Centrally located, the plains of La Mancha, 2,600 feet above sea level, have little rainfall and extreme temperatures from frost in the winter to scorching heat during the dry summer. There are few trees in this arid landscape, but a bounty of herbs, grasses and flowers, which the Manchega sheep graze upon in their pastures. 

María Dolores Pérez-Guzmán Palomares is the 5th generation of the Pasamontes family to head the Pasamontes creamery. María makes her manchegos in the same place her great-grandmother started making Pasamontes in 1896. She sources her milk from five local flocks in La Mancha, keeping the shepherding and cheesemaking separate. This system allows the farmers to focus their attentions on the intense upkeep of their animals, while María and her cheesemaker can attend diligently to the tricky cheesemaking process. Pasamontes also keeps their cheesemaking milk raw, ensuring the unique qualities of the land shine in their dynamic, rich cheeses. They ladle the curds of their raw milk into natural fiber molds made of esparto, which gives the Manchego rind its district basket-weave pattern. Unlike other waxy manchego rinds, the Pasamontes rind is completely edible. 

Pasamontes is not the somewhat mild and occasionally dull manchego you may have tried wrapped in plastic from the grocery store.  Both ages of the Pasamontes manchego have a yogurty, lactic flavor and an herbaceous finish. Pasamontes 3-month is higher in moisture, offering a semi-firm ‘bounce’ to the cheese. At room temperature, the cheese quickly melts in your mouth. While buttery, the grassy, earthy flavors of the milk are strong in this younger cheese. Pasamontes 12-month is much firmer, the flavors far more concentrated in this low moisture form. The 12-month eats like a less-sweet Parmigiano-Reggiano, with extreme nuttiness and high acidity. Both cheeses are perfect for eating by themselves, but would also stand out in any recipe. As we head into Autumn, manchego is a great ingredient for baking dishes like quiches and pairs particularly well with potatoes and leeks. Otherwise, try using manchego instead of parmesan in a chorizo-based pasta dish. If you’re looking for a wine pairing, a fruity red is a good way to go.

Widmer's Six-Year Cheddar

Photo by Dio Cramer

Third-generation cheesemaker Joe Widmer can boast of more bonafide cheese lineage than almost anyone in America (and even most in Wisconsin). Joe’s grandfather John Widmer, a Swiss-born immigrant, began making Brick cheese in 1922, a tradition the company upholds to this day. Tradition is ingrained at Widmer’s; Joe still works from the same milk vats his grandfather purchased; he presses his cheese with the same real bricks. Along with six siblings, Joe was raised in the quarters above the cheesemaking room, where he resides to this day. It makes, he would tell you, for a short commute. 

The story of Widmer’s begins with Brick cheese, a true Wisconsin original; first created in 1877 by another Swiss immigrant, John Jossi, who found himself living amongst the largely German population of 19th-century Wisconsin. Having married into the cheesemaking business (as one does in Wisconsin), Jossi modeled his new creation after the German Limburger, but used bricks to press out the whey for a firmer, milder cheese. Jossi’s Brick was a hit amongst the funk-loving Germans and a key player in the burgeoning Wisconsin dairy scene that would eventually become the fifth largest dairy production market in the world. 

Joe Widmer pressing some Brick (Photos courtesy of Joe’s dad Jim, who passed away in 2019)

While Brick was the flagship of Widmer’s, the cheese lost popularity in the mid-20th century and now stands largely unknown outside of the Midwest. Today, Joe Widmer is the only cheesemaker in America still producing Brick using traditional techniques. However, in the past several decades, the Widmer’s name has become synonymous with excellent aged cheddars. 

Two cheesemakers cheddaring (stacking the curd to drain whey) some future Widmer’s cheddar (Jim Widmer)

Though best known for their Four-Year Cheddar, we love the Six-Year for its perfect balance of buttery richness, assertive acidity, and unexpected creaminess. While some turophiles may balk at an orange block of cheddar (the pigment comes naturally from annatto seed), we consider Widmer’s amongst the best cheddars we’ve tried. Pair a chunk of Widmer’s Six-Year with a juicy IPA or a big Cab.

