Welcome to Wisconsin, where, quite simply, it’s all about cheese. And you can find it just about anywhere; Grocery store? Sure thing. Gas station? Of course. Vending machine? Some of the best! Roadside farm stand? Yes, yes, and yes.
Wisconsin has long been the top cheese producing state in the United States. Millions of seasoned aficionados and curious fans have flocked to Dairyland to snag some of the most traditional and nouveau pressed curds in the country and some say, the world. Wisconsin cheese-makers are not only staples to their state but the entire cheese industry as well.
County fairs and farmers markets are destinations to experience every variation cheese farmers and mongers have to offer. Wheels and slices, balls and spreads are overabundant in nearly every corner of the state. The state can be overwhelming, however, so many great places spread out across vast country roads. Our suggestion? Take the scenic route -it will always bring you somewhere unexpectedly great.
Sid Cook, who has won 87 awards over his 50 year career peddles not only some of the most premier cheeses in the world, but is quick to offer words of wisdom and history into the cheesy tapestry that Wisconsin has become. He touts that curds, over time have become one of the state’s most popular foods; baked, battered and fried or simply enjoyed in their novel form.
Rolling green hills and pastures dotted with red barns and green John Deere tractors are only broken up by the sight of bright burgundy cranberry bogs. What is lesser known, however, are some of the state’s premier wine producing regions. Areas like Fox Valley, Door County and Northwoods boast fields and farms with Vignoles, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and the ever prevalent Barbara varietals.
You can adamantly say that Wisconsin, through it’s meats, cheeses, berries and wine has the makings of being the Great American Cheese Plate. Here are a couple of the best ‘Wines from Wisconsin’ that we have had the pleasure to try and of course we paired them with a few cheese finds that we hope would make Wisconsin cheese lover and blogger Jeanne Carpenter (IG:@thecheesegeek) proud.
One of the best Colby style cheeses that we have ever tried. Named after the Wisconsin state bird the Robin has a firm, yet open and curdy body combined with a fresh buttery taste and a pleasantly salty finish.
Imagine a chardonnay with no butter, no vanilla and no cream. You just get the pure and mellow taste of Golden apples, baked pears and figs. Sounds amazing? Trust us, it is. Cedar Creeks does a great job balancing flavor without getting overwhelmingly fruity. We wouldn’t normally pair a Colby-style cheese with such a