FRANCE

Brie

Made with Cow's milk, Brie is soft and  smooth and tends to become runny when overripe. Its appearance is a creamy yellow interior with a downy white rind. The flavor is anywhere from mild to pungent depending on the degree of ripeness. At its peak, the flavor is delicate yet tangy. It can be enjoyed with medium and full bodied red wines and fruity white wines including champagne and sparkling wines.

St. Andre

An extravagantly rich triple-cream cheese with a mild, mellow flavor.

Camembert

Classic cow's-milk cheese of Normandy, named for a village in that region; its characteristic creamy, ivory-coloured interior and downy white surface, resembling that of Brie, result from the Penicillium camemberti mold with which the curd is treated. Camembert curd is customarily shaped in disks of 4.5 inches (11 cm) in width and 1.5 inches (4 cm) in thickness; by the action of the mold, it ripens within six to eight weeks. The flavour varies from mild to strong as the cheese ripens.

Camembert is exported worldwide and imitated in many countries, though the prototype from Normandy, which dates to the late 17th century, remains unparalleled. The cheeses from farms near Vimoutiers are especially prized.

l'Explorateur (call for availability)

In the 1950’s, a category of cheeses called triple creams was created and defined as any cheese containing at least 75% butterfat. (Keep in mind that butter typically has about 80% butterfat.) This level is achieved by adding pure cream to the milk used to make these cheeses. Explorateur is one of these cheeses with its 75% butterfat content. We have chosen to carry a very small size of this cheese. Because it is so rich, a little bit goes a very long way, and unless you have several friends with which to share a pound or even half a pound of these cheeses, they will usually go bad before you can eat them all. Like all triple creams, this cheese can be eaten at nearly any stage of ripening. As the cheese ages, its interior with go from a chalky, firm, pristine white to a runny, yellow to beige mass with a much more intense flavor. Each stage is delicious in its own right.

Roquefort

The "King of Cheeses," Roquefort has a tingly, pungent taste. Only the milk of specially bred sheep is used, and is ripened in limestone caverns. Ripe Roquefort is creamy, thick and white on the inside and have a thin burnt-orange skin. Roquefort was the favorite cheese of Emperor Charlemagne as well as the French King Charles VI.

Gourmandaise with walnuts

Mimolette Cheddar

From the north of France comes this hard, orange-y colored cheese whose other name is the Boule de Lille. Disputes still occur as to whether this is a French cheese or a Dutch cheese: the truth probably lies in the fact that the origins of this cheese lie in Flanders, a territory that was owned by the Burgundian Kings, and whose people are related both to the French and the Dutch. In the 17th century, foreign goods were forbidden in France, so instead of importing the cheese from the Low Countries, the French continued to make it themselves, and gave the cheese another name: "mimolette," which translates as little half-soft cheese.

Slightly salty, slightly spicy, Mimolette is a great cheese to wake up your taste buds.

Mimolette is often used in recipes that call for hard cheeses: it can be grated, cut into small chunks, melted, used for spaghetti topping... Mimolette is considered by some to be the French answer to Parmesan, (just don't tell the Italians!). It is also excellent when served as part of a cheeseboard. A light red, such as a Touraine, marries well with this cheese, as does beer (blond Belgian beers in particular.)

Doux de Montagne (call for availability)

Although most cheeses from the Pyrenees are made from sheep’s milk, this French cheese is made with pasteurized cow’s milk. Doux de Montagne is ripened in the tradition of the Monts du Velay region and is recognized by its cottage loaf form. Although slightly acid when young, this cheese becomes more creamy and fruity tasting when aged and our product has a distinctive buttery savor.

Port Salut (call for availability)

also called TRAPPIST CHEESE, semisoft cow's-milk cheese first made by Trappist monks on the west coast of France in the mid-1800s. The name later became the registered trademark of the Société Anonyme des Fermiers Réunis for Saint-Paulin, a generic cheese type similar to the original Port Salut, with a mild, savoury flavour and a smooth, semisoft texture.

Port Salut is produced in thick disks of about 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter, weighing about 5 pounds (2.3 kg). It keeps well for several weeks or longer if securely wrapped. Port Salut is widely imitated; American versions tend to be milder, and those from Denmark are generally stronger than the French. Oka cheese, first made at a Trappist monastery at the village of Oka in Quebec, is a popular Canadian version.

