The Pairing: Mt.Tam + Domaine l'Idyle Cruet

by Sophia Stern

Just north of San Francisco, cows graze on grassy cliffsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Mount Tamalpais looms in the distance. Beautiful Red Woods and Cypress trees grow nearby. Here, Cowgirl Creamery creates some of the countries most famous cheeses, including the beloved Mt Tam. For some of you, Mt Tam is a familiar favorite. If you aren’t acquainted, this soft little cheese is a delicious, triple-cream made with cow’s milk in the North Bay. Fluffy, buttery, and so delicious, Mt Tam will please your entire Easter crew. This batch of Mt Tam is young and delicate, so for the pairing we’ve gone with the easiest-going white we could think of: light and delicious Domaine de l'Idylle Savoie Cruet from France. This wine lets the Mt Tam shine and goes beautifully with all the asparagus, quiche, and spring things around your Easter table. 

Cowgirl Creamery began with college friends Sue Conley and Peggy Smith. They’d been introduced to the California food scene on a trip to the Bay in 1976 when food revolutions like Farm-to-table and the Back-to-the-land movement were taking off. After several decades in prestigious food careers, Sue and Peggy came back together to create Tomales Bay Foods, a foods business championing Californian agriculture and local food traditions. Their business featured a small cheese making operation that bore Mt Tam and other iconic cheeses before becoming the most well known aspect of their business. Made with pasteurized milk from cows foraging on the costal pastures, Mt Tam is earthy, slightly salty, and so decadent. It’s a reflection of the unique landscape of the northern California coast. Although they have many cheeses, Mt Tam is definitely the most iconic and with good reason. It’s buttery and rich, while still being pretty easygoing and fresh as spring air. 

To let the Mt Tam shine, we’ve gone with the Domaine de l'Idylle Savoie Cruet. Made of 100% Jacquère, a typical Savoyard grape variety, this wine has a light floral aroma and subtle notes of pear and citrus. Grown in some of the best clay and limestone soils in all of Savoie, sunny days and cool nights create this mature and crisp wine that’s easy on the palate. This bottle offers the Mt Tam just enough acidity and fruit to make the cheese all the more craveable. Although delicious enough, Mt Tam also shines with sweet, sour and spicy spreads. Our favorite is the American Spoon Sour Cherry Preserve, but honey or jam do the trick. If you like it spicy, pick up a hot jam or our one of our new chili crisp products and dab it on. However you enjoy your Mt Tam, we hope this week’s pairing will bring you spring feelings for Easter weekend, even if the weather does not. 

Cheese Profile: Mt Tam

by Austin Coe Butler

            Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam is one of the most iconic and awarded triple crèmes made in the United States. If you’ve had only one artisanal cheese made in the United States, this was probably it. And there’s good reason why. It’s flavor and texture are remarkable, which has led to numerous gold medals at the American Cheese Society and Good Food Awards. Mt. Tam is also the result of pioneering and radical practices.

            Cowgirl Creamery was founded by Sue Conley and Peg Smith who met as college students at the University of Tennessee in the 70s. They were heavily involved in the social and political movements of that time, and after a road-trip to the Bay Area they decided to relocate to Berkeley and work at establishments of California cuisine like the Obrero Hotel and Chez Panisse. (At this same time, Laura Chenel was producing chèvre for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse.) Conley and Smith befriended dairy farmer Ellen Straus, and when they started producing cheese in an old hay barn in Point Reyes, they were dedicated to using local, organic, single source milk from the pasture grazed cows of the Straus Family Creamery.

            Just as American winemakers were moving to emphasize the terroir of the Sonoma or Napa Valley, Cowgirl Creamery was also emphasizing the locality, place, and terroir of West Marin County. Even after the company moved the majority of their production to Petaluma, they still create their washed-rind Red Hawk in Point Reyes owing to the dense fog, sea spray, and unique microbial and yeast communities in the air that give Red Hawk’s rind its signature color and flavor that varies with the seasons. They still use the same brine they’ve washed that cheese with for the past fifteen years.

            Mt. Tam was, and still is, revelatory for American consumers who had only ever had bland, bodega brie. Here was a brie-style cheese that was being made according to the highest standards in the United States and not being mass produced abroad for import to a country with stringent pasteurization laws. While many think of it as a brie, it’s a unique creation of its own. During the cheesemaking process, Mt. Tam’s curd is washed. This washing process, common to goudas, removes lactic acid and makes for sweeter cheese and gives Mt. Tam its sweet cream notes. After the curd has been formed into molds and the young cheeses have drained overnight, they are brined in a salt-water and whey solution. Its stout shape and added height gives the cheese a fudgy core that most flat, disc-shaped brie-style cheeses never achieve. You’ll find all the classic bloomy-rind, brie flavors like button mushrooms and a rich, buttery cream-line, but with added complexity. For that reason, it’s incomparably accessible and versatile.

