Select American Cheese Society 2011 Winners
August 7, 2011
One of our favorite cheese memories was hanging with the Cheese Swells last year in Seattle for the 2010 ACS Conference. Fortunately or unfortunately (looking at it from both sides), The Lady spent this year’s ACS Conference time in Denver opening a new Murray’s Cheese at the Glendale King Soopers.
On Friday, the ACS announced its 2011 cheese competition winners and the Pacific Northwest brought home the Best of Show for the second time in the past three years with Rogue River Blue. It was a bittersweet win for David Gremmels and Cary Bryant of Central Point, Oregon’s Rogue Creamery. The American Artisan Cheese World lost its Godfather, Ig Vella, this year and in the early 2000’s Ig sold Rogue Creamery to David and Cary… but only after teaching them to make cheese… Ig was a very wise man in so many ways but to require the men to learn the art was one of his wisest demands…
For a complete list of winners, please click here.
The list below is of partial winners; all of which The Lady and I have reviewed:
Best of Show: Rogue River Blue
2nd Place (Tie): Carr Valley’s Cave Aged Marisa
Winners in their respective categories:
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese’s Mascarpone (1st)
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery’s Mascarpone (3rd)
Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam (2nd)
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery’s Coupole (2nd)
Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog Grande (3rd)
Beecher’s Flagsheep (3rd)
Sartori’s Reserve BellaVitano Gold (3rd)
Tumalo Farm’s Rimrocker (2nd)
Sartori’s Limited Edition Pastorale Blend (3rd)
Beehive Cheese Company’s Barely Buzzed (1st)
Rogue Creamery’s Chocolate Stout Cheddar (3rd)
Beecher’s Marco Polo Reserve (1st)
Beecher’s Four Year Flagship (2nd)
Tillamook County Creamery Association’s Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar (3rd)
Beecher’s Flagship Reserve (3rd)
DCI Cheese Company’s Salemville Blue Cheese (2nd)
DCI Cheese Company’s Black River Gorgonzola (3rd)
Hook’s Cheese Company’s Little Boy Blue (1st)… Boy did The Lady and miss it on this one…
Emmi Roth USA’s Gran Queso (2nd)
BelGioioso’s Cheese’s Sharp Provolone Mandarino (3rd)
Sartori’s Sarvecchio Parmesan (1st)
BelGioioso’s Burrata (1st)
Sartori’s Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano (1st)
Beecher’s Smoked Flagship (3rd)
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese’s Petit Frere Reserve (3rd)
Tumalo Farms’ Classico (1st)
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery’s Crottin (3rd)
Sartori’s Reserve Merlot BellaVitano (3rd)
Vermont Butter and Cheese Company’s Crème Fraiche (1st)
Vermont Butter and Cheese Company’s Cultured Butter (3rd)
LaClare Farms Specialties’ Evalon (1st)
Uplands Cheese’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve (1st)
Consider Bardwell Farm’s Rupert (2nd)
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars’ Washed Rind Traditional Brick (3rd)
The Lady and I have at least 100 more cheeses to review and many of them won awards at this year’s ACS Competition including the following winners:
Tillamook County Creamery’s Monterey Jack; Tillamook County Creamery’s Colby; Carr Valley’s Cocoa Cardona; Carr Valley’s Cave Aged Mellage; Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery’s Cremont (including an ice cream using Cremont); Carr Valley’s Caso Bolo Mellage;Carr Valley’s Billy Blue; Rogue Creamery’s Echo Mountain; Cello Riserva Copper Kettle Parmesan; Sartori’s Reserve Espresso BellaVitano; Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy’s Green Chile Jack; Emmi Roth’s Rofumo; Spring Brook’s Tarentaise; Cypress Grove’s Purple Haze… stay tuned…
Up next on the blog (later today): Looking Back… Looking Forward: Cheesemonger’s Weblog Celebrates it’s Third Year Anniversary This Week… that’s a lot of blogging…
Fiscalini Farmstead San Joaquin Gold
June 12, 2011
Made from Raw Milk
The Lady loves Chuck’s Produce in Vancouver and their friendly cheesemonger, Jodi. She stops in occasionally to buy cheeses that her kiosk doesn’t carry. Jodi told The Lady to expect a new wheel of Fiscalini Gold to arrive and ta da… I did and The Lady brought home a wedge for me to taste and review.
