Tag Archives: Cheese Club

February Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese ClubSaint Nectaire cheeseSaint Nectaire AOC
Semi-soft Cheese
Auvergne, France

This semi-soft, washed-rind cheese comes from the Auvergne region of France. It is made from either raw or pasteurized cow’s milk, sourced primarily from breeds like Salers or Montbéliarde. The paste is soft and aromatic with a creamy color. It is slightly sweet and has subtle flavors of hazelnut with an almost spice-like after-bite.

Saint Nectaire is distinguished with the prestigious AOC designation and it undergoes a maturation period lasting six to eight weeks. Throughout this process, the cheeses are washed with salted water and regular turned over to cultivate the specific orange-grey rind. the cheeses are aged on rye straw to impart a distinct pungency.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
For a wine, pair with this month’s sweet club selection: Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Old Vine Muscat. For beer, enjoy this semi-soft, washed-rind cheese with a Belgian Saison.

WINESTYLES: Nectar
BEERSTYLES: Fruity & Spicy

Information & Photos © Zuercher & Co. and Cheese.com – All Rights Reserved.

Blue Stilton Reserve CheeseClawson Farms
Reserve Blue Stilton Cheese
Leicestershire, England

This traditional cheese is still made by hand in just three English counties: Leicester, Derby, and Nottingham. It has long been valued for its ability to evoke the flavors of the past. Beneath its rough, mottled grey-brown rind lies an ivory paste threaded with greenish-blue veins of mold. The texture is dense and fudge-like, and the flavor is gently fruity with a mellow richness.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
For a wine, pair with this month’s sweet club selection: Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Old Vine Muscadelle. For beer, enjoy this English cheese with an English barleywine.

WINESTYLES: Nectar
BEERSTYLES: Dark & Roasty

About Clawson Farms:
Clawson Farms is a farmer-owned co-operative founded in 1912 in Long Clawson, Leicestershire, now made up of around 30 local farms within a 30-mile radius. With over a century of cheese-making heritage, the creamery blends traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation to produce award-winning British cheeses like Blue Stilton, Shropshire Blue, and Aged Rutland Red. Clawson remains committed to sustainability, animal welfare, and community values, recently unveiling a refreshed brand identity that celebrates its roots while inviting a new generation to discover its cheeses. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Zuercher & Co. and Clawson Farms – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

January Cheese Club: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Cheese ClubLaClare Family Creamery Maple Bourbon Goat CheeseLaClare Family Creamery
Maple Bourbon
Goat Cheese
Malone, Wisconsin

LaClare’s original goat cheese is blended with sweet maple and is complemented by an aromatic bourbon flavor. Enjoy as a delicious snack spread on crackers or paired with fresh fruit.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
This cheese pairs beautifully with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon. For our beer lovers, pair this goat cheese with stouts and dark ales.

WINESTYLES: Bold
BEERSTYLES: Dark & Roasty

About the Creamery:
LaClare is one of the only 100%-domestically produced goat cheese brands in the country; milk is sourced exclusively from local dairies. With respect to sustainability, transparency, and tradition, their innovative cheesemakers create unrivaled cheese to please palates with clean, fresh flavor profiles that cannot be imitated. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © LaClare Family Creamery. – All Rights Reserved.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Toma Background RemovedPoint Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
Toma
Cow’s Milk
Point Reyes Station, California

In Italian, “Toma” often refers to a wheel of cheese made by the farmer herself… a perfect way to describe this cheese. It is Point Reyes’ most versatile, any time, any table cheese. All natural, pasteurized, semi-hard table cheese with a waxed rind.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
This cheese can pair well with a variety of flavors… try serving with hop-heavy beers, Pinot Noirs or a barrel-aged scotch.

WINESTYLES:Bold or Mellow
BEERSTYLES:Hoppy

About Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.:
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company is a culmination of a family’s agricultural legacy. Founded by their great-grandfather, their California dairy farm has transformed over the years. In the 1990s, seeking a more sustainable path, the Giacomini sisters returned to the farm and transitioned it into an artisanal cheesemaking operation. Their handcrafted cheese, like the signature Original Blue and Toma, continues the family tradition of producing high-quality products while honoring their love for the land. In July 2013, Point Reyes story was featured on Jane Pauley’s segment on NBC’s Today Show (video below). Learn more here.

The Giacomini family.

