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Celebrate Cheese - Vive le Fromage

People have been making cheese for at least 5,000 years.  If you know your Greek mythology, you’ll remember the cheese-loving Cyclops in Homer’s Odyssey.  Legend has it blue cheese was created by accident 2,000 years ago.  Both Roquefort and Gorgonzola share a similar origin story.  Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory” (see ) was reportedly inspired by melting Camembert (you’ll never look at this surrealist painting the same way again).  It’s a pleasure to assemble a cheese board for tasting with guests.  We also enjoy cooking with cheese—if for no other reason that the fact that it is a popular ingredient in many recipes.  After searching repeatedly for substitutes for a particular cheese that we can’t find in local stores, we decided to put together our own cheese guide for the home cook.  In our humble opinion, this little guide goes a long way to help you make sense of all the cheese books out there.

Do the Ripe Thing

If you prefer to do your own research, a good place to start is World Cheese Book.  This lavishly illustrated book, edited by Juliet Harbutt, provides brief descriptions of over 750 cheeses around the world.  New Zealand’s Harbutt is a member of several cheese organizations in France.  American maitre fromager Max McCalman’s books are always a fun read; he likes to rate cheese on a 100-point system—just as some wine guides do for their subject.  Thanks to his pronunciation notes, we are reminded of the correct way to pronounce Gouda.  French affineur Roland Barthelemy’s “genealogical” approach in his Guide to Cheeses of the World makes it easy to see how different cheeses are related.  David Joachim’s The Food Substitutions Bible, as the name implies, is all about ingredient substitutions.

Click on the Legend/Resources tab below for a list of resources.  Click on the Festivals tab for a list of some of the cheese-related events around the world.  Click on the Calendar tab and follow our monthly cheese club.  If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area—or if you plan to visit—click on the Buy and Eat tabs and see where you can sample cheese in this part of California.

Moldy Goodies

Our research shows there is general consensus on two types of cheese:  fresh and blue.  Experts generally agree on what constitutes a fresh cheese; there is usually no mistaking what is a blue cheese.  The classification of all other cheeses is not as clear-cut.  One can certainly talk about the main ingredient:  the type of milk (cow’s milk being the most common) and whether it’s pasteurized.  Some authors use the type of rind as a guide; others prefer to focus on the processing method.  For the average person, we feel the least confusing choice is the texture of the interior (or paste).  So we have divided different cheeses into five categories:  fresh, blue, and for everything else, soft, medium, or hard.  In other words, we have decided to go with a combination of age, water content, and mold.  Keep in mind a cheese could fit into more than one category depending on its age.  There’s a sixth category that you won’t find in any cheese book—we like to think outside the box.

Just as we have a standard nutrition label for food products, there ought to be a standard label for cheese in this country.  If every cheese’s water content is specified, it would certainly make classification more objective.  In Italy, a cheese is considered soft if it contains 45 to 60 percent water, semi-hard if its moisture level is between 40 and 45 percent, or hard if it’s less than 40 percent.

Sheepshape

Some people swear by sheep’s milk cheese (ewe is the word for female sheep).  Sheep’s milk is what makes Roquefort stand out among all blue cheeses.  If you’re not familiar with this type of cheese, take our guide with you when you go shopping.  For those who enjoy lamb, try cooking with sheep’s milk cheese (you can’t go wrong with an Italian-style pecorino).

Raw Deal

Some cheese lovers feel strongly about raw-milk cheese.  These individuals believe it’s impossible to make great cheese from dead or pasteurized milk.  Since the U.S. government requires that all raw-milk cheese sold in this country must be aged at least 60 days, a number of the finest young raw-milk cheese from Europe would be considered contraband.  The French Brie available in America is the pasteurized version exported to countries like the U.S.  So for your next European vacation, you might want to schedule a little bit of cheese tasting.  According to Barthelemy, spring is the best time to sample a variety of cheeses in France.

Speaking of the cheese mecca…the production of raw-milk cheese in France continues to fall (its market share has dropped from 100 down to 10 percent in just 70 years).  Check out this 2014 Newsweek article.  Will raw-milk cheese suffer the same fate as analog (vinyl) audio or the pay phone?  Note that after hitting rock bottom in 2005, vinyl records have made a steady comeback.  Vinyl record sales in 2014 are the highest since 1990; turntable sales are up too.  So there may be hope for raw-milk cheese.

Fat Matter

Cheese is to milk what apple butter is to applesauce—think of cheese as concentrated milk. Since milk is the dominant ingredient, a cheese’s fat content is more or less determined by the type of milk used.  Skim milk, for instance, produces low-fat cheese.  To create a richer cheese, some producers add cream to the milk, resulting in what’s called a double-cream or triple-cream cheese.  In France, cheeses can be classified based on fat content, which is defined as the percentage of fat in dry matter (minus the water content).

 

Matiere Grasse (m.g.) or Fat in Dry Matter (IDM)
Category Fat Content (Percent) Cheese
Maigre (lean) Less than 20 Mostly fresh cheese, plus skim-milk cheese such as Bergues
Allege (light) 20-30 Mostly softer cheese
Normal 40-50 Mostly harder cheese and blue cheese
Double creme 60-75 Mostly soft cheese, plus other double-cream cheese such as Boursin
Triple creme More than 75 Mostly soft cheese

 

Note that even triple-cream cheese is not exactly ice cream.  The so-called foie gras cheese is not as high in fat as it appears.  When you factor in its moisture level, the amount of fat consumed per serving of a cream-enriched soft cheese may actually be lower than a harder cheese.  Keep in mind other countries calculate fat content differently.  As a fermented product, aged cheese poses less of a problem for lactose-intolerant people.  This is especially true of hard cheese, which goes through the longest aging period.

And the Award Goes To…

France and Italy are ahead of other countries in terms of quality, variety, and history.  For a small country, Switzerland has acquired quite a reputation (it helps to have a Swissophile like McCalman).  Did you know there’s one cow for every five people in Switzerland?  That’s a lot of cheese—and cow pies.  The U.S. and Germany are the biggest cheese producers.  As of 2011, the top five cheese consumers per capita are France, Iceland, Greece, Germany, and Finland.  The world of cheese is a dizzying array of looks, shapes, and sizes.  Real cheese is nothing like the sliced and individually wrapped processed cheese your mother put in your sandwich when you were young.  Some of them look like marble slabs (); others sport a wrinkled rind () that resembles the skin of a Shar Pei.  Some look like caramel candy () or chocolate truffles () gone wild.

Walk into a cheese shop in France and you’ll spot a Morbier () immediately because a wedge of this cheese could be mistaken for a slice of layer cake.  You’ll find a line of ash or chili in the center of other cheeses, but Morbier is probably the oldest one made this way.  A sliced Mimolette () looks like a spray-tanned cantaloupe.  The straw gives Sainte-Maure () that cheese-on-a-stick appearance.  After you cut open Humboldt Fog (), step back and admire the view.  It really looks like a Wayne Thiebaud painting (his series of cakes and pastries) come to life—that’s only fitting since it’s made by California’s Cypress Grove Chevre.

What is the most old-fashioned packaging?  Washington State University Creamery’s Cougar Gold () comes in a can—unusual for an aged cheese nowadays.  Sardinia’s Callu de Cabreddu () comes in the oddest package—if you can call it that—this cheese is encased in a baby goat’s stomach where it’s ripened (a cheese for the haggis aficionado?).  Another island, Corsica, whose local dialect is closer to Italian than French, also makes use of the kid’s stomach in the production of cheese.  Jonchee Niortaise, a fresh cheese sold locally in France, is wrapped in a mat made of water reeds.

The sexiest-looking cheese?  Spain’s Tetilla ().  Tete de Moine () from Switzerland has the most interesting shape, thanks to the girolle grater.  Our vote for favorite name is Blue Monday—if you are a fan of New Order—a blue cheese originally created by Harbutt and a member of Blur.  Along similar musical notes, Woodcock Farm makes a sheep’s milk cheese called Ewe II.  Another great name is Cato Corner Farm’s Dairyere, a double pun on Gruyere and donkey.  The most expensive cheese is made with any kind of uncommon milk from such animal as moose or donkey.

It takes a lot of milk to produce a good-sized hunk of cheese.  So it’s no surprise that most large cheeses are made from cow’s milk (even though cows have the lowest yield of cheese) while goat’s milk is often used to make small cheeses.  Bouton-de-Culotte weighs less than half an ounce (14 grams) when ripened.  Goat’s milk is also a popular choice for fresh cheese because flavor develops faster than sheep’s milk.  By contrast, cheddar can weigh over 50 pounds (23 kilograms).  But one of the heavyweights of the cheese world is Emmentaler, which weighs in at 220 pounds (100 kilograms).

Vive la Difference

The French are so serious about their favorite cheese, Comte, that they grade it on a scale of zero to 20.

 

Category No. of Points
Taste 3-9
Paste (color, feel, mouthfeel) 0-5
Appearance of the cut and eyes 0-3.5
Rind (texture, color) 0-1.5
Overall appearance 0-1
Total 20

 

Any Comte that scores below 12—or if it receives a zero in one of the four non-taste areas—is sold as Gruyere de Comte (not to be confused with Swiss Gruyere).  The highest-rated Comte carries a green label; the rest has a red label.  In the U.S., the only graded food that comes to mind is beef (prime/choice/select).  America is the land of hamburger, fries, and milk.  France is all about cheese, wine, and bread.  Perhaps this explains why a French astronaut took Picodon (a small goat cheese) aboard the space shuttle in 1996.

That’s Why They Call It Cheesecloth

Making your own fresh cheese is actually very simple—you will need cheesecloth for this.  Check out America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for saag paneer or Indian-style spinach with fresh cheese (episode #1322, 2013).  By the way, this PBS cooking show recommends Formaticum Cheese Bags to keep your cheese fresh in the fridge.

Cream of the Crop

The list below includes a select group of over 600 classic cheeses and some of the most popular cheeses around the world (dating back centuries in some cases).  When we talk about a cheese that’s made by only one vendor or in the case of a specific brand, we provide the name of that company.  Since this Web page is handmade in the U.S., we dig a little deeper into American cheese makers.  Because we have the home cook in mind, we decided to highlight all the cheeses that melt beautifully when cooked—not dissolve into nothing or turn oily and separated.  Blue cheese is known for its strong aroma and taste.  There are other cheeses that are even more pungent than the typical blue.  We highlight these for the adventurous connoisseur.  If the smell of fermented herring (surstromming) and durian doesn’t bother you, then these wedges are made for you.

Family Affair

We believe Barthelemy is onto something when he files cheeses under different families.  For example, it makes sense that some of the washed-rind cheese recipes developed at monasteries centuries ago should be lumped together.  Curiously, he places only two of the six prominent Loire Valley chevre (Pouligny-Saint-Pierre and Valencay) in the same family.  Since he is French, he must be aware of the subtle differences among these young goat cheeses.

Barthelemy’s classification is understandably Francocentric.  Indeed, of the 48 families outlined in his guide, only 12 are of non-French origin:  four from Italy, three from Switzerland, two each from Spain and the U.K., and one from the Netherlands.  We’ve no doubt he’s an expert on European cheeses, but how well does he know North and South American products?  A lot of people consider Monterey Jack an American original; he puts it in the cheddar family.  To be fair, he treats France’s beloved Comte as part of the Swiss Gruyere family.  Let’s see if we can all work together and improve on this family tree for cheese (they are in boldface in our directory).

A Taste of History

Food recipes and dining habits change over time.  You’d have to go to places like France and China to find classic recipes that remain popular today.  Other countries have very short food memory.  An American menu or cookbook from 100 years ago would seem like foreign language to Americans.  Who makes aspic anymore?  The situation with cheese is a different story because many classic recipes have survived.  As long as the same milk sources are available, what’s produced today could very well taste like the original recipe made centuries ago.  That’s why when you put a piece of classic cheese in your mouth, you are tasting history.  So we try to identify those cheeses that can be thought of as heritage cheeses.

One thing we wanted to clarify is whether the name of a cheese should be capitalized.  If it is based on a place or a person, it usually is capitalized.

Armchair Cheese Tasting

Until someone fills the void by making a cheese documentary, videos of cheese are largely found in cooking and travel shows.  (Rick Sebak, are you reading this?)  In Season 8 of Rick Steves’ Europe (first aired in 2014), he once again shares with viewers another memorable meal in France.  After he and his friend have sampled escargots, shrimp, duck, and lamb, the owner comes out with a wooden tray full of a dozen cheeses in all their glory.  This being the Loire Valley, goat cheeses are well represented.  Don’t miss “France’s Loire:  Chateau Country” (episode #803) on PBS.  For the record, the restaurant in question is L’Epicerie in Amboise.  You’ll catch a glimpse ( and ) of Sainte-Maure, Selles-sur-Cher, Valencay, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Feuille de Dreux, Langres, Reblochon, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Saint-Nectaire, Murol, and Fourme d’Ambert.  C’est formidable indeed.

In 2014, Globe Trekker produced “The Story of Cheese” (synopsis and trailer) as part of its “Planet Food” specials.  It’s a compilation of past cheese segments stitched together with new footage shot in England to create a coherent narrative.  The presenter is U.K. chef Rosie Lovell.  You’ll meet Harbutt and travel to France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Lebanon, and Turkey.  Philippe Olivier’s passion for raw-milk cheese will bowl you over.  Check your local PBS station schedule for the next rerun.

In the second of three episodes of Food: Delicious Science (), a 2017 documentary from BBC, we learn the flavor of each cheese is mostly determined by how it smells.  So how can Epoisses smell so bad but taste so good?  The answer is something called backward smelling.

Have It Your Whey

We cannot guarantee our directory is up-to-date at all times.  In the meantime, we want all you cheese heads to send us the names of three cheeses/brands that you feel should be included below.  You’ll get extra points if you can come up with unexpected substitutes (bottarga/botargo, anyone?).  And tell us what we should work on next.  Obvious subjects include wine/beer, coffee/tea, pastry/dessert, and fresh produce.

Memo to Cheese Producers

The Bay Area has its share of foodies as well as a sizable wine-and-cheese crowd.  The world-renown Wine Country (Napa and Sonoma) is, after all, right here in our own backyard.  The Judgment of Paris wine tasting in 1976 helped put California wine on the map.  Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse and Peet’s Coffee started an epicurean revolution in the 1970s.  Thanks to its agricultural heritage, the Bay Area is also home to artisan cheese makers.  So instead of waiting for retailers to come to you, click on the Where to Buy tab below and you’ll see a list of potential companies you can do business with.  Click on Bay Area Stats and check out the size of this market.

If anybody would like to take advantage of this site’s prime real estate, check out our sponsors program and drop us a line.


 

Fresh Cheese

Fresh cheese has no rind and high moisture.  It also has the lowest fat content and a relatively short shelf life.  As the name implies, fresh cheese is not aged or only aged briefly (a few days in general).  The texture of fresh cheese is usually soft and spoonable and sometimes crumbly.  Examples include ricotta and cream cheese.

 

Fresh Cheese (65+)
Name/Certification [Country, Milk, Flavor] [Heritage]
Company (Location, Web)
Similar Cheese/Substitution

Europe
beyaz peynir [TR, sheep or goat or cow] feta, paneer
Boulette de Cambrai [FR, raw or pasteurized, herbed] related Boulette cheeses: Boule des Moines, Boulette d’Avesnes
Boursin AOC [FR, plain or herbed or spiced] (boursin.com) Tartare, Boulamour, Rondele, Alouette, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], cream cheese/butter, chevre, double cream
Brocciu/Broccio AOC/PDO [FR, goat or sheep, raw] related cheeses: ricotta, requeson, manouri, Myzithra, Gaperon
Brousse du Rove [FR, goat or sheep or cow] Roves des Garrigues, Caprino Fresco, Innes Button, Pant-Ys-Gawn
Bryndza/Brinza PGI [SK, sheep or goat or cow] feta, aged chevre, ricotta salata, Cotija, Myzithra, halloumi
burrata [IT, water buffalo or cow] fresh mozzarella, scamorza, halloumi, chevre
Caciotta [IT, cow or sheep or goat] Robiola Piemonte, Le Gardian, feta
Cancoillotte [FR, skim, raw or pasteurized, plain or herbed or alcohol] related cheeses: Rambol, La Vache qui Rit, Cook
other substitutes: Metton (base)
Caprino Fresco/Caprini [IT, goat, raw] Roves des Garrigues, Brousse du Rove, Innes Button, Pant-Ys-Gawn, Robiola Piemonte, Petit-Suisse, chevre
chevre/goat cheese [FR, goat] cream cheese, mascarpone, fromage blanc, ricotta, requeson, Bucheron
crescenza/stracchino [IT] mascarpone, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version]
feta PDO [GR, sheep/goat] [PBC] (feta.gr) Le Gardian, Robiola Piemonte, Caciotta, halloumi, beyaz peynir, aged chevre, Bryndza, ricotta salata, Cotija, Myzithra, blue
fromage blanc/fromage frais [FR, raw or pasteurized] quark, paneer, cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], mascarpone, crescenza, strained yogurt (Greek yogurt or skyr), cream cheese/cream, cottage/yogurt, Bucheron, chevre, ricotta, requeson
fromage fort/cheese paste [FR, cow or sheep or goat, raw or pasteurized, oil/alcohol/spiced/herbed] examples: Cachaille, Fromage Fort du Lyonnaise, Patefine Fort, Pot Corse
substitutes: processed cheese
Le Gardian [FR, goat, raw or pasteurized, spiced] related cheeses: Robiola Piemonte, Caciotta, feta
gjetost [NO, goat or cow] mysost
halloumi/haloumi [CY, goat/sheep/cow] fresh mozzarella, scamorza, burrata, feta, feta/mozzarella
Harzer Kase [DE, sour/skim] Handkase, Liederkranz, Limburger
Jonchee Niortaise [FR, raw, almond extract] fromage blanc, quark, paneer, cottage
manouri PDO [GR, sheep or goat] Myzithra, Brocciu, ricotta, requeson, feta, halloumi, ricotta salata, cream cheese
Maquis Brunelli [FR, sheep, raw] related Maquis Corse cheeses: Sussex Slipcote
mascarpone [IT] crescenza, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], crema, crème fraiche, Smetana, cream cheese/sour cream, cream cheese/heavy cream, ricotta/heavy cream, triple cream, butter, mascarpone/Neufchatel [US version]
mesost [SE, cow or goat or sheep] gjetost, mysost, ricotta (?)
mozzarella di bufala DOC/PDO [IT, water buffalo] (mozzarelladibufala.org)

related cheeses: scamorza, burrata, halloumi
other substitutes: provolone, Caciocavallo, Kaseri, string, queso fresco, Bel Paese, muenster, Gouda, Fontina, Oaxaca, Kashkaval, chevre, smoked tofu

mysost [NO] gjetost
Myzithra/Mizithra (young) [GR, sheep/goat, raw] manouri, Brocciu, ricotta, requeson, feta, Cotija, cottage
Petit-Suisse [FR] fromage blanc, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], Robiola Piemonte, Caprino Fresco
Pot Corse/Pate de Fromage [FR, sheep, raw] fromage fort
quark [DE] Schichtkase, paneer, fromage blanc, cottage, sour cream, strained yogurt (Greek yogurt or skyr), ricotta/sour cream, cream cheese/cream, mascarpone/cream, drained cottage/yogurt
ricotta di pecora [IT, sheep] requeson, Brocciu, manouri, Myzithra, cottage, farmer, fromage blanc, paneer, chevre, feta, mozzarella, mayonnaise, tofu
Robiola Piemonte [IT, cow/goat/sheep] [PBC] Caciotta, Le Gardian, feta, Caprino Fresco, chevre, ricotta/mascarpone, Petit-Suisse
Roves des Garrigues [FR, goat, raw] related cheeses: Brousse du Rove, Caprino Fresco, Innes Button, Pant-Ys-Gawn
other substitutes: Mettowee
Schichtkase [DE] quark, paneer, fromage blanc, cottage, sour cream, yogurt
Tartare [FR, plain or herbed or spiced or nuts] Boursin, Boulamour, Rondele, Alouette, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], cream cheese/butter, chevre, double cream

Specific Producer

Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire (Bourgogne, apqv.fr)
: Boule des Moines [FR, raw, herbed/spiced] Boulette de Cambrai, Boulette d’Avesnes

Abergavenny Fine Foods (Monmouthshire, abergavenny.uk.com)
: Pant-Ys-Gawn [UK, goat, plain or herbed] Innes Button, Roves des Garrigues, Brousse du Rove, Caprino Fresco, cream cheese

High Weald Dairy (West Sussex, highwealddairy.co.uk)
: Sussex Slipcote [UK, sheep, herbed or spiced] Maquis Brunelli

Highland Fine Cheeses (Ross and Cromarty, hf-cheeses.com)
: Caboc [UK, raw] [PMA] Crowdie, paneer, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], cottage, heavy cream
: Crowdie [UK, raw, plain or spiced] [PMA] Caboc, paneer, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], cottage, heavy cream

Innes Cheese (Staffordshire, innescheese.co.uk)
: Innes Button/Innes Clifton/Innes Bosworth [UK, goat, raw, plain or herbed or spiced or salted ash] Pant-Ys-Gawn, Roves des Garrigues, Brousse du Rove, Caprino Fresco, chevre

M. Dombres (Midi-Pyrenees)
: Delice des Cabasses [FR, sheep]  

Rosary Goats Cheese (Wiltshire, rosarygoatscheese.co.uk)
: Rosary [UK, goat, plain or spiced or herbed] Golden Cross, Sainte-Maure

Middle East/Asia
labane/labneh [IL, cow/sheep/goat] yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream
paneer/panir [South Asia] quark, fromage blanc, queso fresco, farmer, tofu, feta, drained cottage
Zfatit [IL] feta, paneer, queso fresco

North America
cheddar curds [CA version] paneer, halloumi
farmer cheese [US version] drained cottage, drained ricotta, drained requeson, cream cheese, sour cream, quark, queso fresco, Monterey Jack, Havarti, muenster
Neufchatel [US version] cream cheese, Alouette, Rondele, Boursin, mascarpone

