Cheese Underground

A Wisconsin company makes two out of three of the best new cheeses in the world, according to the 20th World Cheese Awards held last week in Dublin, Ireland.

Sartori Reserve Raspberry BellaVitano – one of the best new cheeses I’ve tasted so far this year — took gold for Best New Cheese with additives. This is the same cheese I raved about at July’s ACS contest — where it also took a blue ribbon.

Sartori also took gold in the Best New Cheese – hard or semi-hard category with its Sartori Reserve BellaVitano. The only best new cheese it apparently does not make is the Best New Blue Cheese in the world, which went to a company in Switzerland.

The cheeses are made in Antigo, Wis., and Sartori has heavily reinvested in the plant since it purchased it in 2006 from Antigo Cheese. You may better know the company by its SarVecchio Parmesan (formerly Stravecchio Parmesan) cheese — which routinely wins awards in every contest it’s entered. In fact, it won Best American Cheese at least year’s World Cheese Awards.

This was the first time in the 20-year history of the World Cheese Awards that the judging was held outside of the United Kingdom. More than 2,400 cheeses from every continent except South America were entered in the contest. Judging by 140 judges took place on September 29, with winners announced on October 1.

Rounding out the Wisconsin winners are:

• GOLD — Semi-Hard Cheese Produced on Farm or Dairy with a Total Output Not Exceeding a Weekly Average of 2 Tons — Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese

• GOLD — Rind-Washed Cheese Not in Any Other Class — Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Les Freres

• GOLD – Gorgonzola — BelGioioso Cheese, Creamy Gorgonzola

• SILVER — New Cheese with Additives – open to any new cheese first marketed after April 1, 2007: Sartori Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano, hand coated with cracked peppercorns

• BRONZE — Rind-Washed Cheese Not in Any Other Class — Roth Kase USA, Roth’s Private Reserve

• BRONZE — Semi-Hard Cheese Not in Any Other Class — Roth Kase USA, Gran Queso

• BRONZE — Mozzarella, Fresh, Cow’s Milk in Ball — BelGioioso Cheese, Burrata

• BRONZE — Two-Year Aged Cheddar, Widmer’s Cheese Chellars

In case you were wondering — the cheese taking the overall “Best in Show” at the World Cheese Awards was a cooperative of 50 partners from the Canary Islands, the Sociedad Canaria de Formento, which won the World Champion crown for its Queso Arico curado pimentón cheese. I have no idea what kind of cheese this is, but it must be good. 🙂

Congrats to all!

The October issue of Gourmet News unveils the 2008 class of “20 under 40.” This biennial feature recognizes 20 people in the gourmet food and kitchenware industries that are 40 years of age.

In exciting news, Rolf and Marieke Penterman, of Hollands Family Cheese, are featured in the issue! Marieke is a licensed cheesemaker and makes some of the best gouda I’ve ever tasted — my all time favorite is still her Foenegreek Gouda — yum!

Here’s the excerpt about the Pentermans, courtesy of Gourmet News – interview is with Marieke:

Describe how you got involved in the gourmet/specialty food/ business:

My husband Rolf and his brother both wanted to farm. Rolf came to the United States in 2002,and I followed in 2003. While Rolf was farming, I was looking for something to do. At first I wanted to make children’s furniture, but I had trouble finding someone to carry out my designs. At the same time, we were missing the cheese from Holland and we were having friends and relatives bring it with them in their suitcases. But the weight restrictions on luggage was getting to be a problem. So I decided I would try to make it on my own. I took classes and got my cheesemaking license and went back to Holland where I worked with a woman cheesemaker with 10 cows and a man with 200 cows. And between them, I found a method that would work for me.

Most valuable lessons learned:

There are so many different aspects: learning to make the cheese, learning the marketing and running the store. I was afraid I would be too focused, but I discovered I can find solutions to the problems. If it doesn’t go the way you want, you have to innovate.