The first day of cheesemaking, August 1, 2000

Bob Giacomini, 1980

Information & Photos © Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

January Cheese Club: West Des Moines, Iowa

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Cheese ClubJura Montagne Le Superbe
Jura Montagne
Cow’s Milk
Switzerland

Strong winds sweep across the rugged Jura plateau, shaping a landscape of high moors, rocky outcrops, dark forests, and meadows filled with aromatic herbs. In this remote setting at La Tourbière, Jura Montagne takes its character from the land itself.

Its defining quality comes from intensely flavorful mountain milk. Long, snowy winters allow hardy alpine herbs to thrive, giving the milk depth and aroma. Made from untreated fresh milk sourced from cows fed only hay and herbs from mountain pastures, Jura Montagne is still crafted by local cheesemakers using traditional methods handed down through generations.

The wheels are then given time to mature in traditional cellars, where they are regularly turned and washed with a special brine. After six to ten months of careful aging, Jura Montagne emerges as a distinctive cheese shaped by its natural surroundings.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Enjoy with Rich style white wines, or pair with a craft beer Ale. Enjoy with one of these delicious recipes from Le Superbe>

WINESTYLES: Rich
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

Fior delle AlpiLe Superbe
Fior delle Alpi
Cow’s Milk
Switzerland

Pure mountain air, fertile soils rich with wild herbs, and fresh alpine milk come together in a small mountain dairy where tradition still matters. From this setting comes Fior delle Alpi, a Swiss mountain cheese wrapped in a distinctive black rind.

Its aroma recalls warm milk from childhood kitchens, while the flavor carries gentle crystals of salt that slowly dissolve on the tongue. Fior delle Alpi has a clear, unmistakable character shaped by its remote alpine home. Cows grazing on herb-filled pastures produce milk with a naturally spicy, rounded aroma, which defines the cheese’s depth and maturity. In the steamy, smoke-filled mountain dairy, each wheel is still made by hand, following a time-honored recipe.

After production, the cheese is cared for patiently in the cellars of Lustenberger & Durst, where it rests for at least twelve months. Only when it has fully developed its character does the master affineur approve it for release, ensuring every wheel reaches its true expression.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS: Enjoy with lighter white and red wines or Pilsner craft beer.  Enjoy with one of these delicious recipes from Le Superbe>

WINESTYLES: Crisp & Mellow
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

ABOUT LE SUPERBE:
For over 160 years, Lustenberger & Dürst and its LeSuperbe brand have stood for the fine art of Swiss cheese-making, making Lustenberger & Dürst SA one of the oldest cheese maturing companies in Switzerland with almost 100 employees. The cheese specialities are produced exclusively for Lustenberger & Dürst by partner cheese dairies and then carefully matured in the ageing cellars in Hünenberg (ZG, Central Switzerland) or Heitenried (FR, Western Switzerland). More than 8,100 tons of cheese are processed annually with modern packaging systems in Hünenberg and exported to over 40 countries. Learn more here.

Information and photo © Zuercher & Co. and Le Superbe – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

November Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese Clubbeurre-douxIsigny Sainte-Mère Cooperative
Beurre de Baratte
Normandy, France

Beurre de Baratte is made exclusively from the best milk from Normandy, which is distinguished by its exceptional richness in fat, protein and vitamins. Exhaling sweet notes of hazelnut and milk, Isigny’s butter comes from an old-fashioned and traditional churning process. It is the slow maturation that allows the cream to develop.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
A crisp, minerally white wine like a Chablis or Muscadet works beautifully. Their acidity cuts through the butter’s richness without overwhelming its delicate flavor. Champagne or other quality dry sparkling wines are also excellent—with their fine bubbles and bright acidity, they provide a clean contrast and enhance the buttery texture. For beer, a light, effervescent beer such as a Belgian Saison or a Pilsner balances the butter’s richness with gentle spice, dryness, and carbonation.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

About the Cooperative:
The Isigny Sainte-Mère Cooperative traces its origins to the establishment of a dairy in Chef-du-Pont near Sainte-Mère-Église, where by 1910 it was receiving 11,000 litres of milk from 90 farms. Just a year later, production had grown to 6 million litres with 200 members contributing. In 1932, 42 milk producers around Isigny-sur-Mer united to market Isigny butter, cream, and Normandy cheeses, forming the Isigny-sur-Mer Dairy Cooperative. The idea of merging the Isigny-sur-Mer and Sainte-Mère-Église cooperatives emerged in 1979 and was realized in 1980, creating the Isigny Sainte-Mère Cooperative. This united organization expanded its collection areas and built on a shared commitment to producing high-quality dairy products. Over time, it has adapted to challenges while preserving its cooperative model and values of dedication, quality, and collective purpose, maintaining its focus on transforming exceptional raw materials into renowned products that showcase the region’s unique terroir to customers around the world. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Isigny Sainte-Mère Cooperative. – All Rights Reserved.