Specific Producer

Alouette Cheese (Pa., alouettecheese.com)
: Alouette Soft Spreadable Cheese [US, herbed or spiced or smoked] Rondele, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], Boursin, cream cheese/butter

Arcangelo Cheese (Del., arcangelocheese.com)
: Arcangelo Ricotta [US] see ricotta

Bellwether Farms (Calif., bellwetherfarms.com)
: Bellwether Farms Crescenza [US] see crescenza
: Bellwether Farms Hand-Dipped Whole Milk Ricotta [US] see ricotta

Bubalus Bubalis (Calif.) [closed?]
: Bubalus Bubalis Buffalo Mozzarella [US, water buffalo] see mozzarella di bufala

Calabro Cheese (Conn., calabrocheese.com)
: Calabro Old Fashioned Hand Dipped Ricotta [US] see ricotta

Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheese (Ind., capriolegoatcheese.com)
: O’Banon [US, goat] Hoja Santa Goat Cheese, Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais

Consider Bardwell Farm (Vt., considerbardwellfarm.com)
: Mettowee [US, goat] Bijou

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery (Wis., ellsworthcheesecurds.com)
: Ellsworth Cheddar Cheese Curds [US, plain or spiced or herbed] see cheddar curds

Fromagerie Belle Chevre (Ala., bellechevre.com)
: Belle Chevre Montrachet Style Goat Cheese [US, goat] chevre

Gioia Cheese (Calif.)
: Gioia Cheese Burrata [US] see burrata

Golden Glen Creamery (Wash., goldenglencreamery.com)
: Golden Glen Creamery Fresh Mozzarella [US] see mozzarella

Kraft Foods (Ill., kraftbrands.com)
: Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese [US] see cream cheese

Lactalis American Group (N.Y., galbanicheese.com)
: Galbani/Precious/Sorrento Whole Milk Ricotta [US] see ricotta

Laura Chenel’s Chevre (Calif., laurachenel.com)
: Laura Chenel’s Log [US, goat] chevre

Milton Creamery (Iowa, miltoncreamery.com)
: Milton Creamery Quark [US] see quark

Mozzarella Co. (Texas, mozzco.com)
: Hoja Santa Goat Cheese [US, goat, herbed] Banon

Mozzarella House (Mass., mozzarellahouse.com)
: Mozzarella House Burrata [US] see burrata

President Cheese (N.Y., presidentcheese.com)
: Rondele Gourmet Spreadable Cheese [US, herbed or spiced] Alouette, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], Boursin, cream cheese/butter

Rivers Edge Chevre/Three Ring Farm (Ore., threeringfarm.com)
: Up in Smoke [US, goat, smoked] Cabecou Feuille

Shamrock Artisan Goat Cheese (Calif., shamrockartisangoatcheese.com)
: Shamrock Artisan Ashed Tomette [US, goat] tommette, aged Pelardon

Sierra Nevada Cheese (Calif., sierranevadacheese.com)
: Gina Marie Cream Cheese [US] see cream cheese

Surfing Goat Dairy (Hawaii, surfinggoatdairy.com)
: Surfing Goat Dairy Quark [US, goat, plain or fruit] see quark

Willow Hill Farm (Vt., sheepcheese.com)
: Summer Tomme [US, sheep] [discontined?] Fleur du Maquis

Latin America
panela [MX] drained cottage, queso fresco, fresh mozzarella, feta, ricotta, requeson, basket, paneer
queso fresco/queso blanco [MX, cow or goat] farmer, chevre, feta, Monterey Jack, drained cottage/salt, quark, mozzarella, muenster
requeson [MX] ricotta, Brocciu, manouri, Myzithra, cottage, farmer, fromage blanc, paneer, chevre, feta, mozzarella, mayonnaise, tofu

Specific Producer

Laticinios Catupiry (Minas Gerais, catupiry.com.br)
: Catupiry Requeijao Cremoso [BR] cream cheese

Australia/New Zealand

Specific Producer

Canaan Cheese (Auckland)
: Canaan Labane [NZ] yogurt

Richard Thomas (Victoria)
: Richard Thomas Fromage Blanc [AU] see fromage blanc

Various Countries
basket cheese panela, ricotta, requeson
cottage cheese fromage blanc, paneer, quark, Schichtkase, mascarpone, crescenza, cream cheese, Neufchatel [US version], ricotta, requeson
cream cheese Neufchatel [US version], Alouette, Rondele, Boursin, fromage blanc, mascarpone, ricotta, requeson, drained cottage, tofu, vegan products (see Vegan Cheese section)
non-melting cheese (for frying/grilling) halloumi, paneer, panela, pecorino, parmesan
whey cheese ricotta, requeson, Brocciu, manouri, Myzithra, mesost, gjetost, mysost

 

Blue Cheese

Blue cheese is characterized by the unmistakable blue mold inside (or outside in some cases).  The most famous example is England’s king of cheeses, Stilton.  The texture of blue cheese ranges from soft to semi-hard.  Since blue cheese is arguably an acquired taste, give some of the rare external blues a try (Westfield Farm’s Classic Blue Log and Hubbardston Blue and Spain’s Monte Enebro).  A mild blue such as Bavaria Blu or the Brie-based Montbriac would also be a good starting point.

 

Blue Cheese (60+)
Name/Certification [Country, Milk, Flavor] [Heritage]
Company (Location, Web)
Similar Cheese/Substitution

Europe
Bleu d’Auvergne AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized] Bleu des Causses, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu de Laqueuille, Stilton, Maytag Blue, Roquefort
Bleu des Causses AOC/PDO [FR, raw (?)] Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Stilton, Maytag Blue, cow Roquefort
Bleu de Chevre [FR, goat] Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses, Gorgonzola
Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura AOC [FR, raw] Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Stilton
Bleu de Laqueuille [FR] Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Stilton
Bleu de Termignon [FR, raw] related cheeses: Castelmagno
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage AOC [FR, raw/pasteurized] Saint Agur, Montbriac, Bleu de Bresse, Gorgonzola
Blue Cheshire [UK] Stilton, Shropshire Blue, Cashel Blue, Fourme d’Ambert
Cabrales DO/PDO [ES, cow or sheep or goat, raw] related cheeses: Picon, Gamonedo, Valdeon, Harbourne Blue, Beenleigh Blue
other substitutes: Roquefort
Cremeux du Puy [FR] blue
Erborinati [IT, cow or sheep] blue
Fourme d’Ambert/Fourme de Montbrison AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized] [PRE] Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses, Stilton, Cashel Blue, Cambozola
Gamonedo/Gamoneu DO [ES, cow/sheep/goat, raw, smoked] Cabrales, Picon, Valdeon, Harbourne Blue, Beenleigh Blue, Roquefort, Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola DOC/PDO [IT, raw or pasteurized] [PMA] (gorgonzola.com) related cheeses: Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Saint Agur, Montbriac, Bleu de Bresse, Cambozola, Bavaria Blu
other substitutes: Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert, Stilton, Cashel Blue, Saga Blue
Persille de la Tarentaise [FR, goat, raw] related cheeses: Persille de Tignes, Tarentais
Persille de Tignes [FR, goat, raw] Persille de la Tarentaise, Tarentais
Picon Bejes-Tresviso DO/PDO [ES, cow or goat or sheep, raw] Cabrales, Valdeon, Gamonedo, Harbourne Blue, Beenleigh Blue, Roquefort
Roquefort AOC/PDO [FR, sheep, raw] [PRE] related cheeses: Bleu de Severac, Lanark Blue, Bleu des Basques, Basajo, Ewe’s Blue
other substitutes: Maytag Blue, Stilton, Cashel Blue, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses, Danablu, Gorgonzola, Beenleigh Blue
Saga Blue [DK] Cambozola, Bla Castello, Danablu, Gorgonzola
Shropshire Blue [UK, spiced] [PRN] Stilton, Blue Cheshire, Cashel Blue, Fourme d’Ambert, Roquefort, Magtag Blue, Gorgonzola
Stilton PDO [UK] (stiltoncheese.co.uk) related cheeses: Shropshire Blue, Blue Cheshire, Cashel Blue, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses, Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura, Bleu de Laqueuille, Bleu du Col Bayard, Danablu, Bla Castello, Maytag Blue
other substitutes: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Berkshire Blue, Jersey Blue

Specific Producer

Alex James Presents (Oxfordshire, alexjamespresents.co.uk)
: Blue Monday [UK] Gorgonzola

Bergader Privatkaserei (Bavaria, bergader.de)
: Bavaria Blu [DE] Cambozola, Bleu de Bresse, Saint Agur, Montbriac, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Gorgonzola, Bla Costello, Roquefort, Camembert, Danablu

Bongrain (bongrain.com)
: Bleu de Bresse/Bresse Blue [FR] Saint Agur, Montbriac, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Gorgonzola, Cambozola, Bla Costello, Brie

Carles (Midi-Pyrenees, roquefort-carles.com)
: Carles Roquefort [FR, sheep, raw] see Roquefort

La Casearia (Veneto, lacasearia.com)
: Basajo [IT, sheep, raw, wine] Roquefort, Bleu de Severac, Lanark Blue, Bleu des Basques

Castello (castellocheeseusa.com)
: Danablu/Danish Blue PGI [DK] Bla Castello, Stilton, Fourme d’Ambert, Roquefort, aged Gorgonzola, Saga Blue

Col Bayard (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur)
: Bleu du Col Bayard [FR, goat, raw or pasteurized] Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Stilton, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage

Colston Bassett Dairy (Nottinghamshire, colstonbassettdairy.com)
: Colston Bassett Blue Stilton [UK] Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Jersey Blue

Cornish Cheese (Cornwall, cornishcheese.co.uk)
: Cornish Blue [UK] Gorgonzola

Cropwell Bishop Creamery (Nottinghamshire, cropwellbishopstilton.com)
: Cropwell Bishop Classic Blue Stilton [UK] Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Jersey Blue

Errington Cheese (Lanarkshire, erringtoncheese.co.uk)
: Lanark Blue [UK, sheep] Roquefort, Bleu de Severac, Bleu des Basques

Fromagerie de l’Ance (Auvergne)
: Montbriac/Rochebaron [FR] Saint Agur, Bleu de Bresse, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Gorgonzola, Cambozola, Bavaria Blu, Bla Castello, Brie
: Saint Agur [FR] Montbriac, Bleu de Bresse, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Gorgonzola, Cambozola, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert, Stilton

Gabriel Coulet (Midi-Pyrenees, gabriel-coulet.fr)
: Gabriel Coulet Roquefort [FR, sheep, raw] see Roquefort

J&L Grubb (Tipperary, cashelblue.com, kerrygoldusa.com)
: Cashel Blue/Kerrygold Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese [IE] Stilton, Stropshire Blue, Blue Cheshire, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Gorgonzola, Roquefort

Kaserei Champignon (Bavaria, cambozola.de, champignon-usa.com)
: Cambozola [DE] Bavaria Blu, Bleu de Bresse, Saint Agur, Montbriac, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Gorgonzola, Bla Castello, Saga Blue, young Gorgonzola/Camembert

Long Clawson Dairy (Leicestershire, clawson.co.uk)
: Long Clawson Blue Stilton [UK] Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Jersey Blue

Onetik (Pays Basque, onetik.com)
: Bleu des Basques [FR, sheep, raw] Roquefort, Bleu de Severac, Lanark Blue, Ossau-Iraty, Stilton

Queserias Picos de Europa (Castilla-Leon, quesospicosdeeuropa.com)
: Valdeon PDO [ES, cow/goat] Cabrales, Picon, Gamonedo, Harbourne Blue, Beenleigh Blue

Queserias del Tietar (Castilla-Leon, queseriasdeltietar.com)
: Monte Enebro [ES, goat] Classic Blue Log, Harbourne Blue

Willy Schmid (Thurgau)
: Blaue Geiss [CH, goat, raw] Harbourne Blue, Monte Enebro

Simone Seguin (Midi-Pyrenees)
: Bleu de Severac [FR, sheep, raw] Roquefort, Lanark Blue, Bleu des Basques

Stichelton Dairy (Nottinghamshire)
: Stichelton [UK, raw] Stilton

Tholstrup ()
: Bla Castello/Blue Castello [DK] Danablu, Stilton, Fourme d’Ambert, Cambozola, Saga Blue, Gorgonzola

Ticklemore Cheese (Devon, ticklemorecheese.co.uk)
: Beenleigh Blue [UK, sheep] Harbourne Blue, Gamonedo, Cabrales, Picon, Valdeon, Roquefort
: Harbourne Blue [UK, goat] Beenleigh Blue, Gamonedo, Cabrales, Picon, Valdeon, Blaue Geiss, Monte Enebro

Le Vieux Berger (Midi-Pyrenees, le-vieux-berger.com)
: Le Vieux Roquefort [FR, sheep, raw] see Roquefort

North America

Specific Producer

Alpine Lakes Sheep Cheese (Wash., alpinelakescheese.com)
: Creamy Bleu [US, sheep, raw] Hubbardston Blue

Ancient Heritage Dairy (Ore., ancientheritagedairy.com)
: Odessa Blue [US, sheep, raw] [discontinued?] Beenleigh Blue

Berkshire Cheese Makers (Mass., berkshirecheese.com)
: Berkshire Blue [US, raw] Cashel Blue, Fourme d’Ambert

Blythedale Farm (Vt., vtcheese.com)
: Jersey Blue [US, raw] Stilton

Fromagerie de l’Abbaye Saint-Benoit-du-Lac (Quebec, st-benoit-du-lac.com)
: Bleu Benedictin [CA] Roquefort

Great Hill Dairy (Mass., greathillblue.com)
: Great Hill Blue [US, raw] Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses, Fourme d’Ambert

Jasper Hill Farm (Vt., jasperhillfarm.com)
: Bayley Hazen Blue [US, raw] Stichelton

Maytag Dairy Farms (Iowa, maytagdairyfarms.com)
: Maytag Blue [US] Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses, Stilton, Roquefort

Old Chatham Sheepherding (N.Y., blacksheepcheese.com)
: Ewe’s Blue [US, sheep, raw] Roquefort, Bleu de Severac, Lanark Blue, Bleu des Basques, Beenleigh Blue

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese (Calif., pointreyescheese.com)
: Point Reyes Original Blue [US, raw] Magtag Blue, Great Hill Blue

Rogue Creamery (Ore., roguecreamery.com)
: Crater Lake Blue [US, raw] [discontinued?] Bleu d’Auvergne, Bleu des Causses
: Oregon Blue [US, raw] Roquefort, Bleu des Causses
: Rogue River Blue [US, raw] Valdeon, Bleu des Causses, Roquefort
: Smokey Blue [US, raw, smoked] Gamonedo

Westfield Farm (Mass., chevre.com)
: Classic Blue Log [US, goat] Roquefort, Monte Enebro
: Hubbardston Blue [US, goat] Roquefort, Camembert, Monte Enebro

Willapa Hills Cheese (Wash., willapahills.com)
: Little Boy Blue [US, raw] Cashel Blue
: Two-Faced Blue [US, sheep/cow, raw] Bleu des Basques

Australia/New Zealand

Specific Producer

King Island Dairy (Tasmania, kingislanddairy.com.au)
: Roaring Forties Blue [AU] Bleu des Causses, Valdeon

Various Countries
blue cheese feta, blue/cream cheese, fermented tofu, vegan products (see Vegan Cheese section)
international blues trail the Big Four: Roquefort [sheep], Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cabrales [cow or sheep or goat]
mild blue cheese Bavaria Blu, Bayley Hazen Blue, Bla Castello, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Cambozola, Hubbardston Blue, Montbriac, Saga Blue

 

Soft Cheese

Like fresh cheese, soft cheese has high moisture and low fat content (except when cream is added).  It has a thin rind and a creamy and spreadable paste.  Some call it bloomy-rind or mold-ripened cheese.  The most famous soft cheese is Brie, which was declared the king of cheeses in 1815.  We have also included in this category what some experts call aged-fresh or surface-ripened cheese.  While bloomy-rind cheese has a white rind () that resembles spackling material, aged-fresh cheese has a wrinkled rind () and a drier paste.  Some of these cheeses are just as creamy at room temperature and can be baked whole a la Brie.  If you can eat it like a dip or with a spoon, it’s a soft cheese as far as we’re concerned. In France, double- and triple-cream cheeses are often covered with herbs and spices and—our favorite—rum raisins.

 

Soft Cheese (120+)
Name/Certification [Country, Milk, Rind, Flavor] [Heritage]
Company (Location, Web)
Similar Cheese/Substitution

Europe
Aperobic [FR, goat/cow, raw] Bouton-de-Culotte
Azeitao PDO [PT, sheep, raw, washed] Tortas Extremenas, Serra da Estrela, Serpa, Perail, Paglia
Banon AOC/PDO [FR, goat or cow, raw, plain or herbed or spiced]
(banon-aoc.com)
Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Mothais, Hoja Santa Goat Cheese
Bastelicaccia [FR, sheep]  
Belle-des-Champs [FR, bloomy] double cream, Caprice des Dieux, Camembert, Coulommiers, Feuille de Dreux, Carre de l’Est, Pave d’Affinois
Bonchester PDO [UK, raw, bloomy] Camembert, Coulommiers
Bougon [FR, goat or cow, raw or pasteurized (for export), bloomy] related cheeses: Cathare
other substitutes: goat Camembert
Bouton-de-Culotte [FR, goat, raw] related cheeses: Aperobic
Brie de Meaux AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized (for export), bloomy] [PMA] related cheeses: Le Fougeru, Sharpham
other substitutes: Camembert, Coulommiers, Paglia, Explorateur, Reblochon
Brie de Melun AOC/PDO [FR, raw, bloomy] [PMA] Le Fougeru, Sharpham, Camembert, Paglia, Explorateur, Coulommiers, Reblochon, Tomme Vaudoise
Brique Ardechoise [FR, goat, raw] Brique du Forez, Briquette d’Allanche, Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Dalmerie
Brique du Forez [FR, raw or pasteurized] related cheeses: Briquette d’Allanche, Brique Ardechoise, Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Dalmerie
Briquette d’Allanche [FR, goat, raw] Brique du Forez, Brique Ardechoise, Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Dalmerie
Cabecou Feuille [FR, goat, brandy/spiced] Mothais
Camembert de Normandie AOC/PDO [FR, raw, bloomy, plain or cider or liqueur]
(fromage-normandie.com)
related cheeses: Coulommiers, Saint-Marcellin, Saint-Felicien, Feuille de Dreux, Carre de l’Est, Pave d’Affinois, Caprice des Dieux, Belle-des-Champs, Bonchester, Tomme Vaudoise
other substitutes: Brie, Paglia, Chaource, Explorateur, Reblochon
Caprice des Dieux [FR, bloomy] double cream, Camembert, Coulommiers, Feuille de Dreux, Carre de l’Est, Pave d’Affinois, Brie, Explorateur, Brillat-Savarin, Boursault
Carre de l’Est [FR, washed] Camembert, Coulommiers, Feuille de Dreux, Pave d’Affinois, Caprice des Dieux
Chavroux [FR, goat] Valencay, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre
Coeur de Touraine [FR, goat]  
Coulommiers [FR, raw or pasteurized (for export), bloomy] Camembert, Saint-Marcellin, Saint-Felicien, Feuille de Dreux, Carre de l’Est, Pave d’Affinois, Caprice des Dieux, Brie, Chaource
Delice de Saint-Cyr [FR, bloomy] triple cream, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Excelsior, Pierre-Robert, Boursault
Dome du Poitou [FR, goat, raw] related cheeses: Taupinette Charentaise, Truffe de Valensole
double cream/double crème cheese [FR] examples: Boursault, Caprice des Dieux, Boursin, Saint Agur
L’Edel de Cleron [FR] Vacherin Mont d’Or
Epoisses de Bourgogne AOC/PDO [FR, washed] [PRN] (fromage-epoisses.com) related cheeses: Langres, Soumaintrain, Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire
other substitutes: Pont-l’Eveque, Maroilles, Livarot, Munster
Excelsior [FR, bloomy] double cream, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Pierre-Robert, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Boursault
Feuille de Dreux [FR, skim, raw or pasteurized, bloomy] Camembert, Coulommiers, Carre de l’Est, Pave d’Affinois, Caprice des Dieux, Brie
Fleur du Maquis/Brin d’Amour [FR, sheep/goat, raw, bloomy, herbed/spiced] related Carre du Tarn cheeses: Mascare, Le Mouflon, Pave de Gatine
other substitutes: feta
Le Fougeru [FR, raw, bloomy] Brie, Sharpham
Gramat/Cabecou de Gramat [FR, goat, raw] Rocamadour, Pelardon, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais
Mont d’Or AOC/PDO [FR, raw, washed] related Vacherin cheeses: Le Cabri Ariegeois, Vacherin d’Abondance, Vacherin Mont d’Or, Le Vacherin Chaput
other substitutes: Bergfichte
Montasio DOC/PDO (young) [IT] [PMA] (formaggiomontasio.net)  
Montrachet [FR, goat] Chabichou, Maconnais, Charolais, Clacbitou, Crottin, Selles-sur-Cher, Bucheron, Banon, Belle Chevre Montrachet Style Goat Cheese
Mothais-sur-Feuille AOC [FR, goat, raw] Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, O’Banon, Chabichou
Neufchatel/Coeur de Neufchatel AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, bloomy] [PMA] Chaource, Camembert, cream cheese, mascarpone, Boursin
Pelardon AOC/PDO [FR, goat, raw] related cheeses: Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais, Saint-Felicien, Gramat, Rouelle du Tarn, Pougne Cendre, Bruyere de Joursac, O’Banon
other substitutes: chevre, Sainte-Maure
Rocamadour AOC/PDO [FR, goat, raw] Mothais, Pelardon, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon
Roucoulons [FR, bloomy] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Camembert
Rouelle du Tarn [FR, goat, raw] Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais
Saint-Albray [FR, bloomy?] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Camembert, Brie, Explorateur
Saint-Marcellin [FR, cow or goat, raw or pasteurized, bloomy] Camembert, Coulommiers, Saint-Felicien, Banon, Robiola Piemonte
Serpa PDO [PT, sheep, raw] Serra da Estella, Le Venaco, A Filetta, youong Nisa, Azeitao, Tortas Extremenas
Serra da Estrela PDO [PT, sheep, raw] [PRE] Serpa, Le Venaco, A Filetta, Tronchon, Azeitao, Tortas Extremenas
Tarentais [FR, goat, raw, washed] Persille de la Tarentaise, Persille de Tignes
Taupinette Charentaise/La Taupiniere [FR, goat, raw] Dome du Poitou, Truffe de Valensole
Tomme Vaudoise [CH, cow or goat, raw or pasteurized, bloomy] Camembert, Coulommiers, Brie
Tortas Extremenas DO/PDO [ES, sheep, raw or pasteurized] examples: Torta de Barros, Torta del Casar, Torta La Serena
triple cream/triple crème cheese [FR] examples: Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Pierre-Robert, Saint-Andre, mascarpone
Truffe de Valensole [FR, goat, raw] Dome du Poitou, Taupinette Charentaise
Vacherin Mont d’Or AOC [CH, washed] Mont d’Or, Le Cabri Ariegeois, Vacherin d’Abondance, Reblochon, Bergfichte, Stanser Flada
Le Venaco [FR, sheep, raw, washed] related cheeses: A Filetta, Serra da Estrela, Serpa, Tronchon