Describe how your business has grown and what your plans are for the future:

We were lucky to win all those awards (eight at this year’s American Cheese Society Competition, including first place in Dutch-Style Cheese and Smoked Cheese). That put us on the road to expanding our sales. We also go to the food shows, which is very important, so more people know about our cheese. And we’re expanding the line with a gouda that is strongly connected to Wisconsin.

Of course, I (and this is Jeanne talking again) am still eagerly waiting to find out what the new gouda is that Marieke’s working on — hoping to find out before the end of the year!

I got the most interesting email today from Wisconsin cheesemaker Felix Thalhammer, creator of the award-winning “Bear” line of cheeses, goat’s milk feta, and my all-time favorite: St. Felix. Turns out Mr. Felix is organizing nine days of winter fun, skiing, and hot springs in Switzerland in February.

Book your trip now, Felix tells me. He’s even offering five different date windows, from February 2009 to January 2010. Cost is $3,499 per person with an early bird discount. Wow, this man is organized. So what all does the trip include? Let me break it down:

Flight, hotel & lodging, breakfast and dinner, skiing and equipment, lift tickets and “a few traditional dinners” — Felix says, “We’ll do some of our own Swiss cooking so you’ll learn how to make Swiss dishes.”

I feel like the announcer on the Price is Right (read to yourself in a deep, booming voice): “You and a guest will enjoy an eight-night stay in Switzerland with native Felix Thalhammer. Accommodations include an authentic Swiss chalet with day trips to hot springs and ski mountains.”

Anyhoo, Felix assures me that if I go, I’ll “have so much fun, I’ll yodel about it.” Not sure about that, but if anyone is interested in the trip, call Felix at 608-604-2640 or email him. Always happy to spread the word about an opportunity to spend time with the Saint.

How do you tell it’s autumn in Wisconsin? The evenings start to cool, the leaves begin to turn, and Otter Creek Organic Farm releases its raw milk Fall Seasonal Cheddar.

Even in Wisconsin, a state regaled for its cheddar heritage, Otter Creek Organic Farm’s seasonal cheddars stand out. Available in select retail stores across the nation, the farm’s raw milk Fall Seasonal Cheddar bears a striking label telling the story of this award-winning cheese. It starts with the beautiful clean grasses of Otter Creek’s organic fields, where 180 farmstead Holsteins graze and produce flavorful milk. It ends with that same milk being used to make cheddars tasting like the seasons in which they were crafted.

Made locally by Master Cheesemaker Bob Wills at nearby Cedar Grove Cheese in Plain, Wis., and released just this week, Otter Creek’s Fall Organic Cheddar is now 11 months old (each season’s cheese is aged and released one year later for peak flavor). So how exactly does Fall Cheddar taste?

“The cows that produced this cheese grazed on Wisconsin pastures of mature rye, alfalfa, clover and late season annuals,” says Bartlett Durand, of Otter Creek Organic Farm. “As the grass peaks in flavor, so does the milk. Good milk makes good cheese, and although the strength of the seasonal cheddars depends primarily on the amount of time they are aged, the Fall is relatively the strongest flavor, and the one my cheesemaker most prefers.”

Otter Creek Cheddar has gained recognition at several prestigious award competitions, winning ribbons at both the 2007 U.S. Cheese Championship Contest and the 2007 American Cheese Society Competition. Retailers have also recognized its unique taste, showcasing the remarkable Otter Creek Seasonal Cheddars in promotions and educational pieces, often pairing two seasons with the always-available Pesto cheddar.

So how does a seasonal cheddar come into being? It began with Otter Creek Organic Farm owners Gary and Rosie Zimmer, who started in the 1970s, raising their children on the land and instilling in them an interest in agriculture and conservation. In 1994, with their son, Nicholas, they purchased Otter Creek farm in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin.

Originally a crop farm, the family decided to move into organic dairy and bought 40 dairy cows. Nicholas Zimmer and three other families now run Otter Creek Organic Farm, a 1,200-acre farmstead that includes 180 Holsteins, pastured-raised beef and hogs, free-range poultry, and Local Choice Farm Market, where Otter Creek Farm products are sold locally.