            There’s no wrong way to serve this cheese–with a dollop of bright apricot jam, alongside fresh fruit, cured meats, or olives. Slice the top off, broil it, and drizzle it with spicy chili crisp. Any way you choose to enjoy it, it deserves its place on your Easter cheese board as a true American original.

Cheesemaker Profile: Landmark Creamery

by Austin Coe Butler

Sheep’s milk is uncommon. To start, sheep are notoriously stubborn. They only produce milk for three to four months after lambing in the winter or spring. It isn’t possible to milk them most of the year like goats or year round like cows. They also produce a small amount of milk. Proportional to their size, sheep produce less milk than cows, water buffalo, and even goats. But what sheep’s milk lacks in volume it makes up for in fat. The “fat globules” (that’s a technical term) are larger than the fat globules of cow's or goat’s milk, which give sheep cheeses their buttery characteristics. As these fatty acids break down, they produce the characteristic tangy, spicy notes of Roquefort, Pecorino, and Manchego. There’s another reason why sheep’s milk cheeses are uncommon in the US–sheep are uncommon!

Notice that those last three cheeses (Roquefort, Pecorino, and Manchego) are all European. In the US, we don’t have the tradition of sheep’s milk or meat. I mentioned briefly in my piece on Vermont Shepherd’s Verano, the first artisanal sheep cheese in the US, that sheep’s milk cheeses just aren’t a thing in the US. And that has to do with something that goes to heart of cheesemaking: genetics.

American sheep have been bred for one purpose: fiber. Wool was placed on the Pentagon’s list of strategic materials in 1954 because military uniforms were made from wool. As a result, massive government subsidies compelled shepherds to breed for wool, and even though the military declassified wool as a strategic material in the 60s, many states still subsidize the production of wool. Additionally, American sheep genetics were limited because of outbreaks of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease). In our intra-Covid world, we are anxiously attuned to the microscopic, the microbial, but prior to this, many of us were enjoying the gentle comforts of a “post-Pasteurian world." The BSE outbreaks of the 80s and 90s shook animal agriculture. Especially in the UK, hundreds of people fell violently ill from Mad Cow Disease and 178 died, leading to the immediate restrictions on animal products like meat, dairy, and genetic material. British beef was banned in some countries as late as 2019.

Enter the Annas of Landmark Creamery.

Anna Landmark and Anna Thomas Bates met at a potluck over a decade ago and before they knew it they were conspiring a creamery under the influence of some Old Fashions. Landmark is the cheesemaker while Bates manages sales, marketing, and everything in between. Landmark Creamery’s milk comes from a herd of sheep that are a mixed breed of Lacaune and East Friesian sheep crossed with Assaf, an Israeli hybrid. Only a few years ago new Lacaune genetics (the sheep used to make Roquefort) we imported into the US. The arrival of new sheep genetics to the US market really is a game changer, and we are in the midst of an exciting and dynamic period of sheep’s milk cheesemaking.

Running a small creamery is hazardous, to say the least. ATB has joked that starting a small creamery has been like the pictures of Obama before and after his presidency, referring to the grey hairs they’ve gained along the way. In addition to all the investment and fundraising that go into starting a new business and the time and effort that go into making cheeses that almost all take six months to age, there was an incident when their cold storage facility threw away their cheese, valued at over $20,000! Such things can shutter a small company, but the cheese community rallied behind them. Landmark Creamery is the product of family, friendships, and community support.

Landmark Creamy now has a provisions shop in Belleville, WI, where you can shop all their delightful cheeses. They make a number of sheep's milk cheeses, and this week we’re thrilled to carry three: Anabasque, Rebel Miel, and their sheep’s milk Taleggio (so new it doesn’t have a name yet). Anabasque is an homage to the cheeses of the Basque Country, like Ossau-Iraty. It has a walnut nuttiness to it and a bright, espellete fruitiness. The Taleggio we have now is remarkably gooey and luxurious. You can taste and feel the extra fat sheep’s milk has (remember those large “fat globules” I mentioned?). Rebel Miel is washed in a Paint It Black beer that gives the rind a flinty, chocolaty flavor and leaves the paste spring, bright, and complex.