Specific Producer

Josef Barmettler (Schwyz)
: Stanser Schaf Reblochon [CH, sheep, raw, washed] Fium’Orbu, Stanser Roteli, Tortas Extremenas, Stanser Flada
: Stanser Chua Flada [CH, raw, washed] Vacherin Mont d’Or, Stanser Roteli

BEL Group (Paris, bel-group.com) (?)
: Boursault [FR, bloomy] double cream, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Excelsior, Pierre-Robert, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Brie

Carmarthenshire Cheese (Carmarthenshire, carmarthenshirecheese.co.uk)
: Pont Gar Pure Welsh Soft White Cheese [UK, bloomy, plain or herbed or smoked] Brie, Camembert

Caseificio dell’Alta Langa (Piemonte, caseificioaltalanga.it)
: La Tur [IT, cow/goat/sheep] crema, crème fraiche, Smetana, Camembert, Melange

Caseificio Oreglia (Piemonte)
: Paglia/Paglietta/Paglierina [IT, bloomy] Perail, Azeitao, Brie, Camembert

Cora (Piemonte)
: Caprino Noccetto [IT, goat, raw] Caprino Noce, Banon, Robiola Piemonte
: Caprino Noce [IT, cow/sheep/goat] Caprino Nocetto, Banon, Robiola Piemonte

Diriwaechter & Schmid (Thurgau)
: Bergfichte [CH, raw, washed] Vacherin Mont d’Or

Domaine de Saint Loup (Basse-Normandie, fromage-normandie.com)
: Petit Camembert au Calva [FR, raw, liqueur] Camembert, Coulommiers

Etoile du Vercors (Rhone-Alpes, fromageries-etoile.com)
: Saint-Felicien [FR, raw or pasteurized] Saint-Marcellin, Camembert, Coulommiers

La Ferme de Cabriole (Languedoc-Rousillon, ferme-de-cabriole.com)
: Cathare [FR, goat, raw] Bougon

Fromagerie de Banon – M. Greggo (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, fromagerie-banon.fr)
: Mascare [FR, goat, raw] Fleur du Maquis, Le Mouflon, Pave de Gatine

Fromagerie Fermiere Cabrioulet (Midi-Pyrenees)
: Le Cabri Ariegeois [FR, goat, raw, washed] Mont d’Or, Vacherin d’Abondance, Vacherin Mont d’Or, Chevrotin des Aravis, Reblochon

Fromagerie Gaugry (Bourgogne, gaugryfromager.fr)
: Soumaintrain [FR, raw or pasteurized, washed] Epoisses, Langres

Fromagerie Guilloteau (Rhone-Alpes, pavedaffinois.com)
: Pave d’Affinois/Fromager d’Affinois [FR, bloomy] Camembert, Coulommiers, Feuille de Dreux, Carre de l’Est, Caprice des Dieux, Brie

Fromagerie Lincet (Bourgogne, fromagerie-lincet.net)
: Brillat-Savarin [FR, bloomy] related cheeses: Explorateur, Excelsior, Pierre-Robert, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Boursault, Gratte-Paille, Delice de Pommard
other substitutes: triple cream, Saint-Andre, Brie
: Chaource AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, bloomy] related cheeses: Neufchatel
other substitutes: Camembert, Coulommiers, Brie, Explorateur

Fromagerie du Petit Morin (Ile-de-France)
: Explorateur [FR, bloomy] triple cream, Brillat-Savarin, Excelsior, Pierre-Robert, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Boursault, Brie, Camembert

Fromagerie Rouzaire (Ile-de-France, fromagerierouzaire.com)
: Gratte-Paille [FR, raw, bloomy] triple cream, Delice de Pommard, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Excelsior, Pierre-Robert, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Boursault
: Pierre-Robert [FR, bloomy] triple cream, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Excelsior, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Boursault

Fromagerie Schertenleib (Champagne Ardenne)
: Langres AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized (for export), washed] Epoisses, Soumaintrain, Bergfichte

Fromagerie Soulie (Normandie)
: Saint-Andre [FR, bloomy] triple cream, Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Boursault

Celina Gagneux (Rhone-Alpes) (?)
: Vacherin d’Abondance [FR, raw, washed] Mont d’Or, Le Cabri Ariegeois, Vacherin Mont d’Or

Sebastien Ge (Poitou-Charentes)
: Pave de Gatine [FR, goat, raw] Fleur du Maquis, Mascare, Le Mouflon
: Pougne Cendre [FR, goat, raw] Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais, Cendre de Niort

Gilles and Odile Goursat (?) (Ile-de-France)
: Brie de Malesherbes [FR, raw] Le Fougeru, Sharpham

Golden Cross Cheese (East Sussex, goldencrosscheese.co.uk)
: Golden Cross/Laughton Log [UK, goat] Rosary, Sainte-Maure

Luigi Guffanti (Piemonte, guffantiformaggi.com)
: Brescianella Stagionata [IT, washed] Taleggio

Joseph Guidicelli (Corse)
: U Rustinu [FR, sheep, raw] Rotolo, Fium’Orbu, Le Niolo

Alain Hess (Bourgogne, fromageriehess.com)
: Delice de Pommard [FR, spiced] triple cream, Gratte-Paille, Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, Excelsior, Pierre-Robert, Delice de Saint-Cyr, Boursault

The Lubborn Creamery (Somerset, lubborn.co.uk, capricorngoatscheese.co.uk)
: Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese [UK, goat, bloomy] Chabichou, Maconnais, Charolais, Clacbitou, Montrachet

M. Dombres (Midi-Pyrenees)
: Lou Rocaillou [FR, sheep, raw] Perail
: Perail [FR, sheep, raw] related cheeses: Azeitao, Paglia

Le Monastere Orthodoxe Saint-Nicolas (Languedoc-Rousillon, dalmerie.com)
: Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Dalmerie [FR, goat, raw] Brique du Forez, Briquette d’Allanche, Brique Ardechoise

Neal’s Yard Creamery (Herefordshire, nealsyardcreamery.co.uk)
: Ragstone [UK, goat] Brie (?)

Claudia & Wolfgang Reuss (Auvergne)
: Bruyere de Joursac [FR, goat, raw] Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais

Santini Brothers (Corse)
: Le Niolo [FR, sheep, raw, washed] Rotolo, Fium’Orbu, U Rustinu

Sharpham Wine & Cheese (Devon, sharpham.com)
: Sharpham [UK, raw, bloomy] Brie, Le Fougeru, Coulommiers

Middle East/Asia

Specific Producer

Kyodo Gakusha Shintoku Farm (Hokkaido, kyodogakusha.org)
: Sakura [JP] ricotta, requeson

North America

Specific Producer

Andante Dairy (Calif., andantedairy.com)
: Legato [US, bloomy] Camembert
: Melange [US, goat/cow] Brie, La Tur

Bittersweet Plantation Dairy (La., jfolse.com/bittersweet_dairy)
: Fleur-de-Lis [US, bloomy] triple cream, Pierre-Robert

Coach Farm (N.Y., coachfarm.com)
: Coach Farm Cone/Pyramid Aged Goat Cheese [US, goat, spiced] chevre
: Coach Farm Triple Cream Wheel Aged Goat Cheese [US, goat] triple cream

Cowgirl Creamery (Calif., cowgirlcreamery.com)
: Inverness [US] Saint-Marcellin, Robiola Piemonte
: Mt. Tam [US, bloomy] triple cream, Camembert, Saint-Andre
: Red Hawk [US, washed] Limburger, Saint-Andre, triple cream, Epoisses, Munster

Fifth Town Artisan Cheese (Ontario, fifthtown.ca)
: Vicki’s Spring Splendour [CA, goat, herbed] chevre

Franklin’s Teleme Mid-Coast Cheese (Calif., franklinscheese.com)
: Franklin’s Teleme [US] Touloumi, Camembert, mozzarella, Fontina, Taleggio, Monterey Jack

Fromagerie Chaput (Quebec, fromageriechaput.com)
: Le Vacherin Chaput [CA, raw, washed] Bergfichte, Vacherin Mont d’Or

Jasper Hill Farm (Vt., jasperhillfarm.com)
: Constant Bliss [US, raw, bloomy] Chaource
: Winnimere [US, raw, washed] Bergfichte, Vacherin Mont d’Or

LoveTree Farmstead (Wis., lovetreefarmstead.com)
: Big Holmes [US, sheep, herbed] Fleur du Maquis

Marin French Cheese (Calif., marinfrenchcheese.com)
: Marin French Cheese Camembert [US, bloomy] Camembert
: Marin French Cheese Petite Blue [US] triple cream

Monforte Dairy (Ontario, monfortedairy.com)
: Piacere [CA, sheep, herbed/spiced] [discontinued?] Fleur du Maquis

Monteillet Fromagerie (Wash., monteilletcheese.com)
: Cardabelle [US, sheep/goat, bloomy] Brie, Saint-Marcellin

Mt. Townsend Creamery (Wash., mttownsendcreamery.com)
: Cirrus [US, bloomy] Camembert
: Seastack [US, bloomy, ash/sea salt] Neufchatel

Nettle Meadow Farm (N.Y., nettlemeadow.com)
: Kunik [US, goat/cow, bloomy] triple cream, Hudson Valley Camembert

Old Chatham Sheepherding (N.Y., blacksheepcheese.com)
: Hudson Valley Camembert [US, sheep/cow, bloomy] Kunik, Roncoulons, Camembert

Port Madison Farm (Wash.)
: Blue Moon [US, goat] Chaource, Camembert
: White Rose [US, goat, bloomy] [discontinued?] Brie

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery (Calif., redwoodhill.com)
: Camellia [US, goat, bloomy] Camembert, Saint-Felicien, Blomma

Rivers Edge Chevre/Three Ring Farm (Ore., threeringfarm.com)
: Sunset Bay [US, goat, spiced] aged Valencay
: Valsetz [US, goat, bloomy] Sainte-Maure

Sweet Grass Dairy (Ga., sweetgrassdairy.com)
: Green Hill [US] Brie, Camembert

Willow Hill Farm (Vt., sheepcheese.com)
: Vermont Brebis [US, sheep]  

Zingerman’s Creamery (Mich., zingermanscreamery.com)
: Bridgewater [US, bloomy, spiced]  

Australia/New Zealand

Specific Producer

Evansdale Cheese (Otago, evansdalecheese.co.nz)
: Evansdale Farmhouse Brie [NZ, bloomy] Brie

 

Medium Cheese

Here you find cheeses that some experts call semi-soft (sliceable and rubbery) or semi-hard (denser and drier than semi-soft).  It is also here where you find the best melting cheeses.  The reason we decided to simply use the term medium (you read it here first!) is because what some people call semi-soft, others call semi-hard, and vice versa.  Until the industry adopts a standard cheese label that includes water content, medium is about as precise as it gets.

England’s cheddar is probably the quintessential medium cheese—definitely not soft and not the hardest cheese out there.  Another example would be America’s own Monterey Jack.  Most of the washed-rind cheeses fall into this category as well (you’ll find some in the Soft Cheese section).  Repeated washing of the rind tends to yield a “meaty,” “beefy,” or “barnyardy” flavor.  The most pungent cheeses are usually of the washed-rind variety.

 

Medium Cheese (320+)
Name/Certification [Country, Milk, Rind, Flavor] [Heritage]
Company (Location, Web)
Similar Cheese/Substitution