I previously reviewed Fiscalini’s Premium Aged Cheddar, which received my 4 Paws approval; therefore, I felt San Joaquin Gold would be another winner here at the manse. And I wasn’t disappointed.
To re-cap, from my previous posting:
“Modesto, California, in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, is the home of Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese Company which has been making cheese since 1914 in the tradition of their Swiss ancestors who were cheesemakers in Switzerland for more than 300 years. Fiscalini has won many awards not only for their cheeses but also for their humane treatment of the cows that provide the milk for their cheeses. Their herd consists of 1400 Holstein and as with all Farmstead cheese; the cows live where the cheese is made.”
Along with their Cloth-Bandaged Cheddar, San Joaquin Gold is considered their premiere signature cheese. It is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk and for me it is a cross between cheddar and parmesan. This makes it quite versatile, usage-wise. Taste-wise, it’s a wowza…
Nutty, salty, sweet and buttery; all at the same time, this cheese melts on the palate and leaves a lingering satisfaction. Ever so slightly dry, not in a bad way; the flavor is complex and mellow without any sharpness.
For Fiscalini’s San Joaquin Gold I give it 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). Fiscalini Farmstead Cheeses are batting a thousand here at the manse…
Serving Suggestions: This cheese would be at home grated on a Caesar Salad (rather than using Parm), in a mac n cheese get ready to swoon ala The Man’s way, you would raise the level of your grilled cheese to gourmet status with this cheese
Wine Pairing: Bodan Roan Cabernet 2008 from the San Joaquin Valley. An amazing Bargain Wine at about $14.00 a bottle. We couldn’t locate a website, but this fine wine is easily available at your local wine shop or online.
Beer Pairing: An IPA should pair well with this cheese.
Source: Raw Cow’s Milk
Awards: Too many to list here!!!
U
Padam, Padam
Songs of passion. . .French cabaret music, klezmer, tangos, Latin and original music.
Updated June 12, 2011
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Padam, Padam at the Cheese Kiosk
The Lady was there; I wish I had been there… it was a perfect day at the cheese kiosk. The Lady thanks Padam, Padam for performing and making a special day even more special!!!
How cool!! Portland’s own musical group, Padam, Padam, will perform a mini-concert from 2pm-3pm tomorrow, June 11th at Fred Meyer’s Hawthorne Store, the only Leed’s Certified Silver Grocery Store in Oregon. It’s all part of the specialty cheese kiosk’s “Locavore/Local” theme as the cheesemongers salute more than two dozen cheeses from local cheesemakers in Oregon and Washington State. They also are featuring other local fare that pairs well with the local cheeses, including Beer, Wine, Tea, Jams and Mustards.
There will be cheese samples as well… stop in and hear some great music and take home some local cheese.
Local cheesemakers include: Tillamook, Willamette Valley Cheese Company, Tumalo Farms, Appel Farms, Rogue Creamery and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.
The Lady will be there and if I can sneak in (another “No Pets Allowed” food joint… what’s up with that???), so will I, your not-so-humble Feline Foodie!!!
Fred Meyer’s Hawthorne Store at 39th and Hawthorne in SE Portland (the only Leed’s Certified Silver Grocery Store in Oregon) is promoting local cheeses and other local products at their Cheese Kiosk.
For the next few weeks you can sample up to 20 local cheeses and listen to local music as well. The kiosk has featured Pink Martini , Padam, Padam and 2011 Grammy Winner, Esperanza Spalding so far. Stop in for a taste and pick up their exclusive “Cheese Bytes” newsletter that features more information about the local cheeses they are selling:
The locavore movement gained momentum as more and more Americans became aware that eating “local” is both eco-conscious and healthy. Eat that which is grown in your neighborhood. When you eat locally produced food, you ingest local minerals and vitamins that sustain your body and immune system while helping the environment by reducing the burden on the transportation grid.
