New cheeses in the case, new pairing for your tummy.

Q: How do you know when it's fall?

A: Rogue River Blue is back in stock!


That's right, after too many months of waiting the BIG DADDY of the Rogue Creamery line is finally back in the stores! This raw milk blue is made only in autumn, and wrapped in grape leaves that have been soaked in pear brandy. Stephanie and Agela think that in addition to the flavors of berries, hazelnuts and mushrooms that this cheese has a chewy, fudgy texture and a lingering flavor that is emparted by the grape leaves.

Brand new to our cases is the Robiola di mia Nonna from Reichert's Dairy Air in Knoxville, Iowa. All of the cheese is made from the milk of only 15 goats. With such a small supply of cheese available it's out the door almost before it has a chance to get into our case. Complex and assertive, the cheese has a lovely tang that evolves into pleasant earthy flavors and a lush creamy texture. Yes, you need to have this cheese. Seriously.

This week for our pairing the cheese comes to us from award-winning Uplands in Wisconsin. As you all know, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a fantastic cheese, so fantastic in fact that in august it won Best of Show at the ACS for the third time. Unfortunately, we're all sold out right now. Never fear though, every cloud has a silver lining and ours is that we are now carrying Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve.

At it's core, it's the same cheese. It's a farmstead cheese that's only made from May-October when the animals are grazing on pasture. The same love and care goes into each wheel made, and it's aged the same way. The difference is in how long the wheels are aged with the wheels of Extra Reserve aged for a minimum of 15 months-twice as long as the younger cheeses.


These particular wheels are from the batch that Cesar and Cristi picked oh so many months ago and the cheese was made on June 3 of 2009. Along with a slight milky sweetness you'll find notes of toasted nuts, grass, fruit and a little tang of clover.


Mike Gingrich says that he finds a slightly sweet Reisling is a perfect pairing for the cheese. Far be it for us to disagree with the well-respected award-winning cheesemaker, so we're pairing the Hirscbach & Sohne Reisling from Mosel, Germany.


Wine buyer Jill comments that this wine is ripe and slightly sweet with a lively acidity and balanced richness that Riesling is known for. Aromas of stone fruit like apricots and nectarine with a flavor profile that includes honey, white flower and roasted pears.


Together this is a dynamic duo with the wine enhancing some of the floral characteristics of the cheese while the nuttiness of the cheese perfectly compliments the honey and pear flavors of the wine. Yum!

Featured Pairing

This week we're doing a trio of flavors. Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve, Marmalade from Quince & Apple, and a lovely old world Riesling.



Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve is from Uplands Cheese Co. out of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. This is a seasonally made farmstead cheese. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is an eight month aged cheese with grassy pastures along with sweet and tangy notes. So what makes this cheese "extra"? Aging.



This cheese is aged for an additional year. In that year, the flavors concentrate and the texture starts to change. It becomes nuttier, with some light caramel tastes without losing any of it's original sweet grass flavors. A slight crystallization in the paste makes this cheese literally pop in your mouth.



What to drink with such complex flavors? Cesar and Cristi recently went to visit with co-owner Mike Gingrich. His suggestion is Riesling. Who are we to argue with his expertise? Riesling it is. A 2007 Kuentz-Bas Alsatian Riesling. This wine is unoaked and fruity without being sweet. Complex with citrus notes, this is a perfect match for the washed rind Pleasant Ridge Extra Reserve.



Want to add something sweet to your cheese plate? How about the orange marmalade with lemons from Quince & Apple from Madison, WI. Small batch preserves that are made with seasonal, local ingredients Matt and Clare come up with a marmalade with chunks of zest that is tangy, slightly sweet, and so good you'll want to eat it right out of the jar.