Making Mozzarella with Sam

It’s mozzarella season! Watch our cheesemonger Sam create beauty and magic in the form of hot balls of cheese curd.

Burrata is back!

It is with much happiness that we can report…Burrata is back! The truth is, all the cheeses which we sell in our Cheese Shop are delicious. They each have their own personality, unique flavor profiles and textures which speak to palates of all sorts. But there are a handful of special items which we don’t have all the time, and which when they return are met with joyful abandon. Burrata is one of those.

Burrata, Italian for buttered and pronounced “boor-ah-tah”, is a luscious jewel box made of mozzarella on the outside and filled with cream and tiny shreds of mozzarella on the inside. Need I say more? It’s the Fabergé egg of food. It looks like what Gucci would make if they made drawstring purses out of cheese.

These beautiful, bright white balloons of mozzarella, when popped, exude an oozy, cream-filled center. If you already like fresh mozzarella, you’re going to love Burrata. It’s wonderful as a topping for crusty bread or dotted on top of a pizza, but really shines as the star in a Caprese Salad in place of standard fresh mozzarella. When the creamy contents are mixed with a drizzling of olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, the dressing it makes for heirloom tomatoes is out of this world!

Originally Burrata in Italy was made with the milk of water buffaloes; these days it is more often made with cow’s milk. After working with several brands both domestic and imported, we decided our favorite was Luizzi Angeloni Cheese, from North Haven, CT. A multi-year American Cheese Society award winner, Luizzi Cheese is a fifth generation artisanal cheesemaker utilizing rBST hormone free milk from dairies in Vermont and New York.

Jump into warm weather now with a container of fresh Burrata. You can enjoy it by itself or by using it with any of these recipes: http://www.finecooking.com/ingredient/burrata 8oz $8.99

Welcome, The Goat Days Of Summer

Forget the Dog Days of [Minnesota] Summer. We've got GOAT. As the sun scorches down in the Midwest and outdoor activities reach their screaming peak (hello, Minnesota State Fair!), is there really a better animal to ring in the final month of summer than a frolicking baby goat? Here at the France 44 - St. Paul Cheese Shops, we're totally torqued to take advantage of the weather and produce and sandy beaches of August, all with a little tangy goat cheese by our side.

One of our favorites is a triple-creme round called Kunik. It's made at Nettle Meadow Goat Farm & Sanctuary in Warrensburg, New York. Over 300 goats of all ages call the farm home, from energetic little kids to geriatric "retired" goats that just want to laze and graze. The farm also houses llamas, chickens, ducks, and provides a safe space for rescued farm animals. (If you've always wanted to adopt a pet goat, this is the place for you.)

Nettle Meadow's Kunik is actually a delicate mixture of goat and cow's milk. It's a great cheese for converting goat cheese haters because, while goat's milk brings a tangy, herbal character to this cheese, the cow's milk tempers it into something luscious and buttery. It also happens to be an organic cheese made with vegetable rennet instead of the traditional animal rennet.

We've collected a few of our favorite staff pairings for this cheese, so we can enjoy it all month long. See if you can try them all before the golden light of September sets in.

Enjoy Nettle Meadow Kunik with...

• Red Table Royal Ham; salty, herbaceous pork plays well with tangy, lactic goat cheese [Carol Ann]

• A spoon! Or eat it wtih some tart American Spoon Sour Cherry Preserves [Sam]

• Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc; crisp and creamy [Natalie]

• Skinny Jake's urban honey; this combination makes both the honey and the cheese even better [Peter]

• Grace & I Ghost Pepper Peach + Preserves! [Mallory, while doing a back flip of joy]

• Ames Farm Single Source Buckwheat Honey; yeasty and surprising [Emily]

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Feelin' Territorial: Cheese Terroir

English Territorials Map

What is a territorial cheese? At first listen, it might sound like a rather possessive breed of dog. In reality the term refers to a group of cheeses that honor time and the tradition of cheese making. These cheeses acquire their names from the land that they come from. We’ve all seen new innovative methods of cheese making pop up over the years. But what I’m talking about are the classics, the OG’s, those wonderful black and white films that started it all.