Morbier (call for availability)

Making Morbier was originally a way to use cheese curd leftover from making Gruyere de Comte in the Franche-Comte Region of France. The cheesemaker would press the leftover curd from the evening production of Comte into a mold and cover that curd with a thin layer of ash to prevent it from drying out. The next day he would press the leftover morning curd on top of the ash. The result is a two-layered semi-soft cheese with a complex fruity flavor and a slight tang. Originally, the two layers of the cheese had slightly different flavors, with the layer from the evening milking tasting fruitier than that from the morning milking. Today, most Morbiers are made from a single milking but still have a layer of ash running through the middle. The ash serves an aesthetic purpose only at this point, and it does make a dramatic presentation. Our Morbier is made using raw cow’s milk and has a complex, bold flavor. The yellowish-ivory interior of the cheese has a smooth texture and is wrapped inside of a creamy-brown crust. The cheese pairs well with any of our French Saucissons on a sandwich made with a crusty bread, and it also melts beautifully.

Cambazola (call for availability)

 Cambazola is a modern, creamery, blue cheese made from cow's milk. It has a flat round shape with penicillin rind. The cheese was created in 1970's. The texture is smooth and rich and the taste is spicy and slightly sweet-sour.

Champignon Mushroom Brie

Mirabo w/walnuts

Bruder Basil

This mild, Trappist-style, cheese is a light yellow with an edible smoked rind. Peel the brown wax first. It is easily sliceable for sandwiches and snacks. Makes a great appetizer with vegetables or cubed in salads. Serve with beer, especially a German-style pilsner.

Chimay (call for availability)

Covered with forests and pastures and crossed by numerous rivers, the countryside of Chimay has always been a livestock-rearing area. And dairy herds mean cheese!

Since 1876, the Trappist monks of Scourmont have known the secrets of making this semi-hard cheese made from good milk from their farm and matured in the vaulted cellars of the abbey.

Today, Chimay cheese is made exclusively with regional milk and the Trappist monks have modernised their production equipment. Technology has combined with tradition for the greater happiness of the connoisseur and Chimay cheese has adapted itself to high consumption whilst retaining its authenticity.

Old Brugge (call for availability)

A wonderful aged (18 mos.) Gouda from Belgium. Hard, yet melts in your mouth.

Chateau d’ Arville (call for availability)

A creamy and rich triple cream Brie with 30% blue cow's milk

Chevagne

The cheese industry in Belgium, although smaller and less well known than those of France, Italy or England, is still going strong and creates some wonderful cheeses. Chevagne is one of these Belgian beauties. It is a surprisingly mild and creamy goat’s milk cheese produced by the Passendale Dairy. Made with goat’s milk of the highest quality, this smooth cheese is delicious sliced and served on a dark, nutty bread; shaved over salads; or as part of a cheese board. Chevagne also melts well.

Ename (call for availability)

Gorgonzola

Named for a town outside Milan where it was originally made, Gorgonzola is one of Italy's great cheeses. It has an ivory-colored interior that can be lightly or thickly streaked with bluish-green veins. This cow's-milk cheese is rich and creamy with a savory, slightly pungent flavor. When aged over 6 months, the flavor and aroma can be quite strong — sometimes downright stinky. The cheese usually comes in foil-wrapped wedges cut from medium-size wheels. Gorgonzola is a perfect accompaniment for pears, apples and peaches, and pairs nicely with hearty red wines. It's delicious when melted over potatoes or crumbled in salads

Fontina Fontal  

Sweet and nutty, Fontina has a complex, balanced taste. It has a light yellow paste, a firm texture and a light aroma. Fontina traces back to the 13th Century, and was a favorite of the Duke of Savoy.

Pecorino Romano (call for availability)

This cheese is made from pure sheep’s milk and seasoned with wine. In Tuscany, an ancient harmony is recognized between the flavor of Pecorino and the bouquet of wine. This harmony is played out beautifully. Pecorino is one of the most ancient cheeses in the world and can be traced back nearly 2,000 years to a time when shepherding was still the principle means of livelihood for the people of Italy. Wine’s history is even longer, so bringing these two culinary ancients together was a natural combination. The burgundy-colored crust is not edible, as it is treated with preservative and covered with a protective film preservative, but the treatment of this rind with red wine does lend a distinctive flavor to this intense grating and eating cheese.  

Parmagiano Reggiano 

The Italians are horrified by our usage of this, the world's most famous hard cheese. Thought of here in the States as purely a grating cheese, the rest of the world savours Parmigiano-Reggiano as a delicious, full-flavored eating cheese. It began life seven centuries ago in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, part of Bologna and part of Mantua. Nature blessed this zone with the most idealistic cattle grazing land to create the unique milk from the "Zone Tripica". The local cheese craftsmen took it from there, utilizing a totally natural process that has not changed for 700 years. No additives, no machinery, no gimmicks... just sweet, fresh milk in its pristine state... then the artisan's ancient skills... and then nature's own good time (aged from 18 to 36 months). What you see today is just what the knights, serfs, saints and kings of old got! And please, don't compare it to the pre-grated "Parmesan" cheese found in the green can in aisle 4 of the grocery store.