feta-voras-cheeseEssex Cheese
Feta Voras
Florina, Greece

Feta Voras is made in the far Northwestern corner of Greece, in the province of Florina. This is mountainous land, covered in wildflowers and herbs. It’s about as far away from the island of Lesbos and M. Tastanis’s feta as you can get and still be in Greece, but the cheese is still proper feta, recognized with the PDO protected status for traditional feta. The small third generation firm, run by brothers Andreas and Sokratis, makes a creamy, crumbly cheese that you’ll want as a staple in your home. Essex St. Cheese is the exclusive importer.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Reach for a Sauvignon Blanc (especially from Loire or New Zealand) as their crisp acidity and minerality will cut through the feta’s saltiness while highlighting its tangy, fresh flavor. For beer, a Belgian-style wheat beer (Witbier) will work well. Its soft, citrus, light spice and subtle yeastiness with complement the feta without overwhelming it.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Crisp or Fruity & Spicy

About Essex Cheese:
Essex Street Cheese, founded in New York City in 2006, imports a small selection of iconic European cheeses. From the beginning, the company has focused on working directly with cheesemakers and agers to choose consistently flavorful wheels, starting with Comté from Fort St. Antoine at the Essex Street Market on Delancey Street. Today, it maintains that same focused approach, bringing in only a few classic cheeses and shipping them from the source to New York with minimal time spent in warehouses. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Essex Cheese – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

October Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese ClubapricityAlemar Cheese Company
Apricity
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Apricity, meaning “the warmth of the winter sun,” is Alemar’s newest cheese, crafted from grass-fed cow’s milk and inspired by cheesemaker Charlotte’s time working with small goat’s milk cheeses. Weighing just four ounces, this fluffy, delicate geo-rind lactic-set cheese has been described as the champagne of cheeses—light, airy, and crisp, yet full of flavor and warmth. Its buttery, tangy body reveals notes of tahini and fermented fruit, while aging brings a denser, fudgier texture and the development of a cream line with a balanced barnyardy funk. The rind, reminiscent of a small apple, is both delicate and flavorful, and intended to be eaten. With no single “ideal age,” Apricity offers unique character whether enjoyed fresh from the ripening room or after a few months. Each cheese is hand-portioned and shaped, and the subtle variations between batches highlight its truly artisanal, hand-crafted nature.

Awards: American Cheese Society – 2023 Best in Class

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Apricity is delightful when paired with white wines, ciders, honey, crisp or sour beers.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean or Sour, Tart & Funky

About the Creamery:
Alemar Cheese Company, founded in 2008 by Keith Adams and named after his daughters Alexandra and Mariel, began in southern Minnesota with a single Camembert-style cheese, Bent River, made from gently pasteurized milk from grass-fed cows, and quickly gained national acclaim. Over time, it expanded its line to include cheeses like Blue Earth Brie, Good Thunder, St. James, Boom Island, and Apricity—each still made from grass-fed cow’s milk produced by their trusted local farm. In 2019, Alemar relocated to the Food Building in Northeast Minneapolis, joining a community of artisan food makers, and in 2021 brought on Head Cheesemaker Charlotte Serino to bring precision and new creativity to its offerings. Today, Alemar centers its mission on crafting fine, small-batch cheeses in Minnesota, rooted in wholesome milk, careful technique, and continuous experimentation. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Alemar Cheese Co. – All Rights Reserved.

cabra-lamanchaFirefly Farms
Cabra La Mancha
Maryland

Inspired by cheeses produced high in the Pyrenees mountains of northern Spain’s Basque region. As the cheese ages for 90 days, the cheese makers hand wash, dry brush, and flip each one of these brined orange beauties over and over again until they’re ready. Bello!

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Try this cheese with an Albariño for some bright acidity to balance the tanginess of the cheese. For beer, try with a Belgian Saison whose dry, slightly peppery notes can cut through the creaminess of the cheese.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Fruity & Spicy

Additional Notes:
The semi-soft, washed-rind favorite with a Spanish accent. Tilting at Iberian windmills seemed overrated. Instead, Firefly Farms tried tilting at Iberian creameries (no cheesemakers were harmed in the process). Lo and behold, as they rode off into the sunset, they realized they had speared wheels of washed-rind cheese on their lances (aka tongues). The fruit of their bravery and their quest: to recreate the taste of those wheels and avoid the necessity of further armed conflict.