Here’s a tiny bit of history: The cheese world almost suffered an inconceivable loss in the 1900s. During the world wars, many cheese makers were forced to make government cheese to help the cause. Many of the traditional farmhouse wheels--which were common at the time--began to transform into orange and white blocks wrapped in plastic. And then there was the beginning of the Milk Marketing Board in the 1930s, which put pressure on small cheese makers. Pretty soon, cheese had gone from a complex, region-specific delight to a mass-produced product washed of its many unique identities.

Luckily, territorial cheeses have made a comeback! Territorials celebrate what once was. They are the originals. And much like great wine, these wheels of cheese express terroir, meaning they speak to a unique plot of land and elements that can't be replicated just anywhere. If you want to take a trip back through time and experience tradition, all you have to do is taste a Territorial.

Here are a few of our favorites from England:

Appleby's Cheshire The eldest, Appleby’s Cheshire, is the serious, studious type, spending her time at the library in Shropshire with a good book and a tasty apple. She’s got a clean and refreshing vibe that is both sophisticated and accommodating. As the last traditional Cheshire around, Appleby's is truly a farmhouse cheese. The flavor has a mineral tinge that comes from the cows' diet of maize, slow growing grass, and grass silage (fermented, high-moisture dried grass).

Kirkham's Lancashire Then there's Kirkham’s Lancashire from Lancashire. This is definitely the frivolous and intuitive sibling of the bunch. Lancashire's texture is positively cloud like. I’ve never come across something so fluffy and rich in one bite. It seems impossible! Cheese maker Graham Kirkham combines three days of curd in his process and allows his milk to develop more naturally than most by using very little starter culture. Oh, and let’s not forget the wonderful butter seal that is rubbed on each wheel. Lancashire's delightful texture is matched by rich and tangy flavors that wash over your taste buds.

Hawe's Wensleydale And last but not least, Hawe’s Wensleydale, the young headstrong gal from North Yorkshire. This little lady has survived, despite almost being shut down and moved to Lancashire in the early nineties. Cheese makers and locals alike rallied together to keep this favorite of Wallace and Gromit where it belonged--in Wensleydale. I love this cheese because it completely evolves in your mouth. Wensleydale is soft and supple near the rind and then gets crumbly in the center. Awesome.

Step back in time and taste what cheese used to be and could be once again. These cheeses hold on to tradition and embody the land. Not to mention, they're delicious!

--Katie Renner, Cheese Buyer

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What's The Deal With Raw Milk Cheese?

why_raw

This post was originally written for and published by Serious Eats in 2014.

Raw, or unpasteurized, milk has been a controversial topic for quite some time, with strong arguments on each side. But with the FDA's recently increased inspections on raw milk cheese, the debate has picked up new steam—some believe it's the agency's first step toward changing current regulations, or even banning raw milk cheese altogether.

Given the depth and breadth of this particular dispute, there's simply too much to tackle here (we've got it covered in more detail right this way). But in short, some people believe that raw milk cures allergies and a host of other ailments, while others think raw milk in any form is incredibly dangerous. As someone who sells raw milk cheeses for a living, I obviously have a natural bias on this topic. But before I go into my own reasons, let's take a look at the basics —here's what you need to know about raw milk cheese:

• Pasteurization kills pathogens such as Listeria and e. Coli (plus others like Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella) which can be present in raw milk. Opponents of raw milk assert that the only truly safe cheese is pasteurized cheese.

• Cows kept in dirty, confinement conditions are much more likely to develop udder infections or other illnesses that can contaminate milk.

• Raw milk proponents argue that milk from well-treated cows kept in sanitary conditions is safe and pathogen free.

• If you want to purchase raw milk cheese in the United States, it must have been aged for a minimum of 60 days, whether it's produced domestically or imported from another country. The "60 days rule," which was designed to allow the acids and salt in cheese enough time to destroy harmful bacteria, was set back in 1949 with an almost total lack of scientific evidence. It is, in fact, an arbitrary number.