Bel Paese (call for availability)

Bel Paese is from the Lombardy region of Italy. It is soft and smooth in texture, and has a light milky aroma. It is matured for 6-8 weeks. The genuine Italian article can be identified by its wrapper, which features an image of a priest (others say it is author Antonio Stoppani) and the map of Italy (U.S. versions show a map of the Americas). The name means "beautiful country," and was inspired by the title of a book by Stoppani.

Bel Paese w/sun dried tomato & basil 9.95

Provolone

Provolone is an all-purpose cheese used for cooking, dessert purposes and even grating. Milk is heated to 100 degrees F, and recycled whey (from previous batches) is used as starter culture. Solid rennet is added to produce curd, which is cut into small pieces and and allowed to sink to the bottom before being removed. Hot whey is spooned off, heated to 150 degrees F, and poured on the curd. Cool whey is then added, quickly dropping the temperature (this is the secret for making "string" cheese.) The curd is then kneaded and spun, cooled with water, and salted. During curing, enzymes are released which form a "case" over the cheese surface

Manchego

Manchego is Spain's most famous cheese. Produced in La Mancha in Central Spain, true Manchego is made from 100% sheep's milk. Cheeses from Spain are commonly made from sheep's milk because most of the territory is rocky and dry, unfriendly to cows but suitable to raising goats and sheep. The abundance of wild herbs on Central Spain's grazing lands gives Manchego a special taste and aroma. Its flavor is zesty and exuberant while its texture is firm and somewhat dry. Manchego can be recognized by the zigzag pattern etched into its rind. This is created by the rippled surface of the press used in the manufacture of the cheese. Underneath the inedible rind, the interior is ivory colored with few small holes. Taste Manchego for the first time and you will be surprised at how long the wonderful flavor lingers on your palate. It is an experience you will be drawn back to again and again.

Cabrales Blue

A rough-rinded Spanish blue cheese. Cabrales is salted, wrapped in foil and matures for 6 months in natural limestone caverns. Also known as Picon.

Murcia al Vino (call for availability)

Goats milk washed with wine. Mild, sweet and milky with the aroma of red wine from southeastern Spain.

Muntanyola (call for availability)

Semi soft farm cheese from the Mediterranean mountains of Catalunia. Unique rich and creamy taste.  
Natural blue mould rind. Perfect as a snack thinly sliced with fresh bread and wine. Goes perfect with salads. 

Mahon (call for availability) 

Mahon is produced on the Mediterranean island of Menorca in the Balearics. Although it is a small island, Menorca produces enough cheese to make Mahon Spain's second most popular cheese next to Manchego. A 100% cow's milk cheese, Mahon comes in large squares of about 6 pounds. Ripened in underground caves for at least 60 days, Mahon has a bold, magnificent flavor that could never be called mild. The yellowish-orange rind conceals a soft, slightly salty and decidedly spicy interior. This unique cheese is a must try for any cheeselover and an absolute necessity for the true connoisseur.

Blue Castello  

A blue-veined cheese with an extremely buttery taste. The surface of the cheese is rindless, thus the entire cheese is edible.

Danish Blue

Danish blue is the consummate salad cheese, excellent crumbled atop a bed a leafy greens and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. It is made from cow's milk, producing a white cheese with a delicate network of blue-green veins. Denmark's rich green grazing pastures and fertile soil contribute to the fine, consistent quality of this world famous product. Danish Blue can be used as a special dessert cheese with fresh fruits like strawberries, pears or peaches. It is also great in recipes that call for Crumbly Blue or Roquefort.

Danish Tilsit

First made by the Dutch immigrants in the mid 19th century near the town of Tilsit, it has a lovely buttery yellow paste with many small elliptical holes. The consistency is springy and elastic yet rather moist and creamy and the flavor is mild and delicate with spicy undertones.

Edam

Edam, the most famous Dutch cheese, is made with partially-skimmed cow's milk, and is meant to be eaten within weeks of its creation, while it is still smooth. Pasteurized milk is heated to 86 degrees F, and bacteria is added to increase the acidity level. Liquid rennet is added to create curd, and the curd is cut into tiny pieces, then heated to 104 degrees F, then drained, molded and pressed. After the cheese is salted, it ripens at 50 degrees F. Edam intended for export is wrapped in red wax.