Come see how this uncommon milk makes beautiful cheese!

The Pairing: Bayley Hazen Blue

by Sophia Stern

Bayley Hazen Blue is definitely a monger favorite. Not only is it sweet, earthy and creamy, but Bayley seems to always fit right in. If someone’s looking for a delicious blue to snack on, Bayley Hazen hits the spot. If someone wants a blue for salad, steak, or dessert, Bayley is the way to go. If someone needs a blue they’ll love, but their blue-adverse relatives will still enjoy, Bayley swoops in to save the day. So this week, we’re leaning in to the versatility of Bayley Hazen Blue and pairing with three different beverages. For a light and fruity option, we picked BrightCider by 2 Towns CiderHouse. For a non-traditional pairing, we chose the Mountain Standard IPA from Odell Brewing. For a classic, decadent experience, we pinned Warre’s Otima 10-year Tawny Port. 

Bayley Hazen is an award-winning cheese from Jasper Hill farms, who’ve been rocking the domestic cheese game for the past two decades. In 1999, in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, brothers Andy and Mateo Kehler, along with their wives, Victoria and Angie, bought a run down dairy farm that hadn’t seen cows for over forty years. The Kehler family, who’d spent summers in Greensboro, wanted to create sustainable, fulfilling work in a place special to them. Today, Jasper Hill is one of the biggest names in domestic cheese and a star on the global stage, winning international cheese awards since 2012. Though Jasper Hill is famous for many cheeses, Bayley Hazen stands out. Modeled on traditional British blues, Bayley is fudge-like, with nutty notes and aromas of grass. There is no peppery kick, making Bayley flavorful, but mellow and easy to enjoy.

If you’re in the mood for a bright, refreshing pairing, try the appropriately named BrightCider from 2 Towns out in Oregon. Only using apples from the Pacific Northwest, this semi-dry, cider is fruit forward and easy-going. On the other end, if you want a funkier, earthy option, go with the Colorado's Mountain Standard IPA from Odell Brewing Company. Mountain Standard is a middle ground between juicy, sweet East Coast IPAs and piney, citrus forward West Coast IPAs. Like Jasper Hill, Odell is a standout domestic producer. They have pioneered much of the craft beer renaissance we still see today. Finally, if you’re looking for luxury, go with a classic and pair Bayley with Warre’s Otima 10-year port. From the Douro Valley, the highest quality wines are selected to age in seasoned oak casks until perfect. The port’s burnt sugar notes meld with the Bayley’s nutty, sweetness, while the acidity in the tawny port cuts through the cheese’s rich paste. Indulge in the multitudes of blue cheese and pick up all three pairings, or go with the one that speaks to you. No matter what, Bayley Hazen Blue will always be there for you.     

Meet Your Monger: Austin

What does your day-to-day look like at France 44 Cheese as a buyer and cheesemonger? 

The highlight of any day is our customers, especially when we have a cheese they’ve been searching for or help them discover a new favorite. There’s a lot that goes into that moment, though: ordering, unloading the cheese truck, stocking the case, routine cheese maintenance like facing and rewrapping cuts of cheese, keeping things clean and cold, countless trips up and down the stairs to the cheese cave, washing your hands a hundred times a day, and of course, eating lots of cheese to see how it tastes and where it is in its life cycle. Michael Pollan called cheese makers (and mongers, by extension) “merchants of rot” because we deal in the spoilage of milk. We’re always trying to get the right cheese to the right customer at the right moment. 

You just competed at CMI (Cheese Monger Invitational). What were some highlights of that experience for you?
Spending a month and a half working with one cheese and devising a perfect beverage pairing, bite, and plate with that cheese is a singular experience. As for the event, being surrounded by people who are all so passionately involved in this thing we call “Cheese” was a great bonding experience. You learn a lot and have a lot of fun.

What cheese is really tasting particularly exceptional in the case for you right now?

We had an Italian air shipment arrive on Tuesday, and I love the playful, three milk (cow, goat, sheep) cheeses the Italians make like il Nocciolo, Rochetta, or robiolina wrapped in chestnut leaves . They have a mousse-like, almost ethereal, texture and a fresh, lactic tang. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a perennial favorite. I always find a new flavor in that cheese.

What are you currently reading? 

Two of the books I’m reading now are Il bar sotto il mare by Stefano Benni and Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel by Anatoly Kuznetsov.

How do you take your coffee? 

I read the Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy as a kid and now I can only take my coffee pitch black.