In March, the Zimmers were named the 2008 MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year by the board of directors of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. In addition, the farm has been recognized by national environmental organizations for its role in protecting wildlife, caring for the environment, treating livestock humanely, and engaging in fair, safe labor practices. Gary Zimmer is today an international speaker sought after for his unique research in how to farm sustainably using mineralized, balanced agriculture.

So the next time you see Otter Creek Seasonal Cheddars in a store near you, check it out.

Around Green County, they’re known as the “Buholzer Boys” and boy, do they know how to make cheese.

Klondike Cheese has been a fixture in Monroe, Wis., since 1925. Today, venerable Master Cheesemaker Ron Buholzer and his brothers Steve and Dave, own this third-generation Wisconsin cheese company, with a fourth generation involved in day-to-day operations and ready to someday take over the reins.

The Buholzer Boys, as they are fondly called, are some the nicest, most fun guys you’re ever going to meet. In fact, the term “he’d give the shirt off his back,” was probably crafted just for them.

Klondike Cheese flies mostly under the radar of the media and even consumers. Google Klondike and the you’ll find information about ice cream bars, a solitaire web game, and the gold rush in the Yukon Territory in 1897, but no cheese. You also will most likely never find a Klondike cheese label in the marketplace — despite the fact this company makes 35 million pounds of feta, muenster, brick and havarti cheese annually.

That’s because the 1.28 million gallons of milk from 85 locally family-owned dairy farms that Klondike turns into cheese every month is sold under as 100 different private labels — buyers purchasing Klondike cheese and putting their own labels on it. Their feta is sold under the popular “Odyssey” brand.

There’s no doubt about it — the Buholzer boys make good cheese, evidenced by the many awards they’ve won over the years. This past year, they were named the Small Business of the year by the SBA and earlier this month, Ron was interviewed by the BBC as one of five U.S. business men and women asked to give their opinion on the upcoming presidential election.

The Buholzers also believe in buying locally whenever possible to support their local economy and other small family owned businesses in their community. They are members of countless industry organizations, have served on numerous boards, and have given generously to local charities and organizations, although you’d rarely know it because they fly under the radar and do most of it anonymously.

The end product — high quality cheese — is what’s important to the Buholzers. Making cheese, even with automated equipment, is still an art. It’s not something you learn out of a book. It takes years to do it right.

So the next time you buy Odyssey feta or one of the various private labels of havarti, brick or muenster coming out of Wisconsin, there’s a good chance you’re eating Klondike cheese. Be sure to thank the Buholzer boys.

Sheep’s milk cheeses are hot. Long considered one of my favorite types of cheeses (give me an aged sheep’s milk cheese over a hunk of cheddar any day) — the media seems to have discovered Wisconsin and our sheep’s milk cheesemakers. Whoo-hoo!

First, there was an article in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal declaring sheep’s milk cheeses to be one of the Top 10 Foods to eat this fall. Our very own Brenda Jensen of Hidden Springs Creamery made the cut with her Ocooch Mountain.

And then in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, there is a full page plus feature with lots o’ color photos of sheep’s milk cheesemakers, including the Wisconsin Dairy Sheep Co-op, Sid Cook at Carr Valley Cheese and once again, Wisconsin’s sweetheart: Brenda Jensen.

If you haven’t yet tried Wisconsin sheep’s milk cheeses, now is the perfect time. I would highly recommend the following:

Ocooch Mountain — this 4-6 month aged sheep’s milk cheese by Hidden Springs Creamery is not only a blue-ribbon winner, it’s becoming one of Wisconsin’s most famous cheeses — featured everywhere from Murray’s Cheese in New York to Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco. You can get it in Wisconsin at Larry’s Market in Brown Deer and Fromagination in Madison.

Dante — this aged sheep’s milk cheese is made by Bob Wills for the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative. I consider this a good cross-over cheese — if you’re throwing a party with a bunch of guests whose cheese experience is limited to cheddar and colby, this is a nice, mild sheep’s milk cheese that will introduce them to the more bolder flavors of Wisconsin artisan cheeses. This cheese is available at lots of retail outlets.