About the Creamery:
Not all milk is created equal. Firefly Farms works with local farmers to create fair pricing, long-term sustainability, and most important of all, happy goats and cows whose milk makes for delicious cheese and a thriving local economy. They test every load of milk from every farmer; and as the components and quality of their milk improves, so does their cheese. They use only four simple ingredients to make their cheeses, and they are free of additives, preservatives, or stabilizers. All the cultures and enzymes used in cheese making, including vegetarian rennet and surface ripening cultures, are free of bio-engineered or genetically modified ingredients. They always use fresh, local milk and never use frozen curd. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Firefly Farms – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

September Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese ClubKingston-Gorgonzola-CheeseKingston CoOp Creamery
Amish Gorgonzola
Cambria, Wisconsin

Rich, savory and accessible with a bold, yet balanced bite. It’s a perfect match for flavor-enhancing pairings like candied walnuts, apples or a refreshing pale ale.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Try this cheese with a bold wine, such as a Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon. Or, for something lighter (and our beer lovers), enjoy with a refreshing pale ale.

WINESTYLES: Bold
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean

About the Creamery:
This unique creamery is entirely founded, staffed, and operated by members of the local Amish community. Established in 1975 as an offshoot of Indiana’s Elkhart-LaGrange Amish settlement, the Kingston Amish community remains deeply committed to Old Order traditions. Their dedication to sustainable dairy farming and ethical land stewardship is evident in every wheel of cheese they produce. Kingston sources milk exclusively from over 85 member farms, all of which follow traditional Amish practices including hand milking, pasture grazing, and horse-drawn carriage milk collection. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

1057-cheddar-emailSomerdale and Millbrook Dairy
1057
Extra Mature Scottish Cheddar
Scotland

Somerdale proudly partners with Millbrook Dairy to supply the distinctive 1057 Scottish Cheddar. Traditionally made in Scotland and aged for over 12 months, this cheddar develops deep savory notes balanced by smooth, lingering creaminess. It has a firm, crumbly texture with bold, tangy character and a sharp finish.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Try this cheese with a Syrah/Shiraz for dark fruit and spice or an oaked Chardonnay for buttery richness that complements its sharp, nutty character. For beer, choose a Scottish Ale, whose malty sweetness balances the cheddar’s tang and saltiness.

WINESTYLES: Fruity or Rich
BEERSTYLES: Malty

Additional Notes:
Named after the year Macbeth, the last Celtic King of Scotland carelessly lost his head, 1057 celebrates Scotland’s bold heritage with an equally bold cheese.  Hand-selected by experts David Evans and Kevin Beer, only the finest cheddars made from Scottish milk are considered. Each wheel must meet exacting standards: the right firmness, a rugged, crumbly texture, and a flavor that balances full creaminess with bold, punchy character. The result is a robust, extra mature cheddar that embodies the best of Scotland (rich, distinctive and fit for a king).

Information & Photos © Zuercher & Co. and Millbrook Dairy – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

August Cheese Club: Iowa

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grape leaf wrapped sheep milk cheeseBlakesville Creamery
Pecuri in l Vigne
Sheep’s Milk
Wisconsin

Pecuri in l Vigne (Italian for sheep in the vineyard) is a fresh sheep’s milk cheese. These rindless disks are only about three days old when they’re enrobed in muscat wine-soaked grape leaves and vacuum sealed. Best served brushed with olive oil and grilled. The flavor is fresh, bright and lemony, with a hint of wood smoke.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pairs beautifully with a Chianti, whose bright acidity and earthy red fruit notes complement the cheese’s tangy, nutty profile. For a craft beer option, try a Belgian Dubbel—its malty sweetness and dark fruit flavors echo the richness and complexity of this semi-aged sheep’s milk cheese.

