I bring up my PNW roots fairly often, but as an interlude between there and my current east coast residence, I was fleetingly a Cali girl. For four years that forever spoiled me for winters and sock-wearing, I studied in the charming town of Claremont, California. Sadly, the Cheese Cave was still a few years off from opening, but I have enthusiastically cheered sister-owners Marnie and Lydia Clarke on via social media since they opened their doors in 2010. I can’t help but wonder if my journey to cheese would have been accelerated had my Sunday ritual of 42nd Street bagels and CD browsing at R ..read more

Michigan isn’t a state that crosses our cheese-radar often, but I’ve enjoyed sampling the goat cheeses of Idyll Farms when I do come across them. This duo was a refreshing delight, the award-winning Idyll Gris and fluffy-as-a-cloud Idyllweiss. (Bonus points for the Sound of Music pun.) Idyll Farms is a farmstead, humane-certified goat creamery located in the small village of Northport on Lake Michigan. The farm’s Alpine goats are hardy enough for Michigan winters and surely enjoy the summer lake breezes; their fresh goat cheeses are as refreshing as summer by the lake. Idyllweiss is a bloomy ..read more

Shepherd’s Way Farms may hail from Jill’s home state of Minnesota, but the farm’s Big Woods Blue has held a steady spot in the blue cheese rotation in my house, as well. So I was delighted to come upon a new cheese offering from the farm during this past summer’s cheese camp. Sogn is a sheeps-milk tomme sporting a beautiful rust-motled natural rind and a nutty, caramelly flavored body. Pair this one with a brown ale or barleywine, and perhaps a blackberry jam or honey drizzle. You can watch a video of Sogn in the making on Shepherd’s Way facebook page. Jodi and Steven Read were among the firs ..read more

October is our favorite month of the year: American Cheese Month! Coincidentally, we also celebrate an anniversary (Colleen) and birthday (Jill) this month, so all the more reason to break out the bubbly and toast to some of our favorite domestic beauties. Inspired by this summer’s ACS conference in Pittsburgh, I thought I’d highlight a few Pennsylvania cheeses worth seeking out as you broaden your cheese horizons this month. Fat Cat from Birchrun Hills Farm, Chester County, Pa. Fat Cat is an earthy, grassy raw-milk cheese with assertive character. This is a great snacking cheese, best washed ..read more

I’m back from the American Cheese Society conference in Pittsburgh and while I’m still coming off my lactic buzz, it’s time to give a hearty round of applause to our friends at Jasper Hill Farm. Not only did they take their third Best of Show title in the farm’s 15-year history, but they achieved the unprecedented feat of placing both first and second place at this year’s competition. The Best of Show honor went to Harbison, the darling of the cheese world that just capped off a four-year run on the winner’s podium, finally taking 1st after placing 3rd best of show in 2015, and 2017; in the in ..read more

It’s always a treat to have the annual American Cheese Society conference take place within driving distance, and this year’s provided an excuse for me to finally make my first trek to Pittsburgh. It was a lovely city and I certainly won’t let another decade (cough–two–cough) pass before returning! After many deep dives in dairy geekery, I’m going to let pictures do the talking here for a brief recap. Want to geek out more over these topics? Hit me up at @curdwise to chat! Prodigal Farm, NC Uplands Cheese, WI Jacobs & Brichford, IN Boxcarr Cheese, NC #WisconsinCheese @MikeGenoStudi ..read more

The American Cheese Society Conference & Competition returns to the east coast this year, taking place July 25-28 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its concluding Festival of Cheese on Saturday, July 28th, is open to the public and gives attendees a chance to sample some of the 2,000+ cheeses entered in the annual cheese competition. (Sometimes the only chance many will have to taste the year’s Best of Show, which can be hard to catch in stores after the big win.) Get your tickets here. If you’re attending ACS — or just local to the area — don’t miss the Thursday, July 26th joint fundraiser fo ..read more

Any football-loving cheese fans out there? While we would’ve loved to see a South American team in the final, the all-Euro final four do make it a little easier to find cheeses to represent each nation. Yes, even Croatia! Here’s our pick for the final four du fromage. Of course it’s no easy feat to select only one French cheese, but our friends at Murray’s are hosting a Tour de Fromage (with giveaway!) all this month if you’re looking to round our your own French cheese collection. In the runner up game, England v. Belgium, we present Montgomery’s clothbound cheddar v. Wavreumont: There are E ..read more

When you picture the source of a Best of Show cheese, you’re probably imagining grassy green fields, maybe rolling hills, a creamery in a red barn. And most years, you’d be pretty accurate. This year, however, the cheese just crowned Best in America is a clothbound cheddar fresh from below the streets of Queens, New York. This year’s American Cheese Society conference, judging and competition has just concluded in Richmond, Virginia, and the Queens-aged cheddar is just one of three fascinating dairy stories reflected in the top three Best of Show awardees. Stockinghall Cheddar by Murray’s ..read more