The Pairing: Carpenter's Wheel

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.

Kassboerderij’T Groendal

by Austin Coe Butler

When NASA astronaut and committed turophile Shannon Walker learned she would be on the International Space Station (ISS) for 210 days, she knew she would need some cheese for the journey. She asked her neighborhood cheese shop Houston Dairymaids to send her some cheese and a few weeks later a gouda, OG Kristal (OGK), made by the Belgium cheesemaker Kaasboerderij’T Groendal (Kahss–BOOR-deh-LAY TRUN-dahl) and aged by Van Tricht, arrived on board the ISS. It was an immediate hit and the crew devoured it. Walker requested another shipment of OGK, but something was happening on the earth’s surface….

            All the other earthlings loved it, too! You probably fell for its crunchy-crystally texture, sweet, creamy paste, and brilliant Dutch red rind. The OG in OG Kristal stands for “Old Groendal” (sadly, not “original gangster”), and old it is: it has an aging minimum of 18 months, which is really long for most cheese! It is remarkably creamy and moist for a cheese this mature. Compare OGK with L’Amuse 2-year Gouda, Brabander Reserve (12-18 months), or Coolea Irish Gouda (12 months), and you will find much drier cheeses with a pleasant almond flour or macadamia nut mealiness bursting with tyrosine crystals. The astronauts couldn’t get any more OGK because there wasn’t any on earth. It had sold out, and we would all have to wait months until we could eat it again.

            Aging cheese is a perennial problem for cheesemakers. Most of the cheeses you love that are firm and flavorful like Comté, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and truckles of farmhouse Cheddar have to sit on a shelf somewhere and take up a lot of space while they mature and develop flavor. That whole time they’re not earning any money, and the venture of aging cheese has always been a precarious investment of labor, time, and hope.

            Goudas are large wheels of cheese, typically weighing in between fifteen and twenty-five pounds and need a lot of time to age. One of the first perils of aging large cheeses is that if enough moisture isn’t driven out of them, they rot from the inside and “heave” or explode. I’ve written about this previously with Cheddars, and there’s a reason why “hoven” cheeses were a common problem in England and Holland. Both share a maritime climate with wet summers. But the two cultures, while presented with the same problem, devised different solutions that resulted in distinct styles and flavors.

Whereas the English settled on letting milk and cheese acidify, like during the Cheddaring process, the Dutch decided to “wash” their curds. Once the milk has been coagulated with rennet into curd, and the curd cut, Dutch cheesemakers poured off the whey and added fresh, hot water to the vat. “Washing” the curd not only scalds the curd, driving out more whey, and thus, moisture, but in washing away the whey, they removed lactose, which lactic bacteria convert into lactic acid, and created a milder, sweeter curd before blocks of curd are then placed into wooden molds and pressed. This curd washing not only gave goudas their signature complex sweet flavors ranging from coconut milk and marzipan to butterscotch and aged soy sauce, but allowed them to travel across the world when the Dutch were the leading European Empire. And it turns out it doesn’t just travel well on the seas, but in the zero-gravity of space, too!

            While the affineurs at Van Tricht were waiting for the next batch of OGK to ripen, Johan Deweer and his team at Kaasboerderij’T Groendal wondered how they could make a similar cheese in less time. The answer was in the culture cocktail they added to the milk. The new cheese reached the same sweet, crunchy profile as OGK in nine months, literally half the time OGK needs to mature. OGK and the Farmdal cheeses use the same mix of Holstein and Brown Swiss cow’s milk and make, their only difference is the cultures added to them and their aging time. While we waited for OGK, we all got to enjoy Old Farmdal! And so did the astronauts. Old Farmdal was sent to the ISS where it was received with just as much delight as OGK and now bears one of the coolest cheese labels and designations, “SPACE CHEESE.”

            In celebration of OG Kristal and Old Farmdal, and all things Kaasboerderij’T Groendal, we are promoting their cheeses we carry, which includes the younger version of Old Farmdal aptly named Young Farmdal, and a fantastic trappist cheese named Drunk Monk. Drunk Monk has been washed in a Belgian Blond Ale with Cascade hops called Rex as the wheels ripen. It tastes uncannily like a fresh Parker House yeasted dinner roll, with the same yeasty flavors and mild sweetness while also having and delightfully springy bounce like Babybel.

            Next time you go into space (or just on a picnic or hike), ask your cheese monger to send you with some cheese that travels well.

