This week we shine a light on the lesser-understood art of affinage, as it relates to the production of artisan cheese here in the US, by featuring a cheese, named Carpenter’s Wheel, born out of a collaboration between FireFly Farms Creamery, in Accident, Maryland, and the affineurs of Crown Finish Caves, located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Nestled amongst the northern Appalachian mountains, on a small farm towards the western tip of Maryland, FireFly Farms Creamery sources fresh goat milk, daily, from a small selection of local dairies, and transforms the milk into small, 6 wheel batches of large-format goat milk cheese, stamped with the same traditional hex pattern, or carpenters wheel, as the one hanging from the farm’s main barn. At this point of the cheese’s production, work on the farm is finished. Wheels of cheese then make their journey to Brooklyn, where they’ll mature for the next 6 months, living in an environment of near 90 percent humidity, and at a steady temperature of around 55° F, in the former lagering tunnels of the old Nassau Brewery, now used for aging cheese by Crown Finish Caves.
Having won the Super Gold award for a similar cheese, Belle Vita, while competing at the World Cheese Awards in 2010, making quality artisanal cheese wasn’t a new concept for FireFly Farm Creamery. The problem they encountered following their recognition, was a lack of space for aging their cheeses on the farm, and as a result, were forced to discontinue production of the award winning recipe and focus on smaller, younger cheeses.
Almost ten years later, FireFly formed a collaboration with Crown Finish Caves to age wheels of Carpenter’s Wheel in Brooklyn, with the first batch of cheeses arriving in late March, 2020, in what would turn out to be the start of a global pandemic. The timing was certainly problematic, but now, more than 2 years later, the fruits of their partnership are now stocked in our cheese cases, and our mongers are excited to share them with you!
Recognized for its mild tang, and smooth, earthy paste, we’ve paired Carpenter’s Wheel with the Flora Prosecco from Col di Luna Winery, hailing from the Veneto region of northern Italy. The wine’s high level of acidy, combined with a generous burst of bubble, promote the cheese’s sugars, leveling and cleansing the palate. With a floral nose, and fruity notes of unripe peach and pear, the Prosecco effortlessly navigates the cheese’s complexities and leaves you wanting more.