Gouda  

Named after the Dutch town of Gouda, just outside Rotterdam. Gouda is now made globally in a style similar to the creation of Edam. Regular Gouda has a hard rind and a mild taste. An harder, aged version is also available, with a strong, biting taste

Double Cream Gouda

Gouda w/herbs

Smoked Gouda

Smoked slowly in ancient, brick ovens over smoldering hickory chip embers, this sausage shaped cheese is perfect for impromptu picnics party platters or midnight snacks. Sensational with beer, this hard cheese has an edible, brown rind and a creamy, yellow interior.

Old Amsterdam (Aged Gouda)

The rarest yet most sought after Dutch cheeses are stamped "Boerenkaas" - handmade on the farm. One of these specially cured products has been made in the southern provinces of The Netherlands for over 800 years - Extra Aged Farmer Gouda. Easy to distinguish it from ordinary Dutch cheese, it is the dairy world's equivalent of a Rembrandt or Van Gogh. Our edible masterpiece has matured for eighteen months, allowing its body to develop a muted caramel color, matched by a uniquely intense yet sweet flavor. So versatile, Extra Aged Gouda can be grated as a wonderful alternative to Parmesan or chunked as a perfect crowd pleaser at cocktail time.

Mona Lisa (aged Gouda 1 yr) (call for availability)

Similar to  Old Amsterdam but aged as long. Nutty flavor with a taste similar to Parmesan.

Esrom (call for availability)

Esrom has a greasy yellow-brown rind, and is buttery in texture. It has a mild, pleasant taste. Exported Esroms, as a result of their longer maturing, may be stronger in flavor. Some Esroms contain garlic, onion or pepper.

Havarti  

Havarti is a traditional, creamery and semi-soft. It is a simple, washed-rind cheese with irregular holes throughout. There is an enriched version, with added cream which is softer and feels more luxurious in the mouth. There is also a version with caraway seeds. Havarti is named after the farm in Denmark where Hanne Nielsen first made it.

Havarti Jalapeno

Havarti Dill

Low fat Havarti 

Low fat Garlic and Herb Havarti

Low fat Garden Vegetable Havarti

Low fat Jalapeno Havarti 

SWITZERLAND    Back to top5

Gruyere

Gruyere is named after a Swiss village. To make Gruyere, raw milk is heated to 93 degrees F, and liquid rennet is added for curdling. The resulting curd is cut into small pieces, which release whey while being stirred. Curd is cooked at 110 degrees F, and raised quickly to 130 degrees F. The pieces become shriveled, which is the cue to place the curd in molds for pressing. The cheese is salted in brine for 8 days, and ripened for two months at room temperature, or a quick method: 10 days at 50 degrees F. Curing lasts from 3 to 10 months (the longer the curing period, the better the cheese).

Appenzeller (call for availability)

his Swiss cheese is made mostly in the canton of Appenzell, which is near the Austrian border. It is made from raw cow’s milk and aged for approximately three months. Appenzeller is a pressed, cooked-curd, brushed-rind cheese with occasional pea-size holes. It has a pleasing, smooth texture, but this cheese’s real charm is its fruity tang. Appenzeller makes a great snack with a piece of fruit, and it also melts well.

Raclette

Real Raclette cheese can only be made in Switzerland. Raclette is made according to the tradtional recipe. Each raclette is lovingly cared for and aged to perfection combining the traditional methods with considerable artisan skill. Swiss raclette guarantees a flavorful and aromatic cheese with excellent melting qualities.

Fol Epi (Baby Swiss)

Low fat Jarlsberg 

Vodka Currant  (call for availability)

Made with cow's milk with a sharp edge and a hint of fruitiness

Derby w/sage 

Derby is a yellow cheese with a firm texture similar to that of Cheddar. It is now less well-known than its colorful relative, Sage Derby. Mass-production of this product has led to the deterioration of the quality of most Sage Derbies. But our Sage Derby is still the real thing. The coloring is done using spinach juice like most Sage Derbies, but this dairy mixes actual chopped sage leaves into the cheese curd rather than mixing sage powder into the milk like most companies do. This results in a fresher sage flavor, and it is this flavor that lends Sage Derby its charm.

Derby w/port  (call for availability)

Whirl Cheese

This wonderful cheese is great for party trays. It is made from Glocester cheese with Herbs and Spices

Huntsman

Huntsman is the marriage of two delicious British classics; Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton, brought together through a complex layering process. Creamy, forceful Stilton is sandwiched between an exterior of mellow, satiny Double Gloucester. The result is an excellent flavor combination that is as delicious as it is beautiful. While some purists may turn their noses up at modern creations like Huntsman, one taste led us to appreciate this English application of technology and innovation.