Gran Canaria — this is a mixed milk cheese of sheep, goat and cow made by Sid Cook of Carr Valley. I almost always have a hunk of this cheese in my fridge — it’s a personal favorite and a crowd pleaser. I’ve even got my friend, Holly hooked on this cheese and this is a woman who still buys Velveeta. Hey, people, I’m trying …

Faarko — another mixed milk cheese, this time sheep and cow’s milk, is made by Bob Wills at Cedar Grove Cheese. This is another excellent “starter” cheese — serve to your artisan cheese virgin guests without telling them it’s a sheep’s milk cheese and they’ll love it. Then spring the sheep part on them and they won’t believe it. Yummy.

Trade Lake Cedar — this robust raw sheep milk cheese is a LoveTree Farmstead Cheese original made by Mary Falk. It’s a natural rind cheese that is aged on boughs of cedar branches in Mary’s fresh air-aging cave. You can really only buy it at farmer’s markets in the Twin Cities — Mary sells almost all of her cheese in Minnesota. Mary just did a great interview on NPR — listen here.

You can’t go wrong with Wisconsin sheep’s milk cheeses!

In exciting news, a Wisconsin dairy artisan is now crafting a fresh sheep’s milk feta, and as usual, we have a chef and a slew of cheesemaker mentors to thank for it.

Farmstead Feta, made by Brenda Jensen of Hidden Springs Creamery, is a fresh, farmstead sheep’s milk feta that doesn’t taste like any feta you’ve ever had. It has a creamy texture and less salty flavor than your classic feta — it’s very fluffy and dreamy. And it can be yours for upwards of $20 a pound at retail outlets such as Fromagination.

It’s worth every penny, says every person I’ve seen taste it. The cheese itself was inspired by Chef Jack Kaestner of the Oconomowoc Club, who has been asking Brenda to make him a sheep’s milk feta for months for use at his restaurant.

Brenda delivered. After a few mentoring sessions with Wisconsin cheesemakers Al Bekkum and Tom Torkelson, and the loaning of feta cheese forms from nearby K& K Cheese, Wisconsin can now add sheep’s milk feta to the list of 600 varieties, types and styles of cheese now being made in the state.

I had the exceptional honor to visit Brenda at her farmstead cheese operation last Friday, where the raspberries are at full peak (I strategically stopped us near the patch for a quick interview and continuously ate berries at full speed while writing at the same time). The dairy sheep are just beginning to dry up for the winter before lambing again in January, so I was lucky to be there while she is still making cheese.

Brenda crafts her feta (along with her famous fresh Driftless cheese, Ocooch Mountain and Bad Axe) in a 200-gallon vat in a cheesrie she and her husband, Dean, built into the side of a hill across from their farmhouse. The 200-gallon vat is a big step up from her original 40-gallon vat, in which she had to use herself as the agitator (often stirring for 90 continuous minutes — and I wonder where she gets her muscles?) She then packs the feta in five-gallon buckets and sells to a host of local retailers and chefs.

While the feta is just starting with local distribution, her other Hidden Springs cheeses are now available at Murray’s Cheese in New York and the Cowgirl Creamery outlets in San Francisco and Washington D.C.

She says orders have really picked up in the last month since ACS — where she won a jaw-dropping eight awards for her sheep’s milk cheeses. She’s now using ALL of her sheep milk production, plus purchasing ALL of a neighbor’s sheep milk for her cheeses. And, she’s planning on expanding — she’ll add 40 ewes next spring and her farmer is considering doubling his herd.

More sheep’s milk = more sheep’s milk cheese, and if you’re a fan of Hidden Springs, that means more cheese in a store near you. Whoo-hoo!

It’s official: I have the greatest job in the world. I get to taste great cheese, talk to the people who make it, and then tell you more than you ever wanted to know about each one.

I was reminded just how fabulous my life is this past weekend, as I was talking with Gerry and Elise Heimerl of Saxon Homestead Creamery. The co-owners of this single farm creamery in Cleveland, Wis., were in Fromagination, tasting their latest and greatest cheeses: Green Fields and Big Ed’s.