The Fred Meyer Hawthorne Store’s cheese kiosk is offering several cheeses from local diaries and cheesemakers. Some are made using raw milk; many are vegetarian-suitable and use sustainable farming practices.
Featured Cheesemakers:
Oregon Cheeses:
The most recent additions to the cheese kiosk are from Tumalo Farms in Bend, Oregon. In March 2009, the U.S Cheese Championship Contest was stunned as a cheese maker “newbie” captured one of the most prestigious prizes in his profession with his “Classico”, a Gouda-Style Goat Cheese which finished second place in the “Hard Cheese” category. It was the first time an Oregon cheese had finished in the top three in the championship and one of the few times a goat milk cheese had finished that high in the competition. We are pleased to offer Classico and two other goat cheeses from Tumalo Farms: Fenacho, peppered with fenugreek seeds and Pondhopper, named after the local micro-brew that gives it an extra punch.
From Rogue Creamery, they offer five award-winning blues: Oregon Blue, Oregonzola, Smoky Blue, Crater Lake and a Fred Meyer exclusive crumble mixture of the four cheeses. In the fall we will also have the 2009 American Cheese Society Grand Prize Winner, Rogue River Blue. All Rogue Creamery cheeses are made with raw cow’s milk produced using sustainable farming methods and all are vegetarian-suitable.
Willamette Valley Cheese Company’s Brindisi is a Fontina-style cheese made using 100% organic jersey cow milk. The name of the cheese comes from the maiden name of the cheesemaker’s mother.
Washington Cheeses:
Beecher’s at Pike Place Market began making its award-winning Flagship Cheddar in small batches behind glass for passersby to stop and watch the process. They carry the original Flagship, naturally Smoked Flagship, Bandage-wrapped Flagship Reserve, No Woman (named after the Bob Marley tune and this Feline Foodie’s all-time favorite cheese) and Marco Polo. All of their cheeses are vegetarian-suitable. (A special Beecher’s Demo is scheduled for Saturday, May 28th – 11am to 3pm)
The cheese kiosk also has two farmstead goudas from Appel Farms located in Ferndale, Washington. Appel Farms practice sustainable agricultural methods and the entire family, parents and children alike, are involved in the farming and cheesemaking process. Naturally Smoked Gouda and Jalapeno Gouda can be found on the cheese island, located next to the kiosk.
Many special events, including local wine and cheese pairing demos, are planned throughout this special event…
Get your locavore on at Fred Meyer’s Hawthorne Store!!!
Did you know that when you buy local each dollar you spend is used five more times to support the local economy?
Follow @cheesemongerCello Riserva Artisan Parmesan
May 14, 2011
Made in Wisconsin, this domestic parmesan is sweet, nutty and just salty enough to make it a new staple around the manse.
The Lady brought home a wedge and she started by cutting samples for The Man and your favorite Feline Foodie to taste. As The Man swooned, I remained stoic and maintained my cheese dignity while quietly thanking The Brain for allowing The Lady and me to hook up for her “Cheese Years”.
After our tasting, The Lady shredded some and made our new favorite sauce: Lemon and Garlic Cream Sauce. She made this sauce last week using the Cello grated Romano. You can check out the recipe by clicking here.
Using the Cello Parmesan changes the taste of the sauce: the Romano makes a terrific sauce, but let’s face it, cream sauce and Parmesan Cheese were made for each other… just like The Lady, The Man and Moi… made for each other.
Few people realize that Parmesan at room temperature makes for a terrific snacking cheese and can be added to any cheese plate… there’s a reason the Italians call Parmesan “The King of Cheeses”… and as a grated or shredded cheese; this cheese is perfect as the main ingredient or added to round out pizza, sauces and just about any dish you might create at your manse.