WINESTYLES: Fruit
BEERSTYLES: Malty

Information & Photos © Zuercher – All Rights Reserved.

chili goudaCentral Coast Creamery
Hatch Chili Cheddar
Paso Robles, California

Indulge in the vibrant flavor of Central Coast Creamery’s Hatch Chili Cheddar. This cheese masterfully blends rich, creamy cheddar with the mild heat of roasted Hatch green chilis, offering a unique taste experience. This cheddar has a rich, buttery texture complemented by the subtle smokiness and sweetness of Hatch green chilis. Great pairing for summer grilled foods, especially on a grilled burger with a glass of Geyser Peak Merlot.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pairs perfectly with a Riesling—its off-dry sweetness and crisp acidity balance the cheese’s creamy texture and mild heat. For a craft beer pairing, go with a West Coast IPA, whose citrusy bitterness contrasts the richness and highlights the smoky warmth of the Hatch chiles.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Hoppy

ABOUT THE CREAMERY:
Central Coast Creamery’s story is uniquely rooted in experience and family. Founder Reggie began his dairy industry career in 1991, working in a cheese company’s quality lab before gaining expertise across the field—from whey refining to bacteria culture sales. He and his wife Kellie, a Cal Poly alumna, dreamed of starting their own creamery for years while raising their three daughters in Modesto, California. In 2012, the family made that dream a reality by relocating to Paso Robles—a place Kellie had loved since college—for its growing wine region and thriving community of craft beer, artisan spirits, and fine food. Today, their creamery reflects decades of industry knowledge and a shared passion for quality, family, and the Central Coast lifestyle. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Central Coast Creamery and Zuercher. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

July Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese ClubArtikaas-Spring-Milk-GoudaArtikaas
Youngsters First Milk Gouda
Holland

A little taste of Holland. This gouda is made with milk that is collected from cows that have had their first taste of Spring’s tender grasses. Artikaas turns their rich, nutritious milk into irresistibly smooth Gouda.

FLAVOR PROFILE:
4-6 week aged, milk, creamy, smooth

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Try a crisp Chardonnay or a refreshing dry cider. The bright acidity and fruity notes in either beverage beautifully complement the cheese’s creamy texture and subtle sweetness, enhancing its fresh, yet rich flavor.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Crisp & Clean or Fruity

RECIPE IDEAS: Want to think outside the cheese board? Try Artikaas’ Hatch Chile Cheese Fondue recipe! Click here >

ABOUT THE CREAMERY:
Artikaas has been a family run cheesemaker in Holland for over six generations. They make Gouda as they always have — meticulously, without shortcuts, with respect for nature, and using only the best milk from family farms.

Information & Photos © Artikaas. – All Rights Reserved.

shropshire_blueClawson Farms
Shropshire Blue
Leicestershire, England

An absolute standout, Shropshire Blue gets its rich golden-orange color from natural annatto, derived from the berry of the achiote tree. This award-winning British blue cheese is fudgy, gently tangy, and irresistibly meltable. With a creamy, mellow flavor that still carries plenty of character, it’s the perfect gateway to blue cheese. Beloved by food lovers, it’s hard to beat for melting onto a crostini, especially with a spoonful of red onion marmalade.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pair with a Riesling Spätlese—its vibrant acidity and touch of sweetness balance the cheese’s tang and richness. For beer, an English strong ale offers malty warmth that complements the cheese’s fudge-like texture and savory depth.

WINESTYLES: Fruity
BEERSTYLES: Fruity & Spicy

RECIPE IDEAS: Try this delicious cheese on a flaky phyllo dough (what’s not to love?).  You’ll love this recipe for Shropshire Blue Tart >

ABOUT CLAWSON FARMS:
Clawson Farms is a farmer-owned co-operative founded in 1912 in Long Clawson, Leicestershire, now made up of around 30 local farms within a 30-mile radius. With over a century of cheese-making heritage, the creamery blends traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation to produce award-winning British cheeses like Blue Stilton, Shropshire Blue, and Aged Rutland Red. Clawson remains committed to sustainability, animal welfare, and community values, recently unveiling a refreshed brand identity that celebrates its roots while inviting a new generation to discover its cheeses. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Clawson Farms. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

June Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese ClubMD-MSGC-USAMeredith Dairy
Marinated Sheep & Goat Cheese
Australia

A creamy, spreadable blend of sheep and goat cheese, marinated in Australian extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and herbs. This luxurious cheese is incredibly addictive and versatile.

Meredith Dairy is committed to sustainability, growing their own animal feed and bedding straw, repurposing cheese whey as cattle feed, and using natural fertilizer. Every day, they craft cheese from freshly collected sheep and goat milk. Once formed, the fresh cheese is marinated in a blend of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and fresh thyme. The result is a luxuriously creamy, tangy, and well-balanced cheese.