Hereford Hops (call for availability)

Hereford Hop is a vegetarian round cheese made from cow's milk. The hops are crunchy, with the slightly yeasty taste associated with beer, while the cheese is mellow, sweet and buttery. The maturation period is from one to three months.

Royal Windsor (call for availability)

Cheddar blended with Elderberry wine, giving a red marbled effect.

Blue Shropshire (call for availability)

The cheese was invented in Scotland at the beginning of the century. It is one of the vegetarian, creamery blue cheeses made from cow's milk. The cheese has a mild flavor and fantastic taste. Thanks to annato, the cheese has a deep orange-brown, natural rind. Shropshire Blue matures for a period of ten weeks and the content of fat is about 34 per cent.

Stilton Blue

Historically referred to as "The King of Cheeses" Stilton is a blue-mould cheese with a rich and mellow flavor and a piquant aftertaste. It has narrow, blue-green veins and a wrinkled rind which is not edible. Stilton is milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola, and is equally excellent for crumbling over salads or as a dessert cheese, served with a Port Wine. There are two types of Stilton: Blue and White Stilton. Rennet is added to milk at 86 degrees F and after an hour curd forms. The curd is drained and moulded. One week passes and then Stiltons are allowed to mature for 6 to 8 months.

Stilton w/Apricots  9.75

Semi-soft with apricots. Made with cow's milk. Mildly tart and milky.

Red Dragon (call for availability)

A blend of cheddars mixed with mustard seed and ale. Tart and cheddary. Made with cow's milk.

Double Gloucester with Chives

Double Gloucester is crafted using a mixture of morning and evening milk, hence the name, Double Gloucester. It is a traditional, unpasteurized, semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the sixteenth century. It has a taste that is mellow, nutty, orange zest tang, with a hint of  onion.

Tintern (call for availability)

Made with cow's milk, chives and shallots. Tart and cheddary

Black Mountain (call for availability)

A mild cheddar with garlic, herbs and white wine

Harlech (call for availability)

Matured cheddar blend with horseradish and parsley. Made with cow's milk. Cheddary with a full horseradish bite

Wensleydale

Traditional, hard cheese made from cow's milk with added cranberries. It has a shape of cylinder with natural rind. Wensleydale can be used as table cheese and is very tasty with apple pie. This cheese is based on the recipe that can be traced back to the Cistercian monks who came over with William the Conqueror in the 11 century

Herkimer White Cheddar (call for availability)

Maytag Blue

Okay - Washing machines, blue cheese and beer - what do they have in common? These are all products associated with the family of Fritz Maytag, the appliance king. The sons and grandsons of Fritz Maytag started the family farm with a herd of Holstein/Friesian cows. After trying the milk business for awhile, they moved on to cheese making. A fourth-generation Fritz Maytag is responsible for Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco. All great products! Maytag Blue is still made in small production to maintain a high level of quality. The cheese is still hand-made. The texture is dense and crumbly. The flavor is spicy and creamy. The cheese is aged in caves built into the side of a hill, where the natural molds and yeasts live. The cheeses ripen slowly for 6 months to develop a deep flavor

Cabot Cheddar 

Aged for at least eight months, this cheddar has a full, well-developed flavor with just the right degree of sharpness to satisfy real cheese lovers.

Tilamook

Tillamook Cheddar is an American cheese that is made from cow's milk. The cheese is made using milk that has been heat-treated rather than pasteurized, a process that allows some of the bacteria essential for producing top quality Cheddar to be retained. According to its texture, it ranks among hard cheeses and is also suitable for vegetarians. Tillamook Cheddar is either white or annatto-coloured and is sold in blocks. It is a table cheese but could be used for grating, grilling or baking.

Longhorn

Longhorn is a form of Cheddar. It has a mild to sharp flavor, and a light, yellow to orange color. Longhorn is categorized into a firm cheese. This kind of cheese is used for cooking

Monterey Jack

The Monterey Jack was developed by a Californian Scot, David Jacks in 1882 (some sources state 1916). Monterey Jack's consistency depends on its maturity; most softer varieties (common in American supermarkets) is aged for one month, while grating Jack is aged for upwards of 6 months. Older Jacks are smeared with oil and pepper to maintain softer rinds. Monterey Jack has a buttery, bland taste and melts easily. Fat content is 25 per cent water content is 45 per cent.

Duck and Decanter Cheese Spread 

Eurocreme Cheese Spread 

Black Diamond

Ranked by experts alongside the otherwise incomparable English farmhouse cheeses. Made from raw milk, these and most other Canadian Cheddars have escaped the mania for pasteurization which has swept the rest of the continent.