Current Featured Cheese - July 2026

Swiss cheesemaking traditions date to 1815, when the country’s first cooperative dairy was established. The Rocky 15 Month is crafted by Timon Vogel in Thurgau using fresh regional raw milk from Switzerland’s lush pastures. Aged 15 months, it develops a smooth, semi-firm texture with notes of toasted corn, hazelnuts, browned butter, and dulce de leche. Pair with Bock beer, Riesling, Chardonnay, sparkling cider, or Pinot Noir....

Combremont Fromagerie, founded in 1851 in Switzerland’s Broye region, has been led by cheesemaker Michael Hanke since 2016. Raised in a cheesemaking family and trained across five countries, Hanke sources milk from nearby farms and combines tradition with innovation. His Gruyère AOP earned a Silver Medal at the 2022 World Cheese Awards. Aged six months, it is creamy and buttery with floral, herbal, nutty, and vanilla notes, pairing beautifully with Riesling, Pinot Noir, Champagne, cider, and Bock beer...

Ubriaco del Piave is a semi-firm, Italian-style, latteria cheese from farmers in the Piave region of Veneto, Italy. It is made from pasteurized cow’s milk – from two milkings. The most striking initial aspect of this cheese is, of course, the deep and vibrant violet color of the rind and its remnants of grape leaves and seeds. Cheesemaker Sergio Moro bathes the Ubriaco del Piave for 40 hours in a proprietary mix of red wines and grape must, including the Veneto’s traditional Refosco wine, as well as other seasonal varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Clinton, then ages the cheese for four to six months.

This Spanish selection, first imported to the United States in 2004, has a unique story and inspiration: the Guirra breed of sheep. Valencian cheesemaker, Enrique, created this cheese to preserve this breed, which had become nearly extinct by 1990. With his cheesemaking, he has grown the herd to 500 sheep. The cheese’s preparation and presentation are distinctive: it is wrapped in cheesecloth, then the curds are drained by tying together the ends of the cloth, which causes the cheese to resemble a servilleta (napkin) when unwrapped.