I give Cello Riserva Artisan Parmesan 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: Any dish that calls for cheese can only get better with Cello Riserva Artisan Parmesan. Also, pair this cheese with crisp apple slices.
Wine Pairing: Merlot or a Sangiovese.
Beer Pairing: So many beers pair well with Parmesan; IPA, Imperial Stout, Dunkles and Biere de Garde
Source: Cow’s Milk
FTC Full Disclosure – The manufacturer/distributor sent me their product, hoping I would review the product/cheese.
Up Next: The Lady visited Chuck’s Produce on Mill Plain in Vancouver, Washington; met their charming Cheesemonger, Jodi and brought home a couple of wedges which we will review after The Lady and The Man return from the Portland Farmers’ Market this morning: Unikaas Alpenhorn and Cahill Cheddar with Whiskey… stay tuned…
Coming soon: Tumalo Farms’ Pondhopper and Fenacho Aged Goat Cheeses
Follow @cheesemongerCheeses Awarded the Feline Foodie’s 4 Paws Designation
February 17, 2011
The Following cheeses and other items reviewed on the blog, all received 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got…)
34° Cracked Pepper Crispbread Crackers
34° Lemon Zest Crispbread Crackers
*34° Natural Crispbread Crackers
*34° Rosemary Crispbread Crackers
*34° Sesame Crispbread Crackers
*34° Whole Grain Crispbread Crackers
*Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
BelGioioso Tiramisu Mascarpone
Cahill’s Original Porter Cheese
Carr Valley Cows’ Milk Cheese Plate
Consider Bardwell Farm’s Pawlet
Consider Bardwell Farm’s Rupert
Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella
Fiscalini Farmstead Premium Aged Cheddar
Ford Farm Rugged Mature Cheddar
Fromager d’Affinois with Garlic and Herbs
Golden Age Cheese Super Sharp Cheddar
Golden Glen Creamery Farmstead Butter
Gothberg Farms’ Raw Milk Gouda
Gothberg Farms’ The Woman of LaMancha
Greens of Glastonbury Organic Mature Cheddar
*Hawthorne Fred Meyer Meat Counter Has Got It Going On
Ilbesa’s Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Ilbesa’s Mature Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Laack’s Eight Year Extra Sharp Cheddar
*Long Clawson Dairy Lemon Zest Stilton
Mauri Gorgonzola Piccante D.O.C.
*Rogue Creamery Rogue River Blue
Roth-Kase Natural Smoked Gouda
*Salemville SmokeHaus Blue Cheese
Sally Jackson Raw Sheep Milk Cheese
Sartori Bellavitano Gold with Pepper
Sweet Grass Dairy’s Thomasville Tomme
Tillamook 100th Anniversary Three-Year Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
*Tsunami Sushi at Hawthorne’s Fred Meyer
Upland’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Bijou
*Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Crème Fraiche
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Cultured Butter
*Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Mascarpone
*Indicates Cheese is carried on The Lady’s kiosk or Cheese Island
Whole Foods’ Cheese Plate
February 17, 2011
The Lady and The Man stopped in the local Whole Foods to buy some White Truffle Oil and while there, The Lady couldn’t resist checking out the cheese counter. Whole Foods carries many cheeses that The Lady doesn’t carry at her kiosk. She went through the small morsel basket and came up with six small pieces she used to make up a Valentine’s Day Cheese Plate:
Before I begin, let me express a bit of disappointment that two of the pieces had mold under the label side although the dates were well in the distance. We all realize this can happen, but when cheeses are in the $10-$40 a pound range, you’d prefer to know they are freshly wrapped. Also, a couple of the pieces were on the dry side which also indicated more age than the label dates indicated… The Lady simply trimmed the mold away; but had these been larger sizes, she would have returned them. Do NOT hesitate to return cheese to your cheesemonger when you feel its quality is lacking in any manner…
Now for the cheeses we sampled:
Boschetto al Tartufo Il Forteto Coop: this semi-soft cheese from Italy is a mixed-milk cheese using cow and sheep milk and added to it are black truffles. The cheese is both sweet and savory with just a touch of salt. The truffles add a pleasant earthy and garlicky flavor. Neither the cheese nor the truffles over-powered the other and actually were complimentary. The Man was quite taken with this cheese, although he didn’t swoon… ($38.99 a pound)