Green Fields continues to be an excellent cheese — it pairs well with a good stout beer and is one of those cheeses that, like a nice guy, you can take home to mom and she’ll approvingly nod her head, smile, and fix him a sandwich.

And then there’s Big Ed’s. The last time I had this cheese was in May. It was pretty good. My daughter even liked it, and believe me, that’s a credible endorsement.

However, Big Ed’s is now worthy of being named an official stop short cheese — it’s got a big, bold flavor that brings you to a complete halt. It’s like bringing home a bandanna-wrapped, tattooed biker dude and watching your mother’s jaw drop when you jump off the back of his motorcycle.

Gerry & Elise tell me their Big Ed’s is now 10 months old. However, they only have about 30 wheels of left. In good news, they are making more. The less good news is it takes 10 months to taste this amazing.

Fear not, this is one cheese worth waiting for. You can bet Big Ed would be proud.

If you’re interesting in learning more about the hazards and challenges of farmstead cheesemaking, tune in TODAY at 3 p.m. CST on National Public Radio.

Host Jean Feraca, of Here on Earth, Radio Without Borders, will interview Felix Thalhammer of Capri Cheesery and Mary Falk of LoveTree farm.

NPR is billing the show this way: “One has a bum knee, another fell in a fence pole hole, a third is struggling with Lymes disease. They are all artisan cheese-makers, some of Wisconsin’s finest. Join us for the hazards and challenges of farmstead cheese-making.”

Sounds like a good interview!

A new report issued by the National Agricultural Statistics Service shows Wisconsin milk production totaled 2.10 billion pounds in July, up 7 million pounds from July 2007. During the past couple of years, Wisconsin’s milk production has slowly and steadily increased, which is good news for our cheese plants — more milk means more cheese.

As of August 1 ,2008, Wisconsin had 13,635 licensed milk cow herds, more than any other state in the nation. However, even though we have more farms, we have less milk cows than California and other states are ramping up their dairy farm production.

Reports show that California and Wisconsin continue to be the top two producers of milk, but, for the first time, this past month Idaho passed New York for third place. The number of milk cows in New York had remained steady over the past year, while Idaho added 40,000 cows. The additional cows combined with a higher milk per cow helped push Idaho’s total production past New York into third place.

See this chart for an interesting comparison of milk production around the country — it shows up-and-coming dairy powerhouse states such as Texas and New Mexico are producing as much as 18 percent more milk than they did a year ago.

What does this mean for Wisconsin? Well, commodity cheese production will probably continue to move and be outsourced to the West — but it won’t be in California. No new cheese plants have been sited in the land of happy cows since 2002, largely because of strict environmental standards.

So where are the big plants going? Look at the chart where milk production is increasing — Texas and New Mexico. Some of the biggest cheese plants in the nation are located in these two states — pumping out millions of pounds of mozzarella cheese for pizza and commodity cheddar.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to support Wisconsin artisan and specialty cheese makers. We continue to be the nation’s leader in cheese production. We have some big plants in Wisconsin that help with these numbers, but we have something else that no other state has: a huge diversity in the number and size of cheese plants dotted around the state — 124 in total.

Of these 124 plants, 83 are crafting at least one type of specialty cheese – and that number is only going to increase. In fact, since 2004, 34 new dairy plants have opened in America’s Dairyland and 54 more have expanded. The majority of these plants are small, value-added and farmstead operations — dairy farmers cutting out the middle man and stabilizing farm income by diversifying their operations.

And, while these new plants and expansions can’t compare in size with the mega dairy plants of Texas, New Mexico and even California, there is no comparison between the quantity and quality of Wisconsin artisan and specialty cheeses and those made elsewhere — nearly 50 percent of all specialty cheese made in this country is made in Wisconsin.

If you’re planning a visit to Wisconsin in the near future, or if you live here and are looking for a good day trip, request a Traveler’s Guide to America’s Dairyland from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. There are hundreds of cheese plants and retail stores just waiting for you to visit.

On Wisconsin!