Europe
A Casinca/Casinca Chevre [FR, goat, washed] Mont St. Francis, Wimer Winter, Fium’Orbu
A Filetta [FR, goat or sheep, raw] Le Venaco, Serra da Estrela, Serpa, Tronchon
Abondance AOC/PDO [FR, raw] (fromageabondance.fr) raclette, Morbier, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Fontina, Comte, Beaufort, Emmentaler
Appenzeller [CH, raw or pasteurized, washed] [PMA] (appenzeller.ch) Swiss, raclette, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Saint-Niklauss, Abondance, Morbier, Fontina, Emmentaler, Gruyere, Prattigauer, Toggenburger
Aracena [ES, goat, washed] Mont St. Francis
Asiago DOC/PDO (young) [IT, raw] [PMA] (asiagocheese.it) provolone
Beaufort AOC/PDO [FR, raw] (fromage-beaufort.com) Gruyere, Comte, aged Fontina
Beaumont [FR, raw, washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, muenster, Reblochon
Beira Baixa PDO [PT, goat/sheep] Serpa, Serra da Estrela, Tortas Extremenas
Bergues [FR, skim, washed] Maroilles, Munster, Livarot, Pont-l’Eveque
Bethmale [FR, raw, washed] [PMA] Le Moulis, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Chamberat, Ossau-Iraty, Manchego
Boerenkaas PGI [NL, raw] Gouda
Boulette d’Avesnes [FR, raw or pasteurized, washed, herbed/spiced] Boulette de Cambrai, Boule des Moines
Bourboule [FR, raw, washed] Saint-Nectaire
Bra DOC/PDO (aged) [IT, raw] Tomme de Savoie, Tome des Bauges, Tomme de Lullin, Le Moulis, Castelmagno
Bucheron [FR, goat] Bucheret
Caciocavallo Silano DOC/PDO [IT] provolone, Ragusano, Kaseri, scamorza
Caciotta (aged) [IT, cow or sheep or goat] Fontina, Monterey Jack/feta, young pecorino
Caerphilly [UK, raw] Durrus, Gubbeen, Milleens, Spenwood, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Bethmale, cheddar, Cheshire, Lancashire, Wensleydale, Single Gloucester
Callu de Cabreddu/Cabrettu [IT, goat]  
Cantal AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized] [PBC] cheddar, Laguiole, Salers, Cheshire, Lancashire, tome d’Aligot
Castelmagno DOC/PDO [IT] [PMA] Bleu de Termignon, Elk Mountain, Bra, Myzithra, feta, halloumi, manouri (add a blue cheese to replace aged Castelmagno with natural bluing)
Centovalli Ticino [CH, raw] Comte, Abondance, Prattigauer
Chabichou du Poitou AOC/PDO [FR, goat] [PMA] related cheeses: Maconnais, Charolais, Clacbitou, Montrachet, Capricorn Somerset Goats Cheese
other substitutes: Crottin, Rocamadour
Chamberat [FR, raw or pasteurized] Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Bethmale, Le Moulis
Charolais [FR, goat, raw] Clacbitou, Chabichou, Maconnais, Montrachet
Chaumes [FR, cow/goat, washed] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues
cheddar [UK, raw or pasteurized] related cheeses: Single Gloucester, Double Gloucester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Wensleydale, Leicester, Derby, Yarg Cornish, Lincolnshire Poacher, Dunlop, Colby, Monterey Jack, American, Laguiole, Cantal, Salers
Cheshire [UK, raw, plain or spiced] [PRN] cheddar, Double Gloucester, Wensleydale, Leicester, Colby, Monterey Jack
chevre/goat cheese (young/aged fresh) [FR, goat, raw or pasteurized] examples: goat Banon, Bucheron, Montrachet, Pelardon, Picodon, chevre de Coin, chevre de la Loire
substitutes: cream cheese, mascarpone, feta, Teleme
chevre de Coin [FR, goat, raw or pasteurized] examples: Bougon, Bouton, Brique, Charolais, Clacbitou, Clochette, Maconnais, Tarentais
chevre de la Loire/Loire Valley goat cheese [FR, goat, raw or pasteurized] examples: Chabichou, Crottin, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Sainte-Maure, Selles-sur-Cher, Valencay
Chevrette des Bauges [FR, goat/cow, raw]  
Chevrotin des Aravis AOC/PDO [FR, goat, raw, washed] Chevrotin des Bauges, Majorero, Ibores, Garrotxa, Mont St. Francis, Reblochon
Chevrotin des Bauges AOC [FR, goat, raw] related Chevrotin cheeses: Chevrotin des Aravis, Chevrotin de Peisey-Nancroix, Grataron d’Areches, Majorero, Ibores, Garrotxa, Ticklemore, Kefalotyri, gjetost
Chevrotin de Peisey-Nancroix [FR, goat, raw] Chevrotin des Bauges, Chevrotin des Aravis
chevrotin de Savoie [FR, goat or cow] examples: Chevrotin des Aravis, Chevrotin des Bauges
Clacbitou [FR, goat, raw] Charolais, Chabichou, Maconnais, Montrachet
Coeur d’Arras [FR, washed] Maroilles, Munster, Livarot, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues
Comte AOC/PDO [FR, raw] [PMA] Beaufort, Gruyere, Tete de Moine, L’Etivaz, Asiago, Montasio, Emmentaler, Abondance
Crottin de Chavignol AOC/PDO [FR, goat] related cheeses: Cabecou de Thiers
other substitutes: Chabichou, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Valencay, Selles-sur-Cher, California Crottin, Wabash Cannonball
Danbo/King Christian [DK] Samso, raclette, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Abondance, Morbier, Fontina, cheddar, American
Derby [UK, plain or herbed] cheddar, Cheshire, Colby
Double Gloucester/Cotswold [UK, plain or herbed] cheddar, Cheshire, Single Gloucester
Dunlop [UK] cheddar
Emmental Grand Cru [FR, raw] Emmental de Savoie, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Greveost, Maasdam
Emmental de Savoie PDO [FR, raw] Emmental Grand Cru, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Greveost, Maasdam
Emmentaler Switzerland AOC [CH] [PMA] related cheeses: Jarlsberg, Greveost, Maasdam, Emmental de Savoie, Emmental Grand Cru, Swiss
other substitutes: Gruyere, Comte, Beaufort, raclette, Fontina
Esrom PGI [DK, washed] [PMA] Havarti, Gouda, Edam, Tilsiterkase, Port Salut, Saint Paulin, Fontina
L’Etivaz AOC/PDO [CH, raw] (etivaz-aoc.ch) Gruyere, Tete de Moine, Comte, Beaufort, Asiago, Montasio
Etorki [FR, sheep] Tomme de Brebis Corse, Lavort, Manchego, Iberico, Evora
Evora PDO [PT, sheep, raw, washed] Nisa, Manchego, Iberico, Berkswell, Trade Lake Cedar, Tomme de Savoie, Saint-Nectaire
Fium’Orbu/Fium’Orbo [FR, sheep or goat, raw, washed] Rotolo, U Rustinu, Le Niolo, Stanser Schafkase
Fontina DOC/PDO [IT, raw, washed] [PMA] (consorzioproduttorifontina.it) raclette, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Abondance, Morbier, provolone, Gruyere, Emmentaler, Beaufort, Bel Paese, Reblochon, muenster, Val Bagner
Gammelost/Gamalost [NO, goat] Camembert, Danablu
Gaperon [FR, whole or skim, raw or pasteurized, bloomy, spiced] Brocciu
Garrotxa [ES, goat] Majorero, Ibores, Ticklemore, Chevrotin des Bauges, Chevrotin des Aravis, Gruyere
Gouda [NL] [PMA] related cheeses: Edam, Leidse Kaas, Nagelkaas, Roomano, Boerenkaas, Esrom, Havarti, Nokkelost, Lappi, Tilsiterkase, Teifi, Coolea, Mimolette, Babybel, Bel Paese, Italico, Mahon, Sao Jorge, Brick
other substitutes: Leicester, Samso, Gruyere, parmesan, Manchego
Grataron d’Areches [FR, goat, raw, washed] Chevrotin des Bauges, Chevrotin des Aravis
Graviera PDO [GR, sheep/goat/cow] Gruyere, Tete de Moine, L’Etivaz, Comte, Beaufort, Asiago, Montasio, aged Kefalotyri, Kaseri, Jarlsberg, Emmentaler
Greveost [SE] Swiss, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Maasdam, Emmental de Savoie, Gruyere, Comte
Gruyere AOC [CH, raw] [PMA] (gruyere.com) related cheeses: Tete de Moine, L’Etivaz, Comte, Beaufort, Asiago, Montasio, Graviera
other substitutes: Fontina, Hoch Ybrig, Emmentaler
Havarti [DK] Esrom, Gouda, Edam, Tilsiterkase, Monterey Jack
Hoch Ybrig [CH, raw] Gruyere, Appenzeller
Ibores DO/PDO [ES, goat, raw, plain or spiced] Majorero, Garrotxa, Chevrotin des Bauges, Chevrotin des Aravis, Ticklemore, tomme, aged Manchego, pecorino, parmesan, aged Asiago
Idiazabal DO/PDO [ES, sheep, raw, plain or smoked] (doidiazabal.com) Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, provolone
Italico [IT] Bel Paese, Babybel, Gouda, Edam
Kaseri/Kasseri DOC [GR, sheep/goat] provolone, Caciocavallo, Ragusano, Kefalotyri, Kashkaval, Graviera, pecorino, parmesan, Asiago, pasta filata
Kashkaval [HU, sheep] [PRE] Caciocavallo, scamorza, provolone, Kefalotyri, pecorino, parmesan, Asiago
Kuntener (Reblochon) [CH, raw, washed] Stanser Roteli
Lancashire [UK, raw] [PMA] cheddar, Cheshire, Leicester, Double Gloucester, Caerphilly
Lappi [FI, skim] Leidse Kaas, Gouda, Edam, Nokkelost, Swiss, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Gruyere
Laruns [FR, sheep, raw, washed] Ossau-Iraty, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal
Leidse Kaas/Leiden/Leyden PDO [NL, spiced] Gouda, Edam, Nagelkaas, Roomano, Fontina
Limburger [DE, washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont, Liederkranz, Harzer Kase, Brick, Herve
Maasdam [NL] Swiss, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Greveost, Emmental de Savoie, Gruyere
Maconnais AOC [FR, goat or goat/cow, raw] Charolais, Chabichou, Clacbitou, Montrachet
Manchego DO/PDO (young) [ES, sheep, raw or pasteurized] related cheeses: Iberico, Evora, Tomme de Brebis Corse, Lavort, Etorki, Berkswell
other substitutes: Monterey Jack, cheddar, mozzarella
Maroilles/Mignon AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, washed] [PMA] Livarot, Pont-l’Eveque, Herve, Liederkranz, Munster, Bergues, Limburger
Mimolette [FR, raw?] aged Gouda, aged Edam, Leidse Kaas, Babybel, cheddar, Leicester
Montasio DOC/PDO (aged) [IT] [PMA] (formaggiomontasio.net) Swiss, Asiago, Gruyere, Tete de Moine, L’Etivaz, Comte, Beaufort, cheddar, Piave
Morbier AOC/PDO [FR, raw, washed] raclette, Abondance, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Fontina, Tomme de Savoie, Saint-Nectaire
Le Mouflon [FR, goat, raw, washed] Fleur du Maquis, Mascare, Pave de Gatine
Le Moulis [FR, cow or sheep or goat, raw, washed] Bethmale, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Chamberat
Munster/Gerome AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, washed, plain or spiced] [PMA] related cheeses: Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Coeur d’Arras, Vieux-Boulogne, Rigotte de Condrieu, Crayeux de Roncq, Chaumes, Roucoulons, Saint-Albray, Rouy, Herve, Weisslacker, Taleggio, Robiola Lombardia, Stinking Bishop, Ardrahan, Tetilla, Tronchon, Liederkranz
other substitutes: Epoisses, Reblochon, Bel Paese
Murcia al Vino/The Drunken Goat PDO [ES, goat, wine]  
Nisa PDO [PT, sheep, raw] aged Serpa, Pecorino Toscano, Manchego, parmesan, Amarelo da Beira Baixa, Evora
Nokkelost/Kuminost [NO, skim, spiced] [PRN] Leidse Kaas, Gouda, Edam, Lappi
Ossau-Iraty AOC/PDO [FR, sheep, raw or pasteurized] Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc, Laruns, Matocq, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Canestrato Pugliese, pecorino, Comte, Spenwood, Vermont Shepherd
pasta filata/stretched curd [IT] examples:  burrata, Caciocavallo, halloumi, Kashkaval, mozzarella, Oaxaca, provolone, Ragusano, scamorza, string
Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane [IT, sheep, raw] Pecorina Toscano
Pecorino Toscano DOC/PDO [IT, sheep, raw or pasteurized] Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Ossau-Iraty, Berkswell, Spenwood, Trade Lake Cedar
Piave PDO (aged) [IT] (formaggiopiave.it) Montasio, Asiago, parmesan
Picodon AOC/PDO [FR, goat] Pelardon, Rocamadour, Selles-sur-Cher, Banon, Mothais
Pont-l’Eveque AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, washed] [PMA] (fromage-normandie.com) Livarot, Maroilles, Munster, Bergues, Reblochon, Camembert, Durrus
Port Salut [FR, washed] related Trappist cheeses: Saint-Paulin, Beaumont, Abbaye du Mont des Cats, Abbaye de Tamie, Abbaye de Troisvaux, Abbaye de la Joie Notre-Dame, Ridder, Passendale, Rubens, Abbaye d’orval, Limburger
other substitutes: Esrom, Havarti, Gouda, Edam, Tilsiterkase, Oka, Munster
Pouligny-Saint-Pierre AOC/PDO [FR, goat] related cheeses: Valencay, Chavroux
other substitutes: Crottin, Sainte-Maure, Selles-sur-Cher
Prattigauer [CH, raw] Appenzeller
provolone/provola [IT] (provolonevalpadana.it) related cheeses: Caciocavallo, Ragusano, Kaseri
other substitutes: mozzarella, scamorza, burrata, Fontina, young Asiago, smoked tofu
Raclette de Savoie [FR] Abondance, Morbier, Raclette du Valais, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Fontina
Raclette du Valais AOC [CH, raw or pasteurized, washed] [PMA] (raclette-suisse.ch) related cheeses: Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Abondance, Morbier, Raclette de Savoie, Fontina, Danbo, Samso
other substitutes: Gruyere, Swiss, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Reblochon, Oka
Ragusano DOC/PDO [IT, raw] Caciocavallo, provolone, Kaseri
Reblochon de Savoie AOC/PDO [FR, raw, washed] [PMA] (reblochon.fr) Saint-Nectaire, Bethmale, Chamberat, Le Moulis, Durrus, Pont-l’Eveque, Beaumont, Brie, Camembert, Munster, Esrom, Port Salut, Abbaye de Tamie, Taleggio
Red Leicester [UK, washed, spiced] cheddar, Cheshire, Lancashire, Caerphilly
ricotta salata [IT, sheep or other] feta, manouri, halloumi, Cotija, aged Myzithra, pecorino, parmesan
Rigotte de Condrieu AOC (aged) [FR, goat, raw] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues
Robiola Lombardia [IT, cow/goat/sheep] Taleggio, Pont-l’Eveque, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Bergues, Reblochon, cream cheese, Teleme
Rouy [FR] Chaumes, Saint-Albray, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues
Rubens [BE, washed] Passendale, Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont
Sainte-Maure de Touraine AOC/PDO [FR, goat, raw or pasteurized, bloomy] [PMA] related cheeses: Golden Cross, Rosary
other substitutes: chevre, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Valencay, Crottin, Selles-sur-Cher
Saint-Nectaire AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, unwashed or washed] (fromage-aoc-st-nectaire.com) related cheeses: Reblochon, Bethmale, Chamberat, Le Moulis, Durrus, Gubbeen, Milleens, Spenwood, Caerphilly
other substitutes: Tomme de Savoie, Beaumont
Saint-Niklauss [CH, raw] raclette, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Abondance, Morbier, Fontina
Saint Paulin [FR, raw or pasteurized] Port Salut, Beaumont, Esrom, Tilsiterkase, Havarti, Oka, Munster
Salers AOC/PDO [FR, raw] [PBC] cheddar, Languiole, Cantal
Samso [DK] Danbo, raclette, Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Abondance, Morbier, Fontina, Emmentaler, Gouda, cheddar
Sao Jorge/St. George PDO [PT, raw] Gouda, Edam, Mahon, cheddar, Sbrinz
Sarments d’Amour [FR, goat]  
scamorza [IT, plain or smoked] mozzarella, burrata, halloumi, provolone, Caciocavallo, string, queso fresco, young Kashkaval, Bel Paese, muenster, Gouda, Fontina
Selles-sur-Cher AOC/PDO [FR, goat] Pelardon, Rocamadour, Picodon, Banon, Mothais, chevre, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Valencay
Single Gloucester PDO [UK] cheddar, Cheshire, Caerphilly
Taleggio DOC/PDO [IT, raw or pasteurized, washed] (taleggio.it) Robiola Lombardia, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Fontina, Beaumont, Reblochon, Brie, Gouda, Gruyere, Italico, Durrus, Grayson
Taramundi [ES, cow/goat, plain or nuts]  
Tete de Moine AOC [CH, raw] [PMA] (tetedemoine.ch) Gruyere, L’Etivaz, Comte, Beaufort, Asiago, Montasio, Appenzeller
Tetilla DO/PDO [ES] (queixotetilla.org) Tronchon, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues
Tilsiterkase [DE, washed, plain or herbed or spiced] Havarti, Esrom, Gouda, Edam, Leidse Kaas, Brick, Fontina, Monterey Jack, Appenzeller
Toggenburger [CH, raw] Appenzeller
toma/tomino [IT, goat or sheep or cow, raw or pasteurized] tomme
Tome des Bauges AOC/PDO [FR, raw] Tomme de Savoie, Tomme de Lullin
tomme/tome/tomette [FR, cow or sheep or goat, whole or skim, raw or pasteurized, some washed, plain or spiced] examples: Tomme de Savoie, Tome des Bauges, toma
Tomme de Brebis Corse [FR, sheep, raw] Lavort, Etorki, Manchego, Iberico, Evora, Ossau-Iraty
Tomme de Lullin [FR, raw] Tomme de Savoie, Tome des Bauges
Tomme de Savoie PDO [FR, whole or skim, raw or pasteurized,
plain or spiced]
related cheeses: Tome des Bauges, Tomme de Lullin, Bra, Cotherstone
other substitutes: Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Beaumont
Tomme Fermiere d’Alsace [FR] Morbier
Tommette Brebis des Alpes [FR, sheep]  
Touloumi [GR, goat] Teleme, Monterey Jack
Tronchon/Aragon [ES, sheep/goat, raw] Tetilla, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Le Venaco, A Filetta, Serra da Estrela, Serpa
Urner Alpkase [CH, raw] Alp Drackloch, Sbrinz
Vacherin Fribourgeois AOC [CH, raw, washed] raclette, Appenzeller, Saint-Niklauss, Abondance, Morbier, Fontina, Vacherin d’Abondance, Gruyere
Val Bagner [CH, raw, washed] Fontina, raclette, young Vacherin Fribourgeois
Valencay AOC/PDO [FR, goat, raw] (vins-fromages-valencay.com) Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Chavroux, Sainte-Maure, Selles-sur-Cher
Vieux-Boulogne [FR, raw, washed] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque Bergues
Weisslacker/Bierkase [DE] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Limburger

Specific Producer

Abbaye de Belloc (Aquitaine)
: Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc [FR, sheep, raw] Ossau-Iraty, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal

Abbaye de la Joie Notre-Dame (Bretagne, abbaye-lajoie-nd.com)
: Abbaye de la Joie Notre-Dame [FR, raw, washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont

Abbaye du Mont des Cats (Nord Pas-de-Calais, abbaye-montdescats.fr)
: Abbaye du Mont des Cats [FR, raw, washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont

Abbaye d’Orval (Champagne-Ardenne, orval.be)
: Abbaye d’Orval [BE] Passendale, Rubens, Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont

Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire (Bourgogne, apqv.fr)
: Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire [FR, cow or goat, raw, washed] Epoisses, Langres, Soumaintrain

Abbaye de Tamie (Rhone-Alpes, abbaye-tamie.com)
: Abbaye de Tamie [FR, raw, washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont, Reblochon

Abbaye de Troisvaux (Nord Pas-de-Calais, abbayedebelval.fr)
: Abbaye de Troisvaux [FR, raw washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin,, Beaumont

Appleby’s (Shropshire, applebyscheese.co.uk)
: Appleby’s Cheshire [UK, raw, plain or smoked] see Cheshire

Ardrahan Dairy Products (Cork, irishfarmsteadcheese.com)
: Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese [IE, washed] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Durrus, Gubbeen, Milleens

Josef Barmettler (Schwyz)
: Stanser Roteli [CH, raw, washed] Durrus, Reblochon, Stanser Flada
: Stanser Schafkase [CH, sheep, raw, washed] Fium’Orbu, Flixer, Munster, Vacherin Fribourgeois

Bath Soft Cheese (Somerset, parkfarm.co.uk)
: Wyfe of Bath [UK]  

Kurt Bauman ()
: Urner Alpkase [CH, raw] Alp Drackloch, Sbrinz

Beemster (North Holland, beemster.us)
: Beemster Extra Aged [NL] aged Gouda

Beesley Farm (Lancashire, mrskirkhams.com)
: Beesley Farm Lancashire [UK] see Lancashire

BEL Group (Paris, bel-group.com)
: Babybel/Mini Babybel [FR] Mimolette, Bel Paese, Italico, Gouda, Edam, Leidse Kaas, Fontina, Brie

BEL Nederland (South Holland, leerdammer.nl)
: Leerdammer [NL] Maasdam

Belluno (Veneto)
: Belluno Piave [IT] see Piave

Sepp Brulisauer (Aargau)
: Beermat [CH, raw, washed] Maroilles, Bergues, Fium’Orbu, Red Hawk

Busche-Cesiomaggiore (Veneto)
: Busche-Cesiomaggiore Piave [IT] see Piave

Caws Teifi Cheese (Carmarthenshire, teificheese.co.uk)
: Saval [UK, raw, washed] Caerphilly
: Teifi [UK, raw, plain or spiced] Gouda, Edam, Leidse Kaas, Coolea

Charles Martell & Son (Gloucestershire, charlesmartell.com)
: Stinking Bishop [UK, washed] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues

Coolea Farmhouse Cheese (Cork, cooleacheese.com)
: Coolea [IE, plain or herbed or spiced] aged Gouda, Edam,, Leidse Kaas, Teifi, Mimolette

Cooperative Fromagere Jeune Montagne (Midi-Pyrenees, jeune-montagne-aubrac.fr)
: Laguiole AOC/PDO [FR, raw] cheddar, Cantal, Salers, Cheshire, Lancashire

Cotherstone Cheese (Durham)
: Cotherstone [UK] Tomme de Savoie, Tome des Bauges, Tomme de Lullin

Mario Cotti (Graubunden)
: Flixer [CH, sheep, raw, washed] Spenwood, Stanser Schafkase, Ossau-Iraty

Therese-Marie Couvreur (Nord Pas-de-Calais)
: Crayeux de Roncq [FR, raw, washed] Maroilles, Munster, Livarot, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues

Le Cure Nantais (Pays de la Loire, curenantais.com)
: Embruns aux Algues [FR, seaweed]  

Daylesford Organic Farm (Gloucestershire, daylesford.com)
: Daylesford Cheddar [UK] see cheddar

Doddington Dairy (Northumberland, doddingtondairy.co.uk)
: Doddington [UK, raw] Leicester, cheddar, aged Gouda

Durrus Farmhouse Cheese (Cork, durruscheese.com)
: Durrus [IE, raw, washed] Gubbeen, Milleens, Spenwood, Caerphilly, Reblochon, Saint-Nectaire, Bethmale, Tomme de Savoie

Ruedi Fohn (Schwyz)
: Alp Drackloch [CH, raw] Prattigauer

Fowlers of Earlswood (West Midlands, fowlerscheesemakers.co.uk)
: Fowlers Traditional Sage Derby [UK, herbed]  

FrieslandCampina (Utrecht, frieslandcampina.com)
: Edam [NL, cow or goat] Gouda, Leidse Kaas, Nagelkaas, Roomano, Fontina
: Nagelkaas [NL, spiced] Gouda

Fromagerie de Terre-Dieu (Auvergne)
: Lavort [FR, sheep, raw] Tomme de Brebis Corse, Etorki, Manchego, Iberico, Evora

Fromagerie Thebault (Basse-Normandie)
: Livarot AOC/PDO [FR, raw or pasteurized, washed]
(fromage-normandie.com)
Maroilles, Liederkranz, Munster, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Limburger, Harzer Kase, Epoisses

Fromageries Arnaud (Franche-Comte, juraflore.com)
: Forte des Rousses Comte [FR] see Comte

F.W. Read & Sons (Lincolnshire, lincolnshirepoachercheese.com)
: Lincolnshire Poacher [UK, raw, plain or smoked] cheddar

GAEC Jousseaume (Poitou-Charentes, maison-jousseaume.fr)
: Clochette [FR, goat, raw] Coeur Teotski, chevre

Gruppo Lactalis Italia (galbani.it)
: Bel Paese [IT, washed] Italico, Babybel, Gouda, Edam, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, muenster, Fontina

Gubbeen Cheese (Cork, gubbeen.com)
: Gubbeen [IE, washed, plain or smoked] Durrus, Milleens, Spenwood, Caerphilly, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Bethmale, Ardrahan, Pont-l’Eveque

Claire Guillemette (Auvergne)
: Cabecou de Thiers [FR, goat, raw] Crottin, Cabecou (?)

Hawkstone Abbey Farm (Stropshire)
: Hawkstone Abbey Cheshire [UK] see Cheshire

Herve Societe (Liege, herve-societe.be)
: Herve [BE, washed] Liederkranz, Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Limburger

Inagh Farmhouse Cheese (Clare, st-tola.ie)
: St. Tola Log [IE, goat, raw or pasteurized] chevre

J & C Reade & Sons/Isle of Mull Cheese (Isle of Mull, isleofmullcheese.co.uk)
: Isle of Mull Cheese [UK, raw, plain or Smoked or spiced or herbed or fruit/whiskey] see cheddar

Kaasmakerij Passendale (West Viaanderen, deoudekaasmakerij.be)
: Passendale [BE] Rubens, Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont

Kaserei Studer (Thurgau, kaeserei-studer.ch)
: Der Scharfe Maxx [CH] Appenzeller

Keen’s Cheddar (Somerset, keenscheddar.co.uk)
: Keen’s [UK, raw] see cheddar

Lattebusche (Veneto, lattebusche.it)
: Lattebusche Piave [IT] see Piave

Lynher Dairies Cheese (West Cornwall, lynherdairies.co.uk)
: Yarg Cornish [UK, herbed] cheddar, Wensleydale

M.C. Matocq (Aquitaine)
: Matocq [FR, sheep, raw] Ossau-Iraty, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal

Milleens Cheese (Cork, milleenscheese.com)
: Milleens [IE, washed] Durrus, Gubbeen, Spenwood, Caerphilly, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Bethmale, Ardrahan

Montgomery’s Cheddar (Somerset, montgomerycheese.co.uk)
: Montgomery’s Extra Mature Cheddar [UK, raw, plain or smoked] see cheddar

Moro Latteria di Moro Sergio (Veneto, moroformaggi.it)
: Sottocenere al Tartufo [IT, raw, truffles] Truffle Tremor

PantMawr Farmhouse Cheeses (Pembrokeshire, pantmawrcheeses.co.uk)
: Caws Cerwyn [UK, plain or smoked]  

Queseria Los Corrales (Valencia, queserialoscorrales.com)
: Pena Blanca de Corrales [ES, sheep, washed] Fium’Orbu

Ram Hall Dairy Sheep (West Midlands, berkswellcheese.com)
: Berkswell [UK, sheep, raw] Manchego, Iberico, Evora, Ossau-Iraty, Pecorino Toscano, Spenwood, Trade Lake Cedar, Vermont Shepherd

Roland Barthelemy (Paris, rolandbarthelemy.com) (?)
: Rotolo [FR] related cheeses: aged Bastelicaccia, Fium’Orbu, U Rustinu, Le Niolo

SAT Ganaderos de Fuerteventura (Islas Canarias)
: Majorero DO/PDO [ES, goat, raw or pasteurized] Ibores, Garrotxa, Ticklemore, Chevrotin des Bauges, Chevrotin des Aravis, Elk Mountain, tomme

Sharpham Wine & Cheese (Devon, sharpham.com)
: Ticklemore Goat [UK, goat] Garrotxa

Dragan Teotski (Midi-Pyrenees)
: Coeur Teotski [FR, goat, raw] Clochette

Tine (Oslo, tine.no)
: Jarlsberg [NO] Swiss, Emmentaler, Greveost, Maasdam, Emmental de Savoie, Gruyere, Comte
: Ridder [NO, washed] Port Salut, Saint-Paulin, Beaumont

Village Maid Cheese (Buckinghamshire, villagemaidcheese.co.uk)
: Spenwood [UK, sheep, raw] Durrus, Gubbeen, Milleens, Caerphilly, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Bethmale, Ossau-Iraty, Pecorino Toscano, Vermont Shepherd, Zamorano

Wensleydale Creamery (North Yorkshire, wensleydale.co.uk)
: Wensleydale [UK, cow or sheep, plain or fruit or smoked or spiced or herbed] [PMA] cheddar, Cheshire, Yarg Cornish, Single Gloucester, Caerphilly

Westcombe Dairy (Somerset, westcombedairy.com)
: Westcombe Cheddar [UK, raw] see cheddar

Whalesborough Farm Foods (Cornwall, whalesboroughcheese.co.uk)
: Keltic Gold [UK, washed] tomme

Gery Zurfluk ()
: Urner Alpkase [CH, raw] Alp Drackloch, Sbrinz

Middle East/Asia

Specific Producer

Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm (Ramat Negev, kornmehl.co.il)
: Katem [IL, goat] Pelardon

North America
American cheese [US] cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Swiss, Bel Paese, Italico, Babybel
Colby [US] cheddar, Colby-Jack, Monterey Jack, American, Cheshire
Monterey Jack [US, plain or spiced] cheddar, Colby, American, muenster, Gouda, Havarti, Samso, Teleme
mozzarella (low moisture) [US version] scamorza, Caciocavallo, provolone, string, queso fresco, Bel Paese, muenster, Gouda, Fontina, Oaxaca, Kaseri, Kashkaval, smoked tofu
muenster [US] Beaumont, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Gouda, Havarti, Fontina
string cheese [US version] mozzarella, scamorza, Caciocavallo
Swiss cheese [US] Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Gruyere, provolone

Specific Producer

Achadinha Cheese (Calif., achadinha.com)
: Capricious [US, goat] Elk Mountain, Mahon

Agropur (Quebec, pleasureandcheeses.ca)
: Oka Classique [CA, washed] Abbaye du Mont des Cats, Port Salut, raclette, Morbier

Alpine Lakes Sheep Cheese (Wash., alpinelakescheese.com)
: Mountain Tomme [US, sheep, raw] [discontinued?] Vermont Shepherd