Enjoy this marinated cheese spread over crusty bread, paired with grilled vegetables, or tossed into a salad. Don’t let the leftover marinating oil go to waste—it makes a delicious base for salad dressings.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pair it with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to highlight the cheese’s tangy brightness and complement the herbs in the marinade. For beer, try a Belgian-style Saison—its peppery notes and effervescence balance the richness beautifully.

WINESTYLES: Crisp
BEERSTYLES: Bitter

ABOUT THE CREAMERY:
Meredith Dairy is located about 50 miles west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Originally a farm dedicated to beef, lamb, and wool, it faced challenges when the sheep and wool industries declined in the 1990s. In response, owners Sandy and Julie Cameron turned to sheep and goat cheesemaking, ultimately establishing a farmstead dairy. They expanded their herd with more sheep and goats and built multiple milking platforms to support their new venture. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Meredith Dairy and Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Grafton Village Cheese Maple Smoked Cheddar CheeseGrafton Village Cheese Co.
Maple Smoked Cheddar Cheese
Grafton, Vermont

A New England classic. This young cheddar is cold-smoked over maple and hardwood for up to four hours, imparting the signature aroma and satisfying flavor of this classic cheese.

Grafton’s Maple Smoked Cheddar has a mild, buttery body with heady aromas of campfire and smoked ham. A sweet finish recalls memories of toasted marshmallows.

This is a versatile cheese that can occupy nearly any culinary slot. Pair with dried apricots, pickled ramps and cured meats for a cheese board. Maple Smoked Cheddar is a natural pairing with mustard and can add depth to a ham sandwich. It is a superb melter.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pair it with an Oregon Pinot Noir or a young California Merlot to complement the cheese’s smoky-sweet finish. For beer, a Vermont brown ale or rich porter enhances the maple and savory notes beautifully.

WINESTYLES: Fruity
BEERSTYLES: Malty

ABOUT GRAFTON VILLAGE CHEESE CO.:
​Grafton Village Cheese, established in 1892 in Grafton, Vermont, began as a cooperative of local dairy farmers converting surplus raw milk into cheese. After a fire destroyed the original factory in 1912, the nonprofit Windham Foundation revived the company in the 1960s, aiming to support Vermont’s rural communities. Today, Grafton continues its tradition of handcrafting award-winning cheeses using premium unpasteurized milk sourced from small, local family farms. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Grafton Village Cheese Co. and Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >

May Cheese Club: Iowa

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Cheese Clubhuntsman-cheeseLong Clawson Dairy
Huntsman
Double Gloucester with Blue Stilton
Great Britain

Huntsman is the combination of two British classics—Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton—brought together through a layering process. Creamy, flavorful Stilton is sandwiched between and exterior of mellow, satiny Double Gloucester. It makes a perfect center-piece for a cheeseboard or enjoy with this recipe for a Huntsman burger>

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Try with a  Tawny Port for nutty complexity, or a Ruby Port for fruit-forward contrast.For beer, keep it simple, pair with a pint of a good, strong Ale.

WINESTYLES: Mellow, Bold or Nectar
BEERSTYLES: Malty & Sweet or Fruity

Information & Photos © Long Clawson Dairy and Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

rutland-red-cheeseLong Clawson Dairy
Rutland Red
Red Leicester
Great Britain

Made using a traditional recipe, Rutland Red is buttered, clothbound and matured for six months to produce a flaky, open texture cheese with a slightly sweet, caramelized flavor and rich golden-orange color. It is the the only pasteurized Red Leicester produced in the county of Leicestershire and is a farm favorite at Long Clawson Dairy. It is an award winning cheese, winning three golds at the Global Cheese Awards and four golds and the Tesco Red Leicester Trophy at the International Cheese Awards. Enjoy the Rutland Red with this recipe for Roasted Veg Filo Tarts>

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Pair with a Chardonnay to highlight the cheese’s creamy texture and nutty flavors, or a British Pale Ale to complement its mild, savory notes with a touch of hoppy bitterness.

WINESTYLES: Crisp or Rich
BEERSTYLES: Hoppy

ABOUT LONG CLAWSON DAIRY:
​Long Clawson Dairy, established in 1911 in the village of Long Clawson, Leicestershire, is a renowned British cheesemaker celebrated for its traditional methods and commitment to quality. Operating as a farmer-owned cooperative, the dairy sources milk from over 40 local farms—many of whom are descendants of the original 12—ensuring sustainability and community support. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Long Clawson Dairy and Zuercher & Co. – All Rights Reserved.

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

Match Made in Heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club! Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely! Click to learn more >