Next on the plate was Cypress Grove’s Lambchopper: A sheep’s milk Gouda made in Europe exclusively for Mary Keehn’s Cypress Grove. In keeping with Mary’s sense of humor, her website states that this cheese is “Born to be mild”. This was the favorite of the three of us, particularly The Man who actually did swoon while eating this sample. The Lady had to go through the “Sharing is a Virtue” drill… This cheese was sweet and tangy and although mild, the sweetness lingers. This is a cheese that The Lady calls “Kid-friendly”. And it is Vegetarian suitable. ($27.99 a pound)
Tumalo Farm’s Rimrocker: Named after the rocky cliffs that surround Tumalo Farms, this semi-hard cheese is a mixture of organic cow’s milk from a neighboring farm and Tumalo’s own farmstead goats’ milk. As it ages, the flavor becomes more full-bodied. The piece we sampled was a little drier than we felt it should be and The Lady plans to buy another piece at another WF and taste it again before making a final decision on that issue. The flavor was mild with just the right touch of goat tang. ($21.99 a pound)
Leyden with Cumin from Best Uniekaas: Leyden in a Dutch Gouda seasoned with cumin and caraway seeds. In Holland it is called “komijnekaas” which means cumin cheese but due to its popularity in the region around Leiden, it is exported as Leyden. This was our least favorite; none of us cared for the cumin flavor in the cheese even though we love cumin in Mexican dishes… ($12.99 a pound)
Cordobes Mitica: A Merino Sheep milk cheese imported exclusively from Spain for Whole Foods by Mitica. This cheese is similar in taste and texture to Manchego which is a favorite around the manse. Again, this piece was a little drier than we like but the flavor wasn’t diminished by the dryness and with Vintner’s Kitchen’s Port Cherry Marmalade, the taste sensations were delightful. One thought about the Port Cherry Marmalade; a little less liquid would be better. The taste, however, was perfect; just tart enough and just sweet enough. ($16.99 a pound)
Reggianito Argentina from Provvista: The last sample was Parmesan from Argentina. Reggianito, which means “small Reggiano”, is a hard cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano and was first made in this South American country by the Italian immigrants who missed the parms of their homeland. This cheese is produced in smaller wheels rather than the huge wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is aged 5-6 months and generally used in cooking or grated on pasta dishes. However, serving it at room temperature and as the last cheese of the plate was a perfect end to our cheese plate. The Man topped this cheese with a little dollop of Vintner’s Kitchen’s Raspberry Mimosa Gelee and then he swooned… ($9.99 a pound)
It’s actually hard to rate this cheese plate when the quality (due to post-cheesemaker care) of a couple of the cheeses is in question… but I’ll go with 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). However, I have to give the Cypress Grove Lambchopper 4 Paws out of 4 Paws…
Gordon Edgar picks the Best New Cheeses of 2010
December 23, 2010
Gordon “zola” Edgar, our favorite radical and all-around good guy cheesemonger, picks his favorite cheeses for 2010:
Cheesemonger author Gordon Edgar selected the Best New Cheeses of 2010 for the San Francisco Weekly‘s SFoodie blog last week. Take a look at these great ideas to add to your holiday table!
It shows the strength and popularity of the growing world of American craft cheese that not only are all of my top five new (to the Bay Area) cheeses of the year American, but I had a hard time choosing. Ten years ago I would have felt obligated to find one non-Euro cheese to mention. This year …
Read the entire article by clicking below:
Gordon Edgar picks the Best New Cheeses of 2010.
Read my review of his book by clicking here.
Rogue Creamery’s Caveman Blue
December 19, 2010
Raw Milk Cheese
Vegetarian-Suitable Cheese
The Lady brought home another winner from Cary Bryant and David Gremmels and all the great folks who make Rogue Creamery cheeses.