Ancient Heritage Dairy (Ore., ancientheritagedairy.com)
: Adelle [US, sheep/cow, bloomy] chevre, Saint-Marcellin, Crottin
: Heritage [US, sheep, raw] Ros/Ombra
: Opal Springs [US, cow/sheep, raw, washed] Gubbeen

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (Wash., beechershandmadecheese.com)
: Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Handmade Cheddar [US] cheddar

Beehive Cheese (Utah, beehivecheese.com)
: Barely Buzzed [US, espresso/herbed] cheddar
: SeaHive [US, honey/sea salt]  

BelGioioso Cheese (Wis., belgioioso.com)
: BelGioioso Provolone [US] provolone

Bellwether Farms (Calif., bellwetherfarms.com)
: Carmody [US] young pecorino, Doddington
: San Andreas [US, sheep, raw] Vermont Shepherd, young pecorino

Boar’s Head (Fla., boarshead.com)
: Boar’s Head Monterey Jack Cheese With Jalapeno [US] cheddar

Bodega Artisan Cheese/Daphne’s Creamery (Calif., daphnecreamery.com)
: Bodega Reserve [US, goat, raw] Manchego
: Daphne’s Aged Charolais [US, goat, raw] Charolais

Bravo Farms (Calif., bravofarms.com)
: Silver Mountain Aged Clothbound Cheddar [US] cheddar
: Tulare Cannonball [US, raw] [discontinued?] Edam, Emmentaler, Gouda

Cabot Creamery (Vt., cabotcheese.coop)
: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar [US] cheddar
: Cabot Private Stock Cheddar [US] cheddar

Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheese (Ind., capriolegoatcheese.com)
: Mont St. Francis [US, goat, raw, washed] Aracena, Munster, Chevrotin des Aravis
: Old Kentucky Tomme [US, goat, raw] Tomme de Savoie, Monterey Jack, Hillis Peak, Elk Mountain, Ibores
: Piper’s Pyramide [US, goat, bloomy] chevre, Valencay
: Sofia [US, goat]  
: Wabash Cannonball [US, goat, bloomy] chevre, Bonne Bouche, Crottin, Humboldt Fog

Cato Corner Farm (Conn., catocornerfarm.com)
: Dairyere [US, raw] Gruyere, Comte
: Hooligan [US, raw, washed] Grayson

Central Coast Creamery (Calif., centralcoastcreamery.com)
: Seascape [US, goat/cow] cheddar, goat Gouda

Consider Bardwell Farm (Vt., considerbardwellfarm.com)
: Consider Bardwell Dorset [US, raw, washed] Taleggio, Durrus, Tomme de Savoie, Val Bagner
: Manchester [US, goat, raw] Wimer Winter, tomme
: Pawlet [US] toma

Cypress Grove Chevre (Calif., cypressgrovechevre.com)
: Bermuda Triangle [US, goat] aged Valencay
: Humboldt Fog [US, goat, bloomy] chevre, Purple Haze, Robiola Piemonte, Morbier, aged Valencay, Wabash Cannonball
: Purple Haze [US, goat] [discontinued?] chevre, Roves de Garrigues
: Truffle Tremor [US, goat, bloomy, truffles] Robiola with truffles

DCI Cheese (Wis., dcicheeseco.com)
: Liederkranz [US] Munster, Livarot, Maroilles, Pont-l’Eveque, Bergues, Limburger, Harzer Kase, Epoisses

Edelweiss Creamery (Wis., edelweisscreamery.com)
: Edelweiss Creamery Grassfed Emmentaler Swiss Cheese [US, raw] Swiss, Jarlsberg

Emmi Roth USA (Wis., us.emmi.com)
: Emmi Roth Emmentaler [US] Swiss, Jarlsberg
: Grand Cru Surchoix [US] Gruyere

Fagundes Old World Cheese (Calif., oldworldcheese.com)
: Fagundes St. Jorge [US, raw] Sao Jorge, Emmentaler

Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese (Calif., fiscalinicheese.com)
: Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar [US] cheddar
: San Joaquin Gold [US, raw] Montasio, Fontina

Fromagerie La Moutonniere (Quebec, lamoutonniere.com)
: Foin d’Odeur [CA, sheep, bloomy] Fium’Orbu

Fromagerie Le P’tit Train du Nord (Quebec, fromagerieptittraindunord.com)
: La Barre du Jour [CA, goat, spiced] goat raclette

Fromagerie Tournevent (Quebec, damafro.ca)
: Le Chevre Noir [CA, goat] cheddar, Classico

Grafton Village Cheese (Vt., graftonvillagecheese.com)
: Grafton Village 4 Year Aged Cheddar [US, raw, plain or smoked or herbed] cheddar

Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy (Colo., haystackgoatcheese.com)
: Queso de Mano [US, goat, raw]  

Hillman Farm (Mass., hillmanfarm.com)
: Harvest Cheese [US, goat, raw, washed] Redmondo
: Hilltown Wheel [US, goat, raw] [discontinued?] Redmondo, goat tomme, Chevrotin, Tumalo Tomme

Jasper Hill Farm (Vt., jasperhillfarm.com)
: Aspenhurst [US, raw] [discontinued?] Doddington, cheddar

Juniper Grove Farm (Ore., junipergrovefarm.com)
: Tumalo Tomme [US, goat, raw, washed] goat tomme, Capricious, Hilltown Wheel, Redmondo

Lactalis American Group (N.Y., galbanicheese.com)
: Galbani/Precious/Sorrento Whole Milk Mozzarella [US] mozzarella

Lake Erie Creamery (Ohio, lakeeriecreamery.com)
: Blomma [US, goat, bloomy] Camellia

Laura Chenel’s Chevre (Calif., laurachenel.com)
: Laura Chenel’s Tome [US] tomme, cheddar, parmesan

LoveTree Farmstead (Wis., lovetreefarmstead.com)
: Trade Lake Cedar [US, sheep, raw] Ossau-Iraty, Berkswell

La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (Quebec, alexisdeportneuf.com)
: La Sauvagine [CA, washed]  

Matos Cheese Factory (Calif.)
: Matos St. George [US, raw] Havarti, cheddar, Lancashire, Cantal, Monterey Jack, Sao Jorge

Meadow Creek Dairy (Va., meadowcreekdairy.com)
: Appalachian [US] tomme
: Grayson [US, raw, washed] Taleggio, Kunstener, Livarot

Mecox Bay Dairy (N.Y., mecoxbaydairy.com)
: Mecox Sunrise [US, raw, washed] Consider Bardwell Dorset

Milton Creamery (Iowa, miltoncreamery.com)
: Prairie Breeze [US] white cheddar, quark

Mozzarella Co. (Texas, mozzco.com)
: Deep Ellum Blue [US] [discontinued?]  

Mozzarella House (Mass., mozzarellahouse.com)
: Mozzarella House Scamorza [US] mozzarella

Nicasio Valley Cheese (Calif., nicasiocheese.com)
: Foggy Morning [US]  

Orb Weaver Farm (Vt., orbweaverfarm.com)
: Orb Weaver Vermont Farmhouse Cheese [US, raw] Colby, Bethmale, Le Moulis, Morbier

Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese (Calif., realfarmsteadcheese.com)
: Northern Gold [US, raw, plain or herbed or spiced] young Fontina

Pholia Farm (Ore., pholiafarm.com)
: Elk Mountain [US, goat, raw, washed] Castelmagno, tomme, Ibores, Hillis Peak
: Hillis Peak [US, goat, raw] Ibores, tomme
: Pleasant Creek [US, goat, raw] Gruyere
: Wimer Winter [US, goat, raw, washed] Mont St. Francis, Durrus, Lancashire, Beira Baixa, Fium’Orbu

Pine Stump Farms (Wash., pinestumpfarms.com)
: Pine Stump Asiago [US, goat, raw] Ibores

Pleasant Valley Dairy (Wash.)
: Pleasant Valley Dairy Gouda [US, raw, plain or spiced] Gouda

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery (Calif., redwoodhill.com)
: Bucheret [US, goat] chevrot, Bucheron
: California Crottin/Terra [US, goat] Crottin

Rinconada Dairy (Calif., rinconadadairy.com)
: Pozo Tomme [US, sheep, raw] pecorino

Rivers Edge Chevre/Three Ring Farm (Ore., threeringfarm.com)
: Illahee Tomme [US, goat, raw] goat Valtellina
: Jupiter’s Moon [US, goat, washed] Vacherin Mont d’Or

Samish Bay Cheese (Wash., samishbaycheese.com)
: Samish Bay Cheese Montasio [US, raw] Montasio

Sea Breeze Farm (Wash., seabreezefarm.net)
: Vache de Vashon [US, raw] [discontinued?] Tomme de Savoie

Shelburne Farms (Vt., shelburnefarms.org)
: Shelburne Farms Clothbound Cheddar [US] cheddar

Spring Hill Jersey Cheese (Calif., springhillcheese.com)
: Old World Portuguese [US] [discontinued?] Sao Jorge

Sweet Grass Dairy (Ga., sweetgrassdairy.com)
: Thomasville Tomme [US, raw] tomme, Orb Weaver Vermont Farmhouse Cheese

Sweet Home Farm (Ala., southerncheese.org)
: Perdido [US, raw] Le Moulis, Morbier

Thistle Hill Farm (Vt., thistlehillfarm.com)
: Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise [US, raw] Abondance, Beaufort, cheddar

Tillamook County Cheese (Ore., tillamook.com)
: Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese [US] Monterey Jack
: Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar [US] cheddar

Tumalo Farms (Ore., tumalofarms.com)
: Classico [US, goat, raw or pasteurized, plain or spiced] goat Gouda, tomme, Majorero
: Pondhopper [US, goat] Classico, goat Gouda, tomme

Twig Farm (Vt., twigfarm.com)
: Twig Farm Goat Tomme [US, goat, raw]  
: Twig Farm Square Cheese [US, goat, raw] Elk Mountain, Garrotxa

Uplands Cheese (Wis., uplandscheese.com)
: Pleasant Ridge Reserve [US, raw, washed] Gruyere, Beaufort, Comte, Appenzeller, Hoch Ybrig, Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise

Valley Ford Cheese (Calif., valleyfordcheeseco.com)
: Estero Gold [US, raw] Montasio, Asiago

Vella Cheese (Calif., vellacheese.com)
: Mezzo Secco [US, raw] Monterey Jack

Vermont Creamery (Vt., vermontcreamery.com)
: Bijou [US, goat, bloomy] Crottin
: Bonne Bouche [US, goat] chevre, Selles-sur-Cher, Wabash Cannonball
: Coupole [US, goat, bloomy] chevre, Humboldt Fog, Chabichou

Vermont Shepherd (Vt., vermontshepherd.com)
: Vermont Shepherd (Verano) [US, sheep, raw] Ossau-Iraty, Berkswell, Spenwood

Washington State University Creamery (Wash., wsu.edu/creamery)
: Cougar Gold [US] cheddar, Gouda

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars (Wis., widmerscheese.com)
: Widmer’s Aged Brick Cheese [US] Tilsiterkase, Gouda, Edam, Havarti, Esrom, cheddar, Limburger

Willamette Valley Cheese (Ore., wvcheeseco.com)
: Brindisi Fontina [US, raw] aged Fontina, Le Moulis

Willow Hill Farm (Vt., sheepcheese.com)
: Autumn Oak [US, sheep, raw] Trade Lake Cedar
: Paniolo [US, raw, washed] Durrus, Stanser Roteli

Latin America
Casero [MX] queso fresco, farmer, chevre, feta, Monterey Jack, drained cottage/salt
Chihuahua/Menonita [MX] muenster, Monterey Jack, cheddar
Manchego [MX version] Monterey Jack, Romano
Oaxaca [MX] Monterey Jack, Teleme, mozzarella
queso anejo [MX, goat/cow] Romano, parmesan, aged Asiago, Dry Jack, feta

Australia/New Zealand

Specific Producer

Crescent Dairy Goats (Auckland, crescentdairygoats.co.nz)
: Crescent Dairy Farmhouse Mature [NZ, goat, herbed or spiced] cheddar

Heidi Farm (Tasmania, heidifarm.com.au)
: Heidi Farm Gruyere [AU] Gruyere
: Heidi Farm Raclette [AU] raclette

King Island Dairy (Tasmania, kingislanddairy.com.au)
: Stormy Washed Rind [AU, washed] Pont-l’Eveque

Meyer Gouda Cheese (Waikato, meyer-cheese.co.nz)
: Meyer Vintage Gouda [NZ] Gouda, parmesan

Pyengana Dairy (Tasmania, pyenganadairy.com.au)
: Pyengana Cheddar [AU, plain or herbed or spiced] cheddar

Various Countries
cheddar/cheddar-like cheese nutritional yeast, toasted wheat germ, bean sauce/nuts, miso/nuts, vegan products (see Vegan Cheese section)
melting cheese (for baking/sauces/fondue) almost any blue cheese and anything from these families: raclette, Gruyere, cheddar, Saint-Nectaire, Emmentaler, mozzarella, provolone, Tomme de Savoie (and some from the Gouda and Munster families)
processed cheese (cheese-based product) American, Velveeta, Cheez Whiz, Provel, Babybel, Rambol, La Vache qui Rit/The Laughing Cow, Bonjura
pungent cheese Bergfichte, Durrus, Epoisses, Fium’Orbu, Gaperon, Grayson, Herve, Hooligan, Kuntener,
Leidse Kaas, aged Limburger, Livarot, Maroilles, Mont St. Francis, Pont-l’Eveque,
Schabziger, Stanser Schaf Reblochon

 

Hard Cheese

The longer a firm cheese ages, the more moisture it loses and the harder it becomes.  The most famous hard cheese is Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of cheeses according to the Italians.  Note that some people classify certain semi-hard cheeses as hard.  We prefer to think of hard cheese as only those that are tough, grainy, and extremely dry—so hard that you can’t easily break off a piece by hand.  Again, we could really use a standard cheese label.  Hard cheese makes excellent grating cheese.  The best can also be enjoyed simply with a drizzle of honey or aged balsamic vinegar.

 

Hard Cheese (30+)
Name/Certification [Country, Milk, Rind, Flavor] [Heritage]
Company (Location, Web)
Similar Cheese/Substitution

Europe
Asiago DOC/PDO (aged) [IT, raw] [PMA] (asiagocheese.it) Montasio, Gruyere, Tete de Moine, L’Etivaz, Comte, Beaufort, parmesan, Grana, Romano, Dry Jack, Piave, Schabziger
Grana Padano DOC/PDO [IT] [PMA] (granapadano.com) parmesan, Sbrinz, Schabziger, Saanen, Romano, aged Asiago, Dry Jack, Mezzo Secco
Iberico [ES, cow/goat/sheep] Manchego, Evora
Kefalotyri DOC [GR, sheep/goat] [PMA] Chevrotin des Bauges, Chevrotin des Aravis, Majorero, Ibores, Garrotxa, Ticklemore, Kaseri, Graviera, Romano, parmesan, Grana, Asiago
Mahon DO/PDO [ES, raw or pasteurized] [PMA] Gouda, Edam, Sao Jorge, parmesan, cheddar, Grana, Cheshire
Manchego DO/PDO (aged) [ES, sheep, raw or pasteurized] related cheeses: Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Ossau-Iraty, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc, Laruns, Matocq, Bethmale, Canestrato Pugliese, Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Toscano
parmesan, Monterey Jack, cheddar, Gouda, Asiago, Fontina (similar age)
Parmigiano-Reggiano DOC/PDO [IT, raw] [PMA] (parmigianoreggiano.com) related cheeses: Grana, Sbrinz, Schabziger, Saanen, parmesan
other substitutes: Dry Jack, pecorino, aged Manchego, aged Asiago
Pecorino Romano DOC/PDO [IT, sheep] [PBC] (pecorinoromano.com) Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Toscano, Canestrato Pugliese, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Ossau-Iraty, parmesan, Grana, aged Nisa, aged Serpa, aged Asiago, Dry Jack, Schabziger
Pecorino Sardo DOC/PDO [IT, sheep] Pecorino Toscano Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Toscano, Canestrato Pugliese, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Ossau-Iraty
Roncal DO/PDO [ES, sheep, raw] [PMA] Manchego, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Ossau-Iraty
Roomano [NL] aged Gouda, Edam, Leidse Kaas, Nagelkaas, Mahon, Sao Jorge, parmesan
Saanen [CH] Sbrinz, Schabziger, parmesan, Grana, aged Asiago, Dry Jack
Sbrinz AOC [CH, raw] (sbrinz.ch) Schabziger, Saanen, parmesan, Grana, aged Asiago, Dry Jack
Zamorano DO/PDO [ES, sheep, raw] Manchego, Roncal, Idiazabal, Berkswell

Specific Producer

Cooperativa Latteria di Santeramo (Puglia)
: Canestrato Pugliese DOC/PDO [IT, sheep, raw or pasteurized] Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Toscano, Manchego, Roncal, Zamorano, Idiazabal, Ossau-Iraty

GESKA (Glarus, schabziger.ch)
: Swiss Schabziger/sapsago [CH, skim, spiced] [PMA] Romano, parmesan

Josep Cuixart (Catalonia)
: Ros/Ombra [ES, sheep] Manchego

Quesos Torralba (Balearic Islands, quesostorralba.com)
: Quesos Torralba Mahon [ES, raw] Gouda, parmesan, Grana

Middle East/Asia
chhurpi [NP, yak] parmesan, Dry Jack, Asiago

North America
Dry Jack [US] parmesan, aged pecorino, Mahon
parmesan [US] Romano, Dry Jack, Grana
Romano [US] parmesan, Dry Jack

Specific Producer

Black Sheep Creamery (Wash., blacksheepcreamery.com)
: Black Sheep Aged Pecorino [US, sheep, raw] aged pecorino

Boar’s Head (Fla., boarshead.com)
: Boar’s Head Parmigiano-Reggiano [US] parmesan

Costco Wholesale (Wash., costco.com)
: Kirkland Signature Lake Country Asiago Cheese [US] aged Asiago

Emmi Roth USA (Wis., us.emmi.com)
: GrandQueso [US] Manchego

Everona Dairy (Va., everonadairy.com)
: Piedmont [US, sheep, raw] Roncal

Juniper Grove Farm (Ore., junipergorvefarm.com)
: Redmondo [US, goat, raw] aged pecorino, tomme

Rumiano Cheese (Calif., rumianocheese.com)
: Rumiano Dry Monterey Jack [US] Dry Jack

Vella Cheese (Calif., vellacheese.com)
: Vella Dry Monterey Jack [US] parmesan, cheddar, Rumiano Dry Monterey Jack

Latin America
Cotija [MX] Romano, parmesan, aged Asiago, Dry Jack, queso anejo, feta, ricotta salata
Enchilado [MX] Cotija, feta, Romano, parmesan
Sardo [AR] Pecorino Sardo

Various Countries
grating cheese nutritional yeast, toasted wheat germ, vegan products (see Vegan Cheese section)

 

Vegan Cheese

That sound we just heard is a collective gasp from cheese purists everywhere.  Well, don’t get your cheesecloth in a bunch.  Why vegan?  We like meat and we like vegetables.  We love to check out vegetarian restaurants, and frankly, we find some airlines’ vegetarian options to be way better than their regular menu.  The whole idea of vegan cheese is more intriguing than, say, vegan wine.  For some vegans out there, dairy-based cheese is something they miss more than meat.  And there’s an economical reason why traditional cheese producers should be interested (read on).

Culture Club

Making fresh vegan cheese at home is relatively simple—so is making fresh cheese as we stated earlier.  Indeed, you can buy good vegan substitutes for cream cheese or fresh chevre.  Producing non-dairy cheese that has the same complexity, taste, and mouthfeel as aged cheese is not so easy.  Vegan cheese has come a long way since the 1980s.  A vegan cheese company was on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2014 (see Heidi Ho below).  Nut-based products eventually replaced some of the early soy-based recipes.  (We hope the industry doesn’t end up relying on the same main ingredient for all vegan cheese products because an estimated five percent of Americans have food allergies—tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans being four of the eight most common food allergens.)  For the current generation of vegan cheese producers, it is all about fermentation—enzymes and cultures.

Untapped Market

While the faux cheese industry is small (about $30 million in the U.S.), it grew by 23 percent in 2014.  If just one percent of dairy cheese producers decided to enter the vegan cheese market, it would be a game changer.  As far as we know, none of the vegan cheese companies had any prior experience making dairy cheese.  Imagine what a French blue cheese producer could come up with.

When Foodies Go Vegan

There must be a lot of vegetarians/vegans in the Bay Area.  Or perhaps people just appreciate good food.  Originally founded by the San Francisco Zen Center, the acclaimed Greens vegetarian restaurant has been serving satisfied diners since 1979.  Soon vegan and raw-food establishments would follow—Millennium (recently closed after more than 20 years), Café Gratitude, and Source Mini, just to name a few.  Even the best high-end restaurants—we’re talking Michelin star winners—usually offer a vegetarian tasting menu.  It’s not only fancy establishments that take care of meatless diners; we’re reminded of the East German restaurant in San Francisco that serves pork schnitzel as well as vegetarian schnitzel.

You can eat your way around the world in this part of California; the same diversity is reflected in the vegetarian scene.  Looking for an Indian vegetarian restaurant?  Check.  Chinese Muslim vegetarian?  We have that.  Click on the Where to Eat tab above and you’ll find one that serves homemade vegan cheese.  Click on the Where to Buy tab and you’ll see that there’s a Bay Area store that sells only vegan products.

Better Living Through Chemistry

Vegan cheese companies may find the research at Bay Area’s Real Vegan Cheese (realvegancheese.org) useful.