Meet Your Monger: Joe

Hey Friends! This week we’re featuring Joe. A true gem. Joe is a vital part of our day to day operations in the shop. He serves as local cheese buyer, and he is an absolute Wisconsinite through and through.

What cheese(s) are you enjoying in the case right now?

We got Cabezuela back! I love this little goat tomme from Madrid. I also love Chiriboga blue, a mild, buttery German blue that has become a staple in our case.

What does your life look like outside of France 44?

When I’m not slinging cheese and sammies, I’m a professional choir singer by night, currently involved in 4 different choirs around the Twin Cities. I also love trips to the park with my wife, Laura and dog, Guy.

What’s your favorite retail item in the shop ATM [at the moment]?

Our House F44 bacon. It has ruined all other bacon for me and I will never be able to quit it.

How do you take your coffee?!

Black when I’m working, lots of cream and sugar and chocolate and stuff when I’m not.

Say Hi to Joe next time you stop in!

The Pairing: Robiola Bosina

by Sophia Stern

In Piedmont, right where the mountains meet the hills, isolated villages have produced fresh, creamy cheeses, referred to as Robiola, since at least the 15th century. Robiola is a traditional Italian cheese, classically made with the milk of goats grazing on the hilly countryside. Because Robiola is usually only a few days old, the cheese has a reputation for being extraordinarily runny and soft, with nuanced notes of Piedmont’s native grasses, herbs, and flowers. Today, a beautiful twist on the classic Robiola is lovingly and expertly crafted by a family who’s been in the cheesemaking game since 1881. Cheesemakers Caseificio dell’Alta Langa have opted to make their Robiola Bosina with cow and sheep milk, creating a buttery, sweet, luscious softie perfect for sharing with others. Robiola Bosina’s distinct square shape features a thin rind and a mild yet intriguing paste that is as silky as can be. For the pairing, we’ve gone with a Lambrusco effervescent enough to break through Robiola Bosina’s creaminess and just tart enough to balance the rich cheese without washing it away. 

Robiola Bosina is an excellent example of what happens when tradition and innovation meet. Although the cheesemakers of Robiola Bosina use modern technology, their dedication to local tradition keeps their cheese authentic and delicious. Alta Langa prioritizes small batch production, high quality dairy, and local history in their cheesemaking. They also credit the land they operate on for the excellence of their products, expressing gratitude for the steep countryside, far from commercialized areas, for keeping their traditions alive and free from contamination. Slightly unconventional, Robiola Bosina isn’t made with any goat milk. Goats don’t produce that much dairy, so Caseificio dell’Alta Langa uses their high quality sheep and cow milk supply to make their version of this Italian classic.  When Robiola Bosina is at its youngest, it’s a milky butter bomb with mild floral notes. After a few weeks, Robiola Bosina becomes a little earthier. Aromas of hay, ranging from sweet to musky, start to develop. At any stage, this cheese must be eaten at room temperature or all the nuanced flavors will be overshadowed by the fridge and the texture will be tight instead of ooey and relaxed. 

To go with this rich square of creamy goodness, we’ve picked a loveable Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna. Chiarli Vecchia Modena Lambrusco is grown in fertile mixed loam soils and made with 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara grapes, a thinner skinned varietal. This combination produces a delicate, light bodied wine with depth and intrigue. The lighter Lambrusco style pairs perfectly with the Robiola Bosina’s delicate flavors, but the bubbles keep up with the rich texture of the young, soft cheese. Pick up some of our featured Red Table salamis to go with this summery pairing to be transported to the Italian countryside. 

Tip: Don’t be intimidated by the unusual topper to this bottle. This wine uses a clamp to keep the cork on, rather than a more traditional cork cage. To open - stick the knife of your wine opener (or a strong butter knife) between the clamp and cork, then twist to pry it off. Keep your thumb over the cork while doing so to prevent unintended projectiles!

Meet Your Monger: Cally

What’s your favorite current item we sell at France 44 Cheese?

My favorite item in the shop is the François Pralus hazelnut cream, “Crème de noisette.”

Describe to us what a “day in the life” of Cally looks like when you’re not making beautiful cheese boards here in the shop?

Outside of work I like to read, hang out with friends and family, and I’m currently learning how to knit and crochet.

What’s your idea of a perfect sandwich?

My ideal sandwich is either brie, apple, honey, and arugula or garlic confit, blue cheese, apple, arugula, and fig jam. (Ok yum…)

Current favorite cheese!?

My current favorite cheese in the shop is Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese! It’s great in salads, on sandwiches, and just for snacking. Although, you can never go wrong with Camembert :)