Caveman Blue is a result of painstaking cheesemaking by David and Cary that began in 2002 soon after buying the creamery from the cheesemaker legend, Ig Vella. The guys wanted to distinguish themselves and Caveman was to be the cheese to represent the “new generation” at Rogue. However, they had some problems with consistency and while they labored to perfect this cheese, they became famous with other winners such as Rogue River Blue and Echo Mountain Blue. They also expanded their line to include non-blue cheese favorites as well such as Tou Velle and Lavender Cheddar.
All of the blues at Rogue Creamery use different strains of Penicillium roqueforti for bluing and the cheesemakers realized that the strain Caveman used needed its own temperature and humidity in order to develop the natural rind wanted. This rind also sets Caveman apart from the other Rogue Creamery blues. They built a separate facility for aging Caveman and success soon followed.
Caveman has the density of fudge and butter with crystals. It has fruity overtones and I got a whiff of bacon. This cheese is moderate in blue boldness and only slightly salty. There is a nuttiness that is quite pleasant and satisfying with a bit of vanilla at the end.
We enjoyed this cheese after dinner as dessert with slices of Bartlett pear. It was the perfect ending to the meal.
I give Caveman Blue 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestion: This cheese should be savored and that’s just how The Lady served it – as dessert.
Wine Pairing: The Lady chose Sineann’s Old Vine Zinfandel from Yamhill County, Oregon. The Lady prefers to pair her cheeses with local wines whenever possible.
Beer Pairing: The Man chose Oregon Trail Brewery’s Bourbon Barrel Porter. He felt its vanilla notes went well with Caveman.
Bit of trivia: Since 1971, an imposing statue of a caveman has guarded the entrance to Grant’s Pass in Southern Oregon. He was erected by the city’s Caveman Club and stands 17 feet tall. The purpose was to promote the nearby caverns at Cave Junction. On July 4, 2004, the fiberglass statue was ignited and heavily damaged. Teens were the suspected vandals. By July 2005, the statue had been repaired and returned to its pedestal where he still stands proudly today.
Update on Saxon Homestead Cheeses
December 10, 2010
The Lady and I reviewed Saxon Homestead Cheeses earlier this year: Big Ed’s, a Gouda-style cheese; Saxony, an Alpine-style cheese; Pastures, a clothbound cheddar that won 2nd place in its class at the 2010 American Cheese Society Competition; Green Fields, a Monastery-style cheese that won 1st Place in its class at the 2010 American Cheese Society Competition and LaClare Farm Evalon, a semi-soft, raw goat milk cheese.
The Lady and I first met Jerry Heimerl last spring when we visited Wisconsin courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and DPI (the same folks who have banned my blog from their internet network… but I digress…). The Lady chatted with Jerry right after his cheeses won the two awards this past August and thinks he’s one terrific guy.
Recently, her cheese friend, David, appeared with 4 Saxon Homestead Cheese wheels and asked The Lady to cut, wrap and display them for photographing. The Lady was pleased to assist. For her efforts, David gave her a few wedges of the 4 cheeses (LaClare Farm Evalon was the only cheese not included) and The Man and I got super lucky when she brought them home for us to taste… woohoo…
We had a cheese plate of the four offerings: Pastures, an earthy cheddar in the tradition of the English clothbound cheddars; Saxony, a complex Alpine-style reminiscent of Gruyere (a favorite around the manse); Green Pastures, a washed-rind, mellow semi-soft cheese; and Big Ed’s, a mild Gouda. The cheese plate was served with Becky’s homemade raspberry preserves, grapes, Bartlett pears and a couple slices of honeydew melon and 34° Sesame Crackers.
The Lady also made Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pastures and Saxony and a couple slices of ham.
And yesterday, she surprised us with mac n cheese she made using the last of Big Ed’s, Saxony and Pastures. It was perfect!!
The Man, The Lady and I are sure hoping these cheeses find their way into The Lady’s kiosk sooner rather than later… stay tuned…
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