 

Vegan Cheese
Name [Country, Base, Fermentation]
Company (Location, Web)

Europe

Specific Producer

Bute Island Foods (Isle of Bute, buteisland.com)
: Medium Cheddar Sheese [UK, soy protein]

Clasoft (North Rhine-Westphalia, wilmersburger.de)
: Wilmersburger Pizza Shreds [DE, vegetable oil/potato starch/modified starch]

VBites Foods (Northamptonshire, vbitesfoods.com)
: Dairy-Free Mozzarella Cheezly [UK, tofu/soy protein]

Vegi-Service (Thurgau, vegusto.com)
: Vegusto No-Moo Classic [CH, vegetable oil/rice flour/potato starch]

Viotros (Central Macedonia, violife.gr)
: Violife Original [GR, vegetable oil/modified starch/starch]

North America

Specific Producer

Ahimsa Organics (Ore., ahimsacheese.com)
: Original Brie [US, cashews, probiotics]

Avellana Creamery (Ore., avellana-creamery.com)
: Vegan Hazelnut Cheese [US, hazelnuts, cultures]
: Vegan Hazelnut Parmesan [US, hazelnuts, cultures]

Blode Kuh (Calif., blodekuh.com)
: Sir Racha Cheddar [US, cashews]
: Truffle Fluff [US, cashews]

Chicago Vegan Foods (Ill., chicagoveganfoods.com)
: Teese Vegan Cheddar Cheese [US, tapioca flour/vegetable oil]

The Cultured Kitchen (Calif., theculturedkitchen.net)
: Firm Herb & Chive Cultured Cashew [US, cashews, cultures]

Dairy Tree Foods (dairytreefoods.com)
: Blue? [US] [TBA]

Daiya Foods (British Columbia, daiyafoods.com)
: Mozzarella Style Shreds [CA, gluten-free flour/vegetable oil]

Dr-Cow (N.Y., dr-cow.com)
: Organic Aged Cashew Cheese [US, cashews, bacteria]
: Organic Cream Cashew Cheese [US, cashews, bacteria]

Field Roast (Wash., fieldroast.com)
: Creamy Original Chao Slices [US, vegetable oil/corn and potato starch, fermented tofu]
: Tomato Cayenne Chao Slices [US, vegetable oil/corn and potato starch, fermented tofu]

Follow Your Heart (Calif., followyourheart.com)
: Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Shreds [US, vegetable oil/modified starch]

Fromagerie Esseme (Calif., fromagerieesseme.com, snmvegan.com)
: Original Cashew Cream Cheese [US, cashews] [On hiatus]

GOOD PLANeT Foods (Wash., goodplanetfoods.com)
: Mozzarella Shreds [US, coconut oil/potato and tapioca starch]

Heidi Ho (Ore., heidiho.com)
: Creamy Chia Cheeze [US, vegetable puree/cashews]

Lyrical Foods (Calif., kite-hill.com)
: Kite Hill Ricotta [US, almond milk, enzymes/cultures]
: Kite Hill Soft Ripened [US, almond milk, enzymes/cultures]

Miyoko’s Kitchen (Calif., miyokoskitchen.com)
: Aged English Smoked Farmhouse [US, cashews, cultures]
: Classic Double Cream Chive [US, cashews, cultures]
: High Sierra Rustic Alpine [US, cashews, cultures]

NuCulture Foods (Ore., nuculturefoods.com)
: Bacony Chipotle Spread [US, cashews]

The Organic Gourmet (Calif., organic-gourmet.com)
: VegCuisine Soy Feta [US, soy milk]

Parmela Creamery (Calif., parmelacreamery.com)
: Creamy Treenut Cheese Original [US, cashew milk, culture/enzymes]
: Parmesan Style Aged Nut Cheese [US, almonds/cashews/soybeans]

Punk Rawk Labs (Minn., punkrawklabs.net)
: Original Nut Milk Cheese [US, cashew milk, culture]

Ste Martaen (Ill., stemartaen.com)
: Muenster [US, cashews]

SunRAWise (Fla., sunrawise.com)
: Original [US, cashews]

Treeline Cheese (N.Y., treelinecheese.com)
: Scallion French-Style Soft Cheese [US, cashews, bacteria]

Vromage (Calif., vromage.com)
: Camembert [US, nuts/seeds]
: Picorino With Ash [US, nuts/seeds]
: Veganzola [US, nuts/seeds]

Vtopian Artisan Cheeses (Ore., vtopiancheeses.com)
: Aged White Cheddar [US, cashews, probiotics/prebiotics]

 


 

Legend

Certification (legally protected appellation):

Note that PDO is the same as DOP and AOP in non-English languages.

For a cheese’s country of origin, we use the Internet’s two-letter code.  Unless specified otherwise, a cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s whole milk.  Note that the type of milk refers to the “official” version’s specification.  For soft/medium/hard cheese, the type of rind is natural unless it’s listed as bloomy or washed.  We also list any special flavoring added.

Heritage cheese from different periods:

GAEC is a kind of cooperative in France.

Resources

Barthelemy, Roland, and Arnaud Sperat-Czar.  Guide to Cheeses of the World.  London:  Octopus Publishing Group/Hachette Illustrated, 2003/2005. [Sale]

Brennan, Georgeanne.  Cheese Obsession:  The Complete Guide With 100 Recipes for Cooking With Cheese (originally published as Williams-Sonoma Cheese).  San Francisco:  Bonnier/Weldon Owen, 2010. [Sale]

Davies, Sasha.  The Guide to West Coast Cheese:  More Than 300 Chesses Handcrafted in California, Oregon, and Washington.  Portland, Ore.:  Timber Press, 2010. [Sale]

Fletcher, Janet.  Cheese & Wine:  A Guide to Selecting, Pairing, and Enjoying.  San Francisco:  Chronicle Books, 2007. [Sale]

Harbutt, Juliet, ed.  World Cheese Book.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2009. [Sale]

Joachim, David.  The Food Substitutions Bible:  More Than 6,500 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment & Techniques.  2nd ed.  Ontario:  Robert Rose, 2010. [Sale]

Masui, Kazuko, and Tomoko Yamada.  French Cheese (Eyewitness Companions Series).  Rev. ed.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2005. [Sale]

McCalman, Max, and David Gibbons.  Cheese:  A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best.  New York:  Random House/Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2005. [Sale]

McCalman, Max, and David Gibbons.  Mastering Cheese:  Lessons for Connoisseurship From a Maitre Fromager.  New York:  Random House/Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2009. [Sale]

Michelson, Patricia.  Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition.  Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2010. [Sale]

Ridgway, Judy.  The Cheese Companion:  The Connoisseur’s Guide.  Philadelphia:  Running Press, 1999. [Sale]

Schinner, Miyoko. Artisan Vegan Cheese. Summertown, Tenn.: Book Publishing, 2012. [Sale]

Androuet [FR] (androuet.com)
Artisanal Premium Cheese [N.Y.] (artisanalcheese.com)
Cheese.com [World News Network (N.Y.?)] (cheese.com)
The Cheese Web [UK] (thecheeseweb.com)
Chez Virginie [FR] (chezvirginie.com)
The Cook’s Thesaurus (foodsubs.com)
Culture (culturecheesemag.com)
French Cheese Club [N.Y.] (frenchcheeseclub.com)
La Fromagerie [UK] (lafromagerie.co.uk)
Fromagerie Quatrehomme [FR] (quatrehomme.fr)
Fromagerie Sanders [FR]
Fromages.com [FR] (fromages.com)
Fromagination [Wis.] (fromagination.com)
Murray’s [N.Y.] (murrayscheese.com)
Pacific Northwest Cheese Project (pnwcheese.com)
Paxton & Whitfield [UK] (paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk)
Philippe Olivier [FR] (philippeolivier.com)
Roland Barthelemy [FR] (rolandbarthelemy.com)

American Cheese Society (cheesesociety.org)
British Cheese Board (britishcheese.com)
Guilde Internationale des Fromagers (guildedesfromagers.com)
Queseros y Quesos de Espana (queseros.com)

Smalldairy.info (smalldairy.info)
Slow Cheese (slowfood.com/slowcheese)
Association Fromages de Terroirs (fromages-de-terroirs.com)
A Campaign for Real Milk (realmilk.com)

Dairy Management Inc. (dairy.org)
Midwest Dairy Association (midwestdairy.com)
Northeast Dairy (…)  [Editor’s note:  We reached out to three competing trade groups in this region but never heard from any of them.]
Real California Milk (realcaliforniamilk.com)
California Artisan Cheese Guild (cacheeseguild.org)
The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (southeastdairy.org)
The Southern Cheesemakers’ Guild (southerncheese.org)
Vermont Cheese Council (vtcheese.com)
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (wisconsincheesefoodservice.com)

International Cheese Awards (internationalcheeseawards.co.uk)
Sofi Awards (specialtyfood.com)
US Championship Cheese (uschampioncheese.org)
World Championship Cheese (worldchampioncheese.org)
World Cheese Awards (worldcheeseawards.com)

The Name of the Game

Most cheeses are named after a place.  For example, Stanser refers to the city of Stans in Switzerland.  Padano refers to Italy’s Po Valley.  Ricotta/requeson means twice cooked.  A tomme/tome is a slice or piece.  The type of milk is also part of the name sometimes (see table below). In the Savoie region of France, chevrotin is a pure goat’s milk cheese, and chevrette is made from a mixture of goat’s and cow’s milk.

 

English French Italian Spanish Portuguese German
aged ages, vieille, vieux stagionati anejo, viejo curado, idoso alter
blue bleu blu azul azul blau
charcoal cendre ceneri ceniza cinza esche
cheese fromage, fourme formaggio, cacio queso queijo kase
cow vache vacca vaca vaca kuh
curd caille latticini requeson requeijao quark
dairy laitiers lattiero lacteos lacteos milchkuhe
farm ferme fattoria granja fazenda farm
farm-made fermier cascina caserio   gehoft
fresh frais, fraiche fresco fresco frescal, fresco frisch
goat chevre capra cabra cabra ziege
hard dure dura duro dura hart
milk lait latte leche leite milch
paste pate pasta pasta cole einfugen
raw cru crudo cruda cru roh
sheep brebis pecore ovejas ovinos schafe
soft doux morbido suave suave weichen
whey petit lait siero lactosuero soro molke

 

Cheese Festivals

The festivals below celebrate the little wedge of heaven around the world.  We publish each festival’s year once the date has been announced for the upcoming calendar year. Of course, a festival could be canceled the last minute.

 

Name Web Site Date/Location

Europe
Artisan Cheese Fair, est. 2011 artisancheesefair.co.uk April 2017 - Melton Mowbray, England
Bagnes Capitale de la Raclette, est. 2004 bagnesraclette.ch September 2017 - Le Chable, Switzerland
The Big Cheese your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese July - Caerphilly, Wales
Cheese, est. 1995 cheese.slowfood.com September [biennial (odd-numbered years)] - Bra, Italy
Cheese Festival cheese-festival.ch October - Lucerne, Switzerland
Euskadi-Basque Country International Cheese Festival internationalcheesefestival.eus November - Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Feria del Queso, est. 1988 feriadelquesotrujillo.es April-May 2017 - Trujillo, Spain
Fete du Fromage, est. 1993 fetedufromage-banon.fr May - Banon, France
Fete du Fromage, est. 1984 pontleveque.fr May - Pont-l'Eveque, France
Fete du Fromage, est. 2002 gruyeres.ch May - Gruyeres, Switzerland
Fete des Fromages, est. 1990 fromages.rocamadour.free.fr May - Rocamadour, France
Fete du Reblochon fetedureblochon.fr August - La Clusaz, France
Fiera del Cacio, est. 1974 prolocopienza.it September - Pienza, Italy
Foire aux Fromages, est. 1968 foire-aux-fromages.com September 2017 - La Capelle, France
Foire aux Fromages, est. 1988 paysdelivarot.fr August - Livarot, France
Foire aux Fromages et et a la Gastronomie, est. 1983 foireauxfromages.fr June 2017 - Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, France
Foire aux Fromages et aux Vins, est. 1967 foire-fromages-et-vins.com April 2017 - Coulommiers, France
International Cheese Awards at The Nantwich Show, est. 1897 internationalcheeseawards.co.uk July 2017 - Nantwich, England
Melun Fete son Brie melun-tourisme.fr October - Melun, France
Sagra della Ricotta e del Formaggio, est. 1975 vizzinisaporiesaperi.com April - Vizzini, Italy
Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival cheesefestival.co.uk September 2017 - Sturminster Newton, England

Middle East/Asia
xx xx.com 2017 - xx

North America
Amish Country Cheese Festival, est. 1973 arthurcheesefestival.com September - Arthur, Ill.
California’s Artisan Cheese Festival, est. 2007 artisancheesefestival.com March 2017 - Petaluma, Calif.
Central Co-op’s Cascadia Cheese Festival, est. 2010 centralcoop.coop October - Seattle
Cheddar Cheese Festival cheddarcheesefestival.com July - Adams, N.Y.
Cheese Curd Festival, est. 2002 ellsworthchamber.com/cheese-curd-festival June - Ellsworth, Wis.
Cheesetopia wisconsincheeseoriginals.com April 2017 - Minneapolis [location varies]
Chile Cheese Festival, est. 1992 mainstreetroswell.org September - Roswell, N.M.
Colorado Cheese Festival, est. 2009 cocheesefest.com November - Longmont, Colo.
Cream Cheese Festival, est. 2005 creamcheesefestival.com September - Lowville, N.Y.
Festival of Cheese at ACS Conference cheesesociety.org July 2017 - Denver [location varies]
Finger Lakes Cheese Festival, est. 2012 flcheesetrail.com July 2017 - Odessa, N.Y.
Florida Cheese Festival, est. 2016 floridacheesefestival.com April - Deland, Fla.
The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, est. 2010 cheesefestival.ca June 2017 - Piston, Ontario
The Great Northeast Cheese & Dairy Fest, est. 2015 nyepicureanevents.com December - New York
Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival, est. 1988 littlechutewi.org June 2017 - Little Chute, Wis.
Green County Cheese Days, est. 1914 cheesedays.com September 2018 [biennial (even-numbered years)] - Monroe, Wis.
Huntsville Cheese Festival, est. 2015 huntsvillecheesefestival.com March - Huntsville, Ala.
Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest, est. 2010 isthmusbeercheese.com January 2017 - Madison, Wis.
Jungle Jim’s Big Cheese Festival junglejims.com/bigcheesefest February 2017 - Fairfield, Ohio
Little Falls Cheese Festival, est. 2015 littlefallscheesefestival.com July 2017 - Little Falls, N.Y.
Mac & Cheese Fest, est. 2014 macandcheesechicago.com November - Chicago
The Macaroni & Cheese Festival, est. 2015 themacandcheesefest.com April - Bakersfield, Calif.
June - Avila Beach, Calif.
August - Azetc, Albuquerque
Maine Cheese Festival mainecheeseguild.org October - Union, Maine
Massachusetts Cheese Festival, est. 2013 macheesefest.org September - Somerville, Mass.
Monroe Cheese Festival, est. 1997 monroecheesefestival.com September - Monroe, N.Y.
Oregon Cheese Festival, est. 2005 oregoncheeseguild.org March 2017 - Central Point, Ore.
Pennsylvania Apple & Cheese Festival, est. 1990 paapplecheese.com October 2017 - Canton, Pa.
Pine Island Cheese Fest, est. 1936 pineislandcheesefest.com June - Pine Island, Minn.
SF Cheese Fest, est. 2015 sfcheesefest.com September - San Francisco
Stinky Cheese Week, est. 2007 tourdefrancenyc.com February - New York
Stone Craft Beer & Cheese sdcheesefest.org November - San Diego
Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, est. 2009 vtcheesefest.com July 2017 - Shelburne, Vt.
Virginia Cheese Festival, est. 2015 virginiacheesefestival.com June - Blacksburg, Va.
Washington Artisan Cheesemakers Festival washingtonartisancheese.com September - Seattle
The Wedge Portland thewedgeportland.com October - Portland, Ore.
Wine & Cheese Faire oldsugarmill.com August - Clarksburg, Calif.

Latin America
Feria del Queso y Vino, est. 1976 feriadelquesoyvino.com.mx May - Tequisquiapan, Mexico

Australia/New Zealand
Cheese Lovers Festival cheeseloversfestival.com.au June - Hunter Valley, Australia
French Cheese Festival, est. 2004 sheratonnewcaledoniadeva.com June - Bourail, New Caledonia
Say Cheese Festival, est. 2013 prahranmarket.com.au October - South Yarra, Australia
Wine and Cheese Fest, est. 2015 wineandcheesefest.com.au October - Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

Africa
South African Cheese Festival, est. 2002 cheesefestival.co.za April 2017 - Sandringham, South Africa

 

International Cheese Celebration

As if you need an excuse to explore cheeses from all over the world, we present this exclusive celebration calendar that serves as a reminder to focus on a specific country’s products for an entire month. September is now Italian cheese month!

 

Baylindo International Cheese Celebration Calendar
Month Event Selection(s) of the Month
January Burns Night Scotland
January or February Lunar New Year East and Southeast Asia
February Super Bowl Sunday
Presidents Day
Grammys
Oscars
United States
February or March Carnival Latin America
March Saint Patrick’s Day Ireland
Nowruz Southwest and Central Asia
March or April Easter Rising (Easter Monday) Ireland
Passover Kosher
April Fruhlingsfest (Springfest) Germany
Anzac Day Australia and New Zealand
Earth Day Vegan
May Cinco de Mayo Mexico
Eurovision Europe
Chelsea Flower Show United Kingdom
June Azores Day
Portugal Day
Portugal
Feast of Sant Joan Spain
Midsummer Scandinavia
Juneteenth United States
June or July Ramadan feast Middle East
July Canada Day
Calgary Stampede
Canada
Independence Day United States
Bastille Day
Tour de France
France
UEFA Euro (quadrennial) Europe
Copa America (quadrennial) South America
PANAFEST (biennial Ghana event) Africa
August Savior of the Apple Feast Day Eastern Europe
September Feast of San Gennaro
Cheese (biennial Slow Food event)
Italy
French Cuisine Festival (Fete de la Gastronomie) France
September or October Mid-autumn (moon) festival East and Southeast Asia
Alpine festivals (Desalpes) Switzerland
Wine harvest festivals (Fetes des Vendanges) France
October Oktoberfest Germany
Ohi Day Greece
October or November Festival of lights (Diwali) South Asia
November Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) Mexico
Bonfire Night United Kingdom
December Christmas markets Germany and Austria
Saint Nicholas Day Benelux
Terra Madre Day (Slow Food) Local

 

You can also take the broad view and think of it as International Food Celebration Calendar. Note that Denmark’s Rebild Festival (Rebildfesten) is the largest Fourth of July celebration outside the U.S. We should mention Solvang, Calif., is the most famous Danish village in America.


 

Where to Buy Cheese (and More) in the Bay Area

Below are some places where you can purchase your cheese and cheese-related provisions such as honey, preserves, wine, and bread.

How do you know a store is serious about cheese?  It should follow our GAC order; that is, it should ideally offer Gruyere, Asiago, and Comte.  And you’ve hit the jackpot if you find one that also sells imported Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and Sbrinz (nothing pre-grated days in advance).  As consumers demand more local produce, supermarkets everywhere should stock more artisanal cheeses from local producers as well.

You can, of course, order your cheese directly from some of the cheese producers or elsewhere on the Internet.  Based on in-store inspection or what we can glean from company sites and social media, we have placed an asterisk next to the names of stores that are serious about cheese.  Obviously, we cannot guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for in any of these stores.  Click on the Where to Eat tab above for another way to get your cheese on.

Postscript on GAC Order

It wasn’t until we read Barthelemy’s book that we realized the three cheeses we selected for our tongue-in-cheek order are all from the same family!  We were simply trying to pick excellent representatives from different countries that Americans may not be familiar with.  In hindsight, it’s easy to see why we gravitated toward the Gruyere family of cheeses.  They are aged cow’s milk cheeses that are great for both eating and cooking—not delicate goat cheese or strong blue or pungent washed-rind type.  Of course, they are considered mainstream cheeses in Europe (Comte and Gruyere are the most popular cheeses in France and Switzerland, respectively).  The average American cheese consumer is starting to look beyond Monterey Jack and cheddar.  In 20 years, we’ll have to change our criteria to include, say, a Vacherin-style cheese—assuming the U.S. government will lift the ban on young raw-milk cheese.