• This means traditional raw milk cheeses such as Camembert (which is aged for only two weeks) can only be imported in their pasteurized forms.

• Pasteurization is not a guarantee against bacterial contamination of cheese. There have been outbreaks of pathogens in both raw and pasteurized cheeses.

• Though extremely rare, bacterial contamination from cheese (whether raw or not) can be quite dangerous.

Politics aside, we have some phenomenal raw milk cheese makers in the United States. Every raw milk cheese maker understands that the stakes are very high. If these producers aren't fastidious with the cleanliness of their operation, they run the risk of not only potentially endangering consumers, but also bringing negative attention to all raw milk cheese makers. They take their responsibility very seriously and that is undoubtedly the reason why food-borne illness from raw milk cheese is very rare. According to the CDC, there have been 27 outbreaks traced back to raw milk cheeses between 1993 and 2006.

Even with so few incidents, why take the risk? Many argue that raw milk cheeses are more delicious than pasteurized cheeses—pasteurization kills not only potentially harmful bacteria, but also other bacteria that are responsible for infusing cheese with natural, spunky, exciting flavors that can't be simply replicated. Heating milk to high temperatures changes its composition, for better or for worse. But you can count me in the group that believes raw milk cheeses really do have deeper flavor profiles that ought to be appreciated. Here's a list of some of my favorite, domestically-produced raw milk cheeses. Check them out and see for yourself:

Cato Corner Hooligan, Colchester, Connecticut This cheese stinks! In the best way possible. Cato Corner's Mark Gillman quit his job as a teacher to return to his family farm and become a cheese maker. Mark once sent us cheese so afflicted by stink that the DHL delivered it to us in a bright yellow metal hazardous materials drum (true story). Cato Corner's washed-rind Hooligan is rusty orange, and when made with fat winter milk, it bulges at its rind. Perfectly ripe Hooligan is meaty and practically cries out for a Belgian ale to gulp alongside it.

Meadow Creek Grayson

Meadow Creek Grayson, Galax, Virginia More washed-rind madness. The first time this cheese arrived at our shop it filled the whole space with an aroma that can best be described as cow poop. Square, Halloween-hued wheels of Grayson evoke Taleggio but pack a much beefier punch. Let this (and all cheese!) come to a perfect room temperature and the paste will soften and become silky. Then pair Grayson with some dried figs and a medium-bodied red wine.

Consider Bardwell Manchester, Pawlet, Vermont There aren't many producers of aged, raw goat cheeses in the US. They're finicky to make, and many goat cheese producers focus on fresh style cheeses. But luckily, we've got Manchester. It is a visually stunning cheese, with a mottled, natural rind that reveals snow white paste. Deep, earthy wheels of Manchester vary from batch to batch—sometimes they're a little sweeter and creamier, sometimes a bit funkier and drier. However you find it, Manchester is always well-balanced, with just the right amount of acidity.

Spring Brook Tarentaise, Reading, Vermont Behold, the French Alps in Vermont! Modeled after the famous French cheeses Abondance and Beaufort, Tarentaise is a pure representation of the pastures of Vermont. 100% Jersey cow milk is transformed in copper vats into twenty-pound wheels which are aged for a minimum of ten months. Nutty, caramel-like, and slightly sweet, Tarentaise makes a sublime grilled cheese sandwich.

Vermont Shepherd, Putney, Vermont One of the first artisan sheep milk producers in the United States and still one of the best. David Major's cheese making is dialed in so well that he includes a card with every wheel describing his flock's diet on the day that particular batch of cheese was made. Vermont Shepherd is made for only a short period of time each year, when the sheep are out on pasture and supplies of cheese remain limited. David Major's daughter worked at one of our shops for a time and even that didn't help us obtain any more of this highly sought after cheese. Wheels start shipping at the end of August and are usually exhausted by January. Sweet, with the texture of soft lanolin and hints of pasture herbs, Vermont Shepherd truly lets rich sheep's milk shine.

--Benjamin Roberts, Cheesemonger-In-Chief

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