 

Name (Web) Location(s)

A
Abundant Market (abundantmarket.com) San Francisco
Acme Bread (acmebread.com, ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) Berkeley, San Francisco
A.G. Ferrari Foods (agferrari.com) Berkeley, Los Altos, Oakland, San Francisco
Alameda Wine Co. (alamedawineco.com) Alameda
*Andronico’s Community Markets (andronicos.com) Berkeley, Los Altos, San Anselmo, San Francisco
Andy’s Local Market (andyslocalmarket.com) San Rafael
*Andy’s Market (andysproduce.com) Sebastopol
Andy’s Sun Valley Market (andyssunvalley.com) San Rafael
Animal Place’s Vegan Republic (republicofvegan.com, animalplace.org)
[all vegan products] [formerly Republic of V]
Berkeley
*Antipastos by DeRose Delicatessen (antipastosdeli.com) San Jose
Arizmendi Bakery (arizmendi.coop) Emeryville, Oakland, San Francisco, San Rafael
Artisan Wine Depot (artisanwinedepot.com) Mountain View
Ava’s Downtown Market & Deli (avasdowntownmarket.com) Mountain View

B
Le Beau Market (lebeaumarket.com) San Francisco
Belcampo Meat Co. (belcampomeatco.com) Larkspur
Beltramo’s Wines and Spirits (beltramos.com) Menlo Park
*Berkeley Bowl Marketplace (berkeleybowl.com) Berkeley
Berkeley Natural Grocery (naturalgrocery.com) Berkeley
Bertucelli’s La Villa Delicatessen (wglavilla.com) San Jose
Beverages & More! (bevmo.com) various
*Bi-Rite Market (biritemarket.com) San Francisco
Bianchini’s Market (bianchinismarket.com) Portola Valley, San Carlos
*Big John’s Market (bigjohnsmarket.com) Healdsburg
Blue Fog Market (bluefogmarket.com) San Francisco
Bolinas People’s Store (Facebook page only) Bolinas
Browns Valley Market () Napa
Browns Valley Meat (brownsvalleymeat.com) Napa
Bryan’s Meats () San Francisco

C
Cal-Mart Supermarket (calmartsuper.com) San Francisco
*Canyon Market (canyonmarket.com) San Francisco
Casa Lucas Market () San Francisco
Chavez Supermarket (chavezsuper.com) various
*The Cheese Board Collective (cheeseboardcollective.coop) Berkeley
Cheese ‘N’ Stuff (cheesenstuff.com) Berkeley
*Cheese Plus (cheeseplus.com) San Francisco
The Cheese School of San Francisco (thecheeseschool.com) San Francisco
*The Cheese Shop of Healdsburg (sharpandnutty.com) Healdsburg
Chiaramonte’s Sausage & Deli (Facebook page only) San Jose
Church Produce () San Francisco
C.J. Olson Cherries (cjolsoncherries.com) Sunnyvale, Oakland Airport, San Jose Airport
*Costco Wholesale (costco.com) various
*Country Cheese Coffee Market (countrycheesecoffee.com) Berkeley
Country Sun Natural Foods (countrysun.com) Palo Alto
Cowgirl Creamery (cowgirlcreamery.com, ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) San Francisco (Ferry Building Cheese Shop)
Crossroads World Market (crossroadsworldmarket.com) Palo Alto
The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (ciachef.edu) St. Helena

D
Dan’s Fresh Produce (dansfreshproduce.com) Alameda
*Dean & DeLuca (deandeluca.com) St. Helena
Dehoff’s Key Market (dehoffskeymarket.com) Redwood City, San Mateo
*Diablo Foods (diablofoods.com) Lafayette
Dittmer’s Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus (dittmers.com) Los Altos
*Draeger’s Markets (draegers.com) Blackhawk, Los Altos, Menlo Park, San Mateo
Driver’s Market (driversmarket.com) Sausalito
*Dry Creek General Store (drycreekgeneralstore1881.com) Healdsburg
Duc Loi Supermarket (ducloimarket.com) San Francisco

E
Earthbeam Natural Foods (earthbeamfoods.com) Burlingame
El Cerrito Natural Grocery (naturalgrocery.com) El Cerrito
Emporio Rulli (rulli.com) Larkspur, San Francisco, San Francisco Airport
Encinal Market () Alameda
*The Epicurean Connection (theepicureanconnection.com) Sonoma
*Estudillo Produce & Deli () San Leandro

F
Falletti Foods (fallettifoods.com) San Francisco
*Farmer Joe’s Marketplace (farmerjoesmarket.com) Oakland
*Farmstead Cheeses & Wines (farmsteadcheesesandwines.com) Alameda, Oakland
*Felipe’s Market () Sunnyvale
Five Markets () San Francisco
Foothill Produce (Facebook page only) Los Altos
*Formaggi Di Ferrante Cheese Shop () Fairfield
Fresh & Easy (freshandeasy.com) various
*La Fromagerie (lafromageriesf.com) San Francisco

G
*G and G Supermarket (gandgmarket.com) Petaluma, Santa Rosa
Gene’s Fine Foods (genesfinefoods.org, genesofsaratoga.com) Pleasanton, Saratoga
Genova Delicatessen (genovadeli.net) Walnut Creek
*Glen Ellen Village Market (sonoma-glenellenmkt.com) Glen Ellen
Golden Gate Meat Co. (goldengatemeatco.com) San Francisco
Golden Natural Foods () San Francisco
*Good Earth Natural Foods (goodearthnaturalfoods.net) Fairfax
The Good Life Grocery (pdma_2547.localon.com) San Francisco
*Gourmet & More (Facebook page only) San Francisco
Grocery Outlet (groceryoutlet.com) various
Guerra Quality Meats (guerrameats.com) San Francisco

H
Haight Street Market (haightstreetmarket.com) San Francisco
Half Moon Bay Wine & Cheese (hmbwineandcheese.com) Half Moon Bay
Healthy Spirits (healthy-spirits.blogspot.com) San Francisco

I
International Gourmet Foods () San Jose

K
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant (kermitlynch.com) Berkeley

L
Little Vine (shoplittlevine.com) San Francisco
Local Mission Market (localmissionmarket.com) San Francisco
Lombardi’s Gourmet Deli & BBQ (lombardisbbq.com) Petaluma
*Lucca Delicatessen (luccadeli.com) San Francisco
*Lunardi’s Markets (lunardis.com) various

M
Marina Supermarket () San Francisco
Mi Pueblo Food Center (mipueblo.com) various
*The Milk Pail Market (milkpail.com) Mountain View
*Mill Valley Market (millvalleymarket.com) Mill Valley
Molinari Delicatessen (northbeachshop.com) San Francisco
*Mollie Stone’s Markets (molliestones.com) various
Monta Vista Market (montavistamarket.com) Cupertino
Monterey Market (montereymarket.com) Berkeley

N
Nabilas Natural Foods () San Francisco
Napa Farms Market () San Francisco Airport
Neto Sausage (netosausage.com) Santa Clara
*New Leaf Community Markets (newleaf.com) Half Moon Bay, Pleasanton
*New Seasons Market (newseasonsmarket.com) San Jose
Noriega Produce Market (noriegamarket.com) San Francisco
*Nugget Market (nuggetmarket.com) Vacaville

O
Oakville Grocery (oakvillegrocery.com) Healdsburg, Oakville
*Old MacDonald’s Farmers Market (oldmacdonaldsfarmersmarket.com) San Jose
*Oliver’s Market (oliversmarket.com) Cotati, Santa Rosa
*Other Avenues Food Store Cooperative (otheravenues.coop) San Francisco
Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant (fpwm.com) Napa, San Francisco (Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant)

P
Palace Market (palacemarket.com) Point Reyes Station
*Paradise Foods (foodsofparadise.com) Corte Madera, Novato, Tiburon
Paradiso’s Delicatessen (Facebook page only) San Jose
*The Pasta Shop (rockridgemarkethall.com) Berkeley, Oakland
Petaluma Market (petalumamarket.com) Petaluma
*Piazza’s Fine Foods (piazzasfinefoods.com) Palo Alto, San Mateo
*Piedmont Grocery (piedmontgrocery.com) Oakland
Planet Organics (planetorganics.com) [home delivery service] Sonoma

R
*Rainbow Grocery (rainbow.coop) San Francisco
Ratto’s International Market & Deli (rattos.com) Oakland
Real Food Co. (realfoodco.com) San Francisco
RJ’s Market () San Francisco
Roberts Market (robertsmarket.com) Portola Valley, Woodside

S
*Sacred Wheel (sacredwheelcheeseshop.com) Oakland
*Say Cheese (saycheesesf.com) San Francisco
Scotty’s Market (scottysmarket.com) San Rafael
Semifreddi’s Bakery (semifreddis.com) Berkeley, Kensington
Sign of the Bear Kitchenware and Tableware (Facebook page only) Sonoma
Sigona’s Farmers Market (sigonas.com) Palo Alto, Redwood City
Silva Sausage (silvasausage.com) San Jose
Small Foods (smallfoodssf.com) San Francisco
Solano Cellars (solanocellars.com) Albany
Sonoma Cheese Factory (sonomacheesefactory.com) Sonoma
*Sonoma Market (sonoma-glenellenmkt.com) Sonoma
Sonoma Wine Shop/La Bodega Kitchen (sonomawineshop.com) Sebastopol, Sonoma
Sophie’s Cellars (sophiescellars.com) Duncans Mills
*Sprouts Farmers Market (sprouts.com) various
Star Grocery () Berkeley
Summit Store (summitgrocerystore.com) Los Gatos
*Sunshine Foods Market (sunshinefoodsmarket.com) St. Helena

T
Toby’s Feed Barn (tobysfeedbarn.com) Point Reyes Station
*Tomales Bay Foods (cowgirlcreamery.com) Point Reyes Station
*Trader Joe’s (traderjoes.com) various
*24th Street Cheese Co. (24thstreetcheese.com) San Francisco

U
*United Markets (unitedmarkets.com) San Anselmo, San Rafael

V
Vallergas Market (vallergas.com) Napa
*Vella Cheese Co. (vellacheese.com) Sonoma
Village Market (villagemkt.com) Oakland
Village Market (ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) San Francisco
Vino Locale (vinolocale.com) Palo Alto

W
*Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com) various
*Wine Thieves (winethieves.com) Berkeley, Lafayette
The Winemaker’s Pour House (winemakerspourhouse.com) Livermore
*Woodlands Market (woodlandsmarket.com) Kentfield, Tiburon

Z
*Zanotto’s Markets (zanottosmarkets.com) San Jose, Sunnyvale

 

Where to Sample Cheese in the Bay Area

We don’t have restaurants in the Bay Area that employ a maitre fromager (that we know of), but here are some places where cheese is a key ingredient or attraction.  Other than fondue restaurants, San Francisco’s Mission Cheese, 20twenty Cheese Bar in San Jose, and Alameda Wine Co. are three places where cheese takes center stage.  If you’re looking for unusual spots to get your cheese fix, check out The Black Horse London Pub and Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe (both located in San Francisco) and Bodega’s Casino Bar & Grill.  Beware that menus change and restaurants come and go.  Always check their Web sites first or call ahead.

Judging from social media comments, we know some establishments don’t even bother to identify their cheese offerings or serve them at room temperature.  The selection and presentation of cheese requires the same care and finesse as wine.  In fact, we hope someday a cheese list will be as ubiquitous as a wine list.  Cheese and beer complement each other as well.  According to Culture magazine and Green Bay Press-Gazette, cheese and tea is a thing now.  Go to Samovar Tea in San Francisco and see for yourself.  We salute those places where one can find a cheese plate that’s more creative than the typical soft goat and cow blue cheese combo platter.

It seems many wineries offer wine tasting with cheese (for a fee), so we have opted to include some of them below.  Businesses that cover multiple regions are listed at the bottom of the table.

We contacted most of the 400-plus places in the following directory as an experiment.  We heard from only about 50 of them (asterisks before their names).  The rest of the establishments should read our take on customer service in the digital age.

 

Dining on Cheese
Name (Web) Location (s)

San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar (absinthe.com) San Francisco
**ABV (abvsf.com) San Francisco
Acquerello (acquerello.com) San Francisco
Alegrias (alegriassf.com) San Francisco
The Alembic (alembicbar.com) San Francisco
Amelie Wine Bar (ameliewinebar.com) San Francisco
Antologia Vinoteca (antologiasf.com) San Francisco
Aperto (apertosf.com) San Francisco
Aquitaine Wine Bistro (aquitainesf.com) San Francisco
**Archive Bar & Kitchen (archivebarsf.com) San Francisco
L'Ardoise (ardoisesf.com) San Francisco
Arlequin Cafe & Food-to-Go (arlequincafe.com) San Francisco
**Arlequin Wine Merchant (arlequinwinemerchant.com) San Francisco
Asiento (asientosf.com) San Francisco
A16 (a16sf.com) San Francisco
Atlas Tap Room (Facebook page only) San Francisco
Aventine (aventinesf.com) San Francisco
B (bsanfrancisco.com) San Francisco
Bacchus Wine & Sake Bar (bacchussf.com) San Francisco
Baker Street Bistro (bakerstreetbistro.com) San Francisco
Bar Crudo (barcrudo.com) San Francisco
Bar Norcini (villaflorence.com) San Francisco
Barbacco Eno Trattoria (barbaccosf.com) San Francisco
Barrel Head Brewhouse (barrelheadsf.com) San Francisco
Beso Bistronomia (besosf.com) San Francisco
B44 Catalan Bistro (b44sf.com) San Francisco
BIN 38 (bin38.com) San Francisco
bin480 (marriottunionsquare.com) San Francisco
Bisou Bistronomy (bisousf.com) San Francisco
Bistro Aix (bistroaix.com) San Francisco
BIX (bixrestaurant.com) San Francisco
The Black Horse London Pub (blackhorselondon.com) San Francisco
Blanc et Rouge Wine Bar (blancetrougesf.com) San Francisco
Blush! (blushwinebar.com) San Francisco
Bocadillos (bocasf.com) San Francisco
Borderlands Cafe (borderlands-cafe.com) San Francisco
Bouche (bouchesf.com) San Francisco
La Briciola (labriciola-sf.com) San Francisco
Burritt Room + Tavern (charliepalmer.com) San Francisco
Cafe Bastille (cafebastille.com) San Francisco
Cafe Claude (cafeclaude.com) San Francisco
Cafe Meuse (cafemeuse.com) San Francisco
Cafe Prague (cafepraguesf.com) San Francisco
Cafe St. Jorge (cafestjorge.com) San Francisco
Caffe Delucchi (caffedelucchi.com) San Francisco
Calzone's (calzonesf.com) San Francisco
Canela Bistro & Wine Bar (canelasf.com) San Francisco
Capannina (capanninasf.com) San Francisco
**Castagna (castagnasf.com) San Francisco
Cease & Desist (ceaseanddesistsf.com) [formerly Buffalo Club] San Francisco
**Cellar Door (cellardoor-sf.com) San Francisco
Le Central (lecentralbistro.com) San Francisco
Chapeau! (chapeausf.com) San Francisco
Le Charm (lecharm.com) San Francisco
Chaya (thechaya.com) San Francisco
Chiaroscuro (chiaroscurosf.com) San Francisco
ChouChou (chouchoubistro.com) San Francisco
Chouquet's (chouquets.com) San Francisco
La Ciccia (laciccia.com) San Francisco
Claudine (myclaudine.com) San Francisco
Clock Bar (michaelmina.net) San Francisco
**Les Clos (lesclossf.com) San Francisco
Cocotte (cocottesf.com) San Francisco
**The Commissary (thecommissarysf.com) San Francisco
**Contigo (contigosf.com) San Francisco
**Coqueta (coquetasf.com) San Francisco
Credo (credosf.com) San Francisco
Crossroads Cafe (delanceystreetfoundation.org) San Francisco
Destino Latin Bistro (destinosf.com) San Francisco
District (districtsf.com) San Francisco
Dunya (dunyasf.com) San Francisco
Etcetera Wine Bar (etceterawinebar.com) San Francisco
The European Bar & Lounge (theeuropeansf.com) San Francisco
Farallon (farallonrestaurant.com) San Francisco
Farina (farina-foods.com) San Francisco
Fat Angel (fatangelsf.com) San Francisco
**Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant (fpwm.com) San Francisco
Fig & Thistle (figandthistlesf.com) San Francisco
**First Crush (firstcrush.com) San Francisco
La Folie (lafolie.com) San Francisco
Fondue Cowboy (fonduecowboy.com) San Francisco
Food Inc. (foodincusa.com) San Francisco
**Frascati (frascatisf.com) San Francisco
Fringale (fringalesf.com) San Francisco
Gamine French Bistro (gaminesf.com) San Francisco
Garcon! (garconsf.com) San Francisco
Gary Danko (garydanko.com) San Francisco
Gaspar Brasserie (gasparbrassserie.com) San Francisco
Gitane (gitanerestaurant.com) San Francisco
Greens (greensrestaurant.com) San Francisco
Heirloom Cafe (heirloom-sf.com) San Francisco
Hennessy's Wines & Specialty Foods (gourmetwines.com) San Francisco
The Hidden Vine (thehiddenvine.com) San Francisco
Hopwater Distribution (hopwaterdistribution.com) San Francisco
Hotel Biron (hotelbiron.com) San Francisco
InnerFog (innerfog.com) San Francisco
**InoVino (inovinosf.com) San Francisco
Internos Wine Cafe and Merchant (internoswinecafe.com) San Francisco
Jardiniere (jardiniere.com) San Francisco
Klyde Cafe & Wine Bar (klydesf.com) San Francisco
Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant (sf-local.com) San Francisco
Locanda (locandasf.com) San Francisco
Luce Wine (lucewinerestaurant.com) San Francisco
Magnolia Pub & Brewery (magnoliapub.com) San Francisco
The Matterhorn (thematterhornrestaurant.com) San Francisco
Maven (maven-sf.com) San Francisco
Melt! (melt-cafe.com) San Francisco
Mikkeller Bar (mikkellerbar.com) San Francisco
**Mission Cheese (missioncheese.net) San Francisco
MKT (mktrestaurantandbar.com) San Francisco
The Monk's Kettle (monkskettle.com) San Francisco
The Mortimer (hoteladagiosf.com) San Francisco
La Nebbia (lanebbia.com) San Francisco
Nectar Wine Lounge (nectarwinelounge.com) San Francisco
Noeteca Cafe (noeteca.com) San Francisco
Noir Lounge (noir-sf.com) San Francisco
Nook (cafenook.com) San Francisco
One Market (onemarket.com) San Francisco
Ottimista (ottimistasf.com) San Francisco
Paprika () San Francisco
Park Tavern (parktavernsf.com) San Francisco
Parkside Tavern (parksidetavernsf.com) San Francisco
Perbacco (perbaccosf.com) San Francisco
Pied Piper Bar & Grill (sfpalace.com) San Francisco
Piperade (piperade.com) San Francisco
Pisco Latin Lounge (piscosf.com) San Francisco
Pizzetta 211 (pizzetta211.com) San Francisco
Plaj (plajrestaurant.com) San Francisco
Plouf (ploufsf.com) San Francisco
Press Club (pressclubsf.com) San Francisco
Prospect (prospectsf.com) San Francisco
Le P'tit Laurent (leptitlaurent.net) San Francisco
Puccini & Pinetti (pucciniandpinetti.com) San Francisco
Range (rangesf.com) San Francisco
Rich Table (richtablesf.com) San Francisco
Ristobar (ristobarsf.com) San Francisco
RN74 (michaelmina.net) San Francisco
**Robberbaron (robberbaronsf.com) San Francisco
**Rose Pistola (rosepistolasf.com) San Francisco
The Rotunda (neimanmarcus.com) San Francisco
St. Vincent (stvincentsf.com) San Francisco
Salumeria (salumeriasf.com) San Francisco
**Samovar Tea (samovartea.com) San Francisco
Schmidt's (schmidts-sf.com) San Francisco
Serpentine (serpentinesf.com) San Francisco
Sheba Piano Lounge (shebapianolounge.com) San Francisco
Sociale (sfsociale.com) San Francisco
SOMA Eats (somaeatssf.com) San Francisco
Southside Spirit House (southsidesf.com) San Francisco
Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe () San Francisco
SPQR (spqrsf.com) San Francisco
Spruce (sprucesf.com) San Francisco
Starbelly (starbellysf.com) San Francisco
Sunset Reservoir Brewing Co. (sunsetbeersf.com) San Francisco
Sutro's (cliffhouse.com) San Francisco
Tank18 (tank18.com) San Francisco
Tender (tendersf.com) San Francisco
ThirstyBear Brewing Co. (thirstybear.com) San Francisco
398 (398restaurantsf.com) San Francisco
Top of the Mark (intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com) San Francisco
Tosca Cafe (toscacafesf.com) San Francisco
Town Hall (townhallsf.com) San Francisco
The Tradesman (thetradesmansf.com) San Francisco
Trattoria Pinocchio (trattoriapinocchio.com) San Francisco
La Traviata (latraviatasf.com) San Francisco
Trou Normand (trounormandsf.com) San Francisco
Twenty Five Lusk (25lusk.com) San Francisco
20 Spot (20spot.com) San Francisco
Two Sisters Bar and Books (2sistersbarandbooks.com) San Francisco
Union Larder (unionlarder.com) San Francisco
Urban Tavern (urbantavernsf.com) San Francisco
Uva Enoteca (uvaenoteca.com) San Francisco
The View Lounge (sfviewlounge.com) San Francisco
VinoRosso Enoteca (vinorossosf.com) San Francisco
Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar (vinylsf.com) San Francisco
Waterfront (waterfrontsf.com) San Francisco
West Coast Wine Cheese (westcoastsf.com) San Francisco
The Wine Jar (winejar-sf.com) San Francisco
Wine Kitchen (winekitchensf.com) San Francisco
**Wines of California Wine Bar (winesofca.com) San Francisco
Zazie (zaziesf.com) San Francisco
Zuni Cafe (zunicafe.com) San Francisco

East Bay
A Cote (acoterestaurant.com) Oakland
Adesso (dopoadesso.com) Oakland
**Alameda Wine Co. (alamedawineco.com) Alameda
American Oak (americanoakalameda.com) Alameda
AuburnJames Tasting Room (auburnjames.com) Danville
Babushka (babushkafood.com) Walnut Creek
Bellanico Restaurant and Wine Bar (bellanico.net) Oakland
Bridges (bridgesdanville.com) Danville
**Cafe Rouge (caferouge.net) Berkeley
Cellar Door (ourcellardoor.com) Pleasanton
The Cheese Taster Delicatessen () Fremont
Chevalier (chevalierrestaurant.com) Lafayette
Chez Panisse (chezpanisse.com) Berkeley
**Chop Bar (oaklandchopbar.com) Oakland
**Cinema Grill (alamedacinemagrill.com) Alameda
**Double Barrel Wine Bar (doublebarrelwinebar.com) Livermore
**Downtown Wine Merchants (downtownwinemerchants.com) Oakland
**Encuentro (encuentrooakland.com) [homemade vegan cheese available] Oakland
Esin (esinrestaurant.com) Danville
Federicos Tapas & Wine Bar (federicostapas.com) Union City
Fiore (restaurantfiore.com) Concord
Four2Nine Wine Bar (four2nine.com) Point Richmond
Marc 49 (marc49.com) Oakland
Michel Bistro (michelbistro.com) Oakland
La Note (lanoterestaurant.com) Berkeley
**Ordinaire (ordinairewine.com) Oakland
The Park Bistro & Bar (parkbistroandbar.com) Lafayette
Plate & Vine (plateandvinerestaurant.com) Concord
Prima (primawine.com) Walnut Creek
Residual Sugar Wine (rswine.com) Walnut Creek
Revel Kitchen & Bar (revelkitchenandbar.com) Danville
Rivoli (rivolirestaurant.com) Berkeley
Sanctuary Ultra Lounge (sanctuaryultralounge.com) Livermore
Simply Fondue (simplyfonduelivermore.com) Livermore
Solano Cellars (solanocellars.com) Albany
Speisekammer (speisekammer.com) Alameda
Sunol Ridge (sunolridgerestaurantandbar.com) Walnut Creek
The Trappist (thetrappist.com) Oakland
Trattoria La Siciliana (trattorialasiciliana.com) Berkeley
Underdog Wine Bar (underdogwinebar.com) Livermore
**Va de Vi Bistro & Wine Bar (vadevi.com) Walnut Creek
Venus (venusrestaurant.net) Berkeley
The Vine at Bridges (thevineatbridges.com) Danville
The Vine Wine & Tapas (thevinewineandtapas.com) San Leandro
Wine & Waffles (wineandwaffles.com) Alameda
The Winemaker's Pourhouse & Beer Garden (winemakerspourhouse.com) Livermore
Wood Tavern (woodtavern.net) Oakland

Silicon Valley/South Bay
Bon Vivant (bonvivantdining.com) Palo Alto
Bubbles Wine Bar (bubblesmorganhill.com) Morgan Hill
Cafe Epi (cafeepi.com) Palo Alto
Cascal (cascalrestaurant.com) Mountain View
Centonove (centonovelosgatos.com) Los Gatos
Cin-Cin (cincinwinebar.com) Los Gatos
Enoteca La Storia (enotecalastoria.com) Los Gatos
La Fondue (lafondue.com) Saratoga
Gravity (gravitywinebar.com) Palo Alto
Hay Market (haymarketwillowglen.com) San Jose
Jack Rose Libation House (jackrosebar.com) Los Gatos
Joya (joyarestaurant.com) Palo Alto
Liquid Bread Gastropub (liquidbreadcampbell.com) Campbell
Little Wine Counter (littlewinecounter.com) Campbell
Morocco's (moroccosrestaurant.com) Mountain View
Oak & Rye (oakandryepizza.com) Los Gatos
Le Papillon (lepapillon.com) San Jose
Parcel 104 (parcel104.com) Santa Clara
La Pastaia (lapastaia.com) San Jose
**Pintxo Pote (pintxopote-tapas.com) [formerly Donostia] Los Gatos
Rendezvous Wine Bar (rendezvouscampbell.com) Campbell
Rootstock Wine Bar (rootstocklg.com) Los Gatos
Saint Michael's Alley (stmikes.com) Palo Alto
Savvy Cellar Wine Bar & Wine Shop (savvycellar.com) Mountain View
**Scratch (scratchmtnview.com) Mountain View
The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse (theseausa.com) Palo Alto
Spread Deli & Bottles (spreadcampbell.com) Campbell
SP2 (sp2sanjose.com) San Jose
La Strada (lastradapaloalto.com) Palo Alto
Tessora's Barra di Vino (tessoras.com) Campbell
Tied House Cafe & Brewery (tiedhouse.com) Mountain View
Tigelleria (tigelleria.com) Campbell
20twenty Cheese Bar (cheesebar.com) San Jose
Uncorked! (uncorked-wines.com) Saratoga
Village California Bistro (thevillagebistro.net) San Jose
**Vino Locale (vinolocale.com) Palo Alto
Vino Vino (vinovinosj.com) San Jose
Vintage Wine Merchants (vintagewinemerchants.com) San Jose
Vyne Bistro (vynebistrosj.com) San Jose
Wine Affairs (thewineaffairs.com) San Jose
Wine Bar 107 (winebar107.com) Los Gatos
The Wine Room (thepawineroom.com) Palo Alto
Zola (zolapa.com) Palo Alto

Peninsula
Amie Wine Bar (amiewinebar.com) Redwood City
Amour Amour (amour305.com) San Mateo
B Street & Vine (bstreetandvine.com) San Mateo
Bay 223 (sofitelsfdining.com) Redwood Shores
Bistro Vida (bistrovidamp.com) Menlo Park
The Cask (thecaskwinebar.com) San Carlos
Cetrella (cetrella.com) Half Moon Bay
Chalet Ticino (chaletticino.us) Foster City
Donato Enoteca (donatoenoteca.com) Redwood City
Fattoria e Mare (fattoriaemare.com) Burlingame
Flea Street (cooleatz.com) Menlo Park
Grape & Grain (grapeandgrainbar.com) San Mateo
A Grape in the Fog (agitf.com) Pacifica
H29 Coffee and Wine Bar (h29coffeewine.com) Burlingame
It's Italia (itsitaliarestaurant.com) Half Moon Bay
Madera (maderasandhill.com) Menlo Park
Martins West Gastropub (martinswestgp.com) Redwood City
Piacere (piacererestaurant.com) San Carlos
**Seville Tapas (sevilletapas.com) Half Moon Bay
TasteVin Wine Bar & Bistro (tastevinandcheese.com) San Carlos
31st Union (31stunion.com) San Mateo
The Village Pub (thevillagepub.net) Woodside
Viognier (viognierrestaurant.com) San Mateo
Zambra Tapas Bar (zambratapasbar.com) Burlingame

Wine Country
Ad Hoc (adhocrestaurant.com) Yountville
Angele (angelerestaurant.com) Napa
Applewood Inn (applewoodinn.com) Guerneville
Arrowood Winery (arrowoodwinery.com) Glen Ellen
Auberge du Soleil Restaurant (aubergedusoleil.com) Rutherford
Backyard (backyardforestville.com) Forestville
Bean & Bottle (marriott.com) Sonoma
**Bear Republic Brewing Co. (bearrepublic.com) Healdsburg
Bell Wine Cellars (bellwine.com) Yountville
Beringer Vineyards (beringer.com) St. Helena
Bistro Jeanty (bistrojeanty.com) Yountville
Bistro Ralph (bistroralph.com) Healdsburg
Bottega (botteganapavalley.com) Yountville
Bouchon Bistro (bouchonbistro.com) Yountville
Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ (bountyhunterwinebar.com) Napa
Cadet Wine & Beer Bar (cadetbeerandwinebar.com) Napa
Cafe Lucia (cafelucia.net) Healdsburg
Carpe Diem Wine Bar (carpediemwinebar.com) Napa
The Casino Bar & Grill (facebook.com/thecasinobarandgrill) Bodega
Castello di Amorosa (castellodiamorosa.com) Calistoga
Centre du Vin (centreduvin.com) Sonoma
Chateau St. Jean (chateaustjean.com) Kenwood
**City Winery Napa (citywinery.com/napa) Napa
Clif Family Winery (cliffamilywinery.com) St. Helena
Cornerstone Cellars (cornerstonecellars.com) Yountville
**La Crema (lacrema.com)
Healdsburg
Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria (diavolapizzeria.com) Geyserville
La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (ldvwine.com) Petaluma
Domaine Carneros (domainecarneros.com) Napa
Domaine Chandon (chandon.com) Yountville
El Dorado Kitchen (eldoradosonoma.com) Sonoma
Dry Creek Kitchen (charliepalmer.com/dry-creek-kitchen) Healdsburg
The Duck Club (bodegabaylodge.com) Bodega Bay
**Dutton-Goldfield Winery (duttongoldfield.com) Sebastopol
Envolve Winery (envolvewinery.com) Sonoma
Far Niente Winery (farniente.com) Oakville
FARM (farmatthecarnerosinn.com) Napa
The Farmer & the Fox (farmerandfox.com) St. Helena
Farmhouse Inn (farmhouseinn.com) Forestville
**Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch (longmeadowranch.com) St. Helena
Flavor Bistro (flavorbistro.com) Santa Rosa
Fog Crest Vineyard (fogcrestvineyard.com) Sebastopol
Freemark Abbey Winery (freemarkabbey.com) St. Helena
French Garden (frenchgardenrestaurant.com) Sebastopol
The French Laundry (frenchlaundry.com) Yountville
Girard Winery (girardwinery.com) Yountville
The Girl & the Fig (thegirlandthefig.com) Sonoma
**Goose & Gander (goosegander.com) St. Helena
**Gourmet au Bay (gourmetaubay.com) Bodega Bay
The Grill at Meadowood (meadowood.com) St. Helena
Gundlach Bundschu Winery (gunbun.com) Sonoma
**Halleck Vineyard (halleckvineyard.com) Sebastopol
Hope & Grace Wines (hopeandgracewines.com) Yountville
Inglenook (inglenook.com) Rutherford
JoLe (jolerestaurant.com) Calistoga
Jordan Vineyard & Winery (jordanwinery.com) Healdsburg
Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens (kj.com) Fulton
**The Kenwood (kenwoodrestaurant.com) Kenwood
KIN (kinwindsor.com) Windsor
Kitchen Door (kitchendoornapa.com) Napa
Kunde Family Estate (kunde.com) Kenwood
Lancaster Estate (lancaster-estate.com) Healdsburg
LaSalette (lasalette-restaurant.com) Sonoma
Lasseter Family Winery (lasseterfamilywinery.com) Glen Ellen
Ledson Winery & Vineyards (ledsonwinery.com) Kenwood
**Longboard Vineyards (longboardvineyards.com) Healdsburg
**Lucy Restaurant & Bar (lucyrestaurantandbar.com) Yountville
**Lynmar Estate Winery (lynmarestate.com) Sebastopol
**Madrona Manor (madronamanor.com) Healdsburg
Medlock Ames (medlockames.com) Healdsburg
Murphy's Irish Pub (sonomapub.com) Sonoma
**Oenotri (oenotri.com) Napa
Partake by K-J (partakebykj.com) Healdsburg
The Plaza Bistro (theplazabistro.com) Sonoma
Priest Ranch (somerstonwineco.com) Yountville
Quintessa Vineyard (quintessa.com) Rutherford
Ravenswood Winery (ravenswoodwinery.com) Sonoma
Redd (reddnapavalley.com) Yountville
Redd Wood (redd-wood.com) Yountville
Robert Mondavi Winery (robertmondavi.com) Oakville
Saddleback Cellars (saddlebackcellars.com) Oakville
St. Clair Brown Winery (stclairbrownwinery.com) Napa
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards (stfranciswinery.com) Santa Rosa
Sante (santediningroom.com) Sonoma
Sapphire Hill (sapphirehill.com) Healdsburg
Seaside Metal Oyster Bar (seasidemetal.com) Guerneville
Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery (sebastiani.com) Sonoma
Solbar (solagecalistoga.com) Calistoga
Speakeasy (speakeasypetaluma.com) Petaluma
**Spoonbar (spoonbar.com) Healdsburg
Sunflower Caffe (sonomasunflower.com) Sonoma
**Swanson Vineyards (swansonvineyards.com) Rutherford
Terra (terrarestaurant.com) St. Helena
1313 Main (1313main.com) Napa
The Thomas (thethomas-napa.com) Napa
Thumbprint Cellars (thumbprintcellars.com) Healdsburg
Tony's of North Beach (tonysofnorthbeach.com) Rohnert Park
**Underwood Bar and Bistro (underwoodgraton.com) Graton
V Wine Cellar (vwinecellar.com) Yountville
VinEleven (marriott.com) Napa
VJB Vineyards & Cellars (vjbcellars.com) Kenwood
Walter Hansel Wine & Bistro (walterhanselbistro.com) Santa Rosa
**West Wines (westwines.com) Healdsburg
Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar (willisseafood.net) Healdsburg
Willi's Wine Bar (williswinebar.net) Santa Rosa
Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant (ciarestaurantgroup.com) St. Helena
Woodfour Brewing Co. (woodfourbrewing.com) Sebastopol
ZuZu (zuzunapa.com) Napa

North Bay
L'Appart Resto (lappartresto.com) San Anselmo
Barrel House Tavern (barrelhousetavern.com) Sausalito
Farm House (pointreyesseashore.com) Olema
**Farmshop (farmshopca.com) Larkspur
Le Garage (legaragebistrosausalito.com) Sausalito
Lincoln Park Wine Bar (lincolnparkwine.com) San Anselmo
Marche aux Fleurs (marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com) Ross
Mill Valley Beerworks (millvalleybeerworks.com) Mill Valley
Mountain Home Inn (mtnhomeinn.com) Mill Valley
Murray Circle (cavallopoint.com) Sausalito
123 Bolinas (123bolinas.com) Fairfax
Osteria Stellina (osteriastellina.com) Point Reyes Station
The Spinnaker (thespinnaker.com) Sausalito
The Station House Cafe (stationhousecafe.com) Point Reyes Station
Three Birds Wine Bar (threebirdswinebar.com) Corte Madera
Tiburon Tavern (lodgeattiburon.com) Tiburon
The Trident (thetrident.net) Sausalito
Vin Antico (vinantico.com) San Rafael

Delta-Suisun Bay
The Loft Wine Bar (wine707.com) Benicia
**Mare Island Brewing Co. (mareislandbrewingco.com) Vallejo
Michael Warring (michaelwarring.com) Vallejo
The Rellik Tavern (therelliktavern.com) Benicia
Sailor Jack's (sailor-jacks.com) Benicia

Multiple Regions
Alexander's Steakhouse (alexanderssteakhouse.com) Cupertino, San Francisco
Aventine (aventinehospitality.com) Glen Ellen, San Francisco
ENO (enowinerooms.com) Half Moon Bay, San Francisco
54 Mint (54mint.com) Concord, San Francisco, Walnut Creek
HopMonk Tavern (hopmonk.com) Novato, Sebastopol, Sonoma
Left Bank Brasserie (leftbank.com) Larkspur, Menlo Park, San Jose
La Mediterranee (cafelamed.com) Berkeley, San Francisco
The Plant Cafe (theplantcafe.com) Burlingame, San Francisco

 

Index

When we first published this cheese guide, we didn’t think we’d need an index.  Well, now that we have over 600 cheeses in our directory, an index is no longer optional.  So let’s start with all the individual producers who made the cut.

 

Australia [AU]

Heidi Farm (M2), King Island Dairy (B-M), Pyengana Dairy (M), Richard Thomas (F)

Belgium [BE]

Abbaye d’Orval (M), Herve Societe (M), Kaasmakerij Passendale (M)

Brazil [BR]

Laticinios Catupiry (F)

Canada [CA]

Agropur (M), Fifth Town Artisan Cheese (S), Fromagerie de l’Abbaye Saint-Benoit-du-Lac (B), Fromagerie Chaput (S), Fromagerie La Moutonniere (M), Fromagerie Le P’tit Train du Nord (M), Fromagerie Tournevent (M), La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (M), Monforte Dairy (S)

Denmark [DK]

Castello (B), Tholstrup (B)

France [FR]

Abbaye de Belloc (M), Abbaye de la Joie Notre-Dame (M), Abbaye du Mont des Cats (M), Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire (F-M), Abbaye de Tamie (M), Abbaye de Troisvaux (M), BEL Group (S-M), Bongrain (B), Carles (B), Col Bayard (B), Cooperative Fromagere Jeune Montagne (M), Therese-Marie Couvreur (M), Le Cure Nantais (M), Domaine de Saint Loup (S), M. Dombres (F-S2), Etoile du Vercors (S), La Ferme de Cabriole (S), Fromagerie de l’Ance (B2), Fromagerie de Banon – M. Greggo (S), Fromagerie Fermiere Cabrioulet (S), Fromagerie Gaugry (S), Fromagerie Guilloteau (S), Fromagerie Lincet (S2), Fromagerie du Petit Morin (S), Fromagerie Rouzaire (S2), Fromagerie Schertenleib (S), Fromagerie Soulie (S), Fromagerie de Terre-Dieu (M), Fromagerie Thebault (M), Fromageries Arnaud (M), Gabriel Coulet (B), GAEC Jouseaume (M), Celina Gagneux (S), Sebastien Ge (S2), Gilles and Odile Goursat (S), Joseph Guidicelli (S), Claire Guillemette (M), Alain Hess (S), M.C. Matocq (M), Le Monastere Orthodoxe Saint-Nicolas (S), Onetik (B), Claudia & Wolfgang Reuss (S), Roland Barthelemy (M), Santini Brothers (S), Simone Seguin (B), Dragan Teotski (M), Le Vieux Berger (B)

Germany [DE]

Bergader Privatkaserei (B), Kaserei Champignon (B)

Ireland [IE]

Ardrahan Dairy Products (M), Coolea Farmhouse Cheese (M), Durrus Farmhouse Cheese (M), Gubbeen Cheese (M), Inagh Farmhouse Cheese (M), J&L Grubb (B), Milleens Cheese (M)

Italy [IT]

Belluno (M), Busche-Cesiomaggiore (M), La Casearia (B), Caseificio dell’Alta Langa (S), Caseificio Oreglia (S), Cooperativa Latteria di Santeramo (H), Cora (S2), Gruppo Lactalis Italia (M), Luigi Guffanti (S), Lattebusche (M), Moro Latteria di Moro Sergio (M)

Israel [IL]

Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm (M)

Japan [JP]

Kyodo Gakusha Shintoku Farm (S)

Netherlands [NL]

Beemster (M), BEL Nederland (M), FrieslandCampina (M2)

New Zealand [NZ]

Canaan Cheese (F), Crescent Dairy Goats (M), Evansdale Cheese (S), Meyer Gouda Cheese (M)

Norway [NO]

Tine (M2)

Spain [ES]

Josep Cuixart (H), Queseria Los Corrales (M), Queserias Picos de Europa (B), Queserias del Tietar (B), Quesos Torralba (H), SAT Ganaderos de Fuerteventura (M)

Switzerland [CH]

Josef Barmettler (S2-M2), Kurt Bauman (M), Sepp Brulisauer (M), Mario Cotti (M), Diriwaechter & Schmid (S), Ruedi Fohn (M), GESKA (H), Kaserei Studer (M), Willy Schmid (B), Gery Zurfluk (M)

United Kingdom [UK]

Abergavenny Fine Foods (F), Alex James Presents (B), Appleby’s (M), Bath Soft Cheese (M), Beesley Farm (M), Carmarthenshire Cheese (S), Caws Teifi Cheese (M2), Charles Martell & Son (M), Colston Bassett Dairy (B), Cornish Cheese (B), Cotherstone Cheese (M), Cropwell Bishop Creamery (B), Daylesford Organic Farm (M), Doddington Dairy (M), Errington Cheese (B), Fowlers of Earlswood (M), F.W. Read & Sons (M), Golden Cross Cheese (S), Hawkstone Abbey Farm (M), High Weald Dairy (F), Highland Fine Cheeses (F2), Innes Cheese (F), J & C Reade & Sons/Isle of Mull Cheese (M), Keen’s Cheddar (M), Long Clawson Dairy (B), The Lubborn Creamery (S), Lynher Dairies Cheese (M), Montgomery’s Cheddar (M), Neal’s Yard Creamery (S), PantMawr Farmhouse Cheeses (M), Ram Hall Dairy Sheep (M), Rosary Goats Cheese (F), Sharpham Wine & Cheese (S-M), Stichelton Dairy (B), Ticklemore Cheese (B2), Village Maid Cheese (M), Wensleydale Creamery (M), Westcombe Dairy (M), Whalesborough Farm Foods (M)

United States [US]

Achadinha Cheese (M), Alouette Cheese (F), Alpine Lakes Sheep Cheese (B-M), Ancient Heritage Dairy (B-M3), Andante Dairy (S2), Arcangelo Cheese (F), Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (M), Beehive Cheese (M2), BelGioioso Cheese (M), Bellwether Farms (F2-M2), Berkshire Cheese Makers (B), Bittersweet Plantation Dairy (S), Black Sheep Creamery (H), Blythedale Farm (B), Boar’s Head (M-H), Bodega Artisan Cheese/Daphne’s Creamery (M2), Bravo Farms (M2), Bubalus Bubalis (F), Cabot Creamery (M2), Calabro Cheese (F), Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheese (F-M5), Cato Corner Farm (M2), Central Coast Creamery (M), Coach Farm (S2), Consider Bardwell Farm (F-M3), Costco Wholesale (H), Cowgirl Creamery (S3), Cypress Grove Chevre (M4), DCI Cheese (M), Edelweiss Creamery (M), Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery (F), Emmi Roth USA (M2-H), Everona Dairy (H), Fagundes Old World Cheese (M), Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese (M2), Franklin’s Teleme Mid-Coast Cheese (S), Fromagerie Belle Chevre (F), Gioia Cheese (F), Golden Glen Creamery (F), Grafton Village Cheese (M), Great Hill Dairy (B), Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy (M), Hillman Farm (M2), Jasper Hill Farm (B-S2-M), Juniper Grove Farm (M-H), Kraft Foods (F), Lactalis American Group (F-M), Lake Erie Creamery (M), Laura Chenel’s Chevre (F-M), LoveTree Farmstead (S-M)

Marin French Cheese (S2), Matos Cheese Factory (M), Maytag Dairy Farms (B), Meadow Creek Dairy (M2), Mecox Bay Dairy (M), Milton Creamery (F-M), Monteillet Fromagerie (S), Mt. Townsend Creamery (S2), Mozzarella Co. (F-M), Mozzarella House (F-M), Nettle Meadow Farm (S), Nicasio Valley Cheese (M), Old Chatham Sheepherding (B-S), Orb Weaver Farm (M), Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese (M), Pholia Farm (M4), Pine Stump Farms (M), Pleasant Valley Dairy (M), Point Reyes Farmstead (B), Port Madison Farm (S2), President Cheese (F), Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery (S-M2), Rinconada Dairy (M), Rivers Edge Chevre/Three Ring Farm (F-S2-M2), Rogue Creamery (B4), Rumiano Cheese (H), Samish Bay Cheese (M), Sea Breeze Farm (M), Shamrock Artisan Goat Cheese (F), Shelburne Farms (M), Sierra Nevada Cheese (F), Spring Hill Jersey Cheese (M), Surfing Goat Dairy (F), Sweet Grass Dairy (S-M), Sweet Home Farm (M), Thistle Hill Farm (M), Tillamook County Cheese (M2), Tumalo Farms (M2), Twig Farm (M2), Uplands Cheese (M), Valley Ford Cheese (M), Vella Cheese (M-H), Vermont Creamery (M3), Vermont Shepherd (M), Washington State University Creamery (M), Westfield Farm (B), Widmer’s Cheese Cellars (M), Willamette Valley Cheese (M), Willapa Hills Cheese (B2), Willow Hill Farm (F-S-M2), Zingerman’s Creamery (S)

 

Cheese codes:  F (fresh), B (blue), S (soft), M (medium), H (hard).  A number denotes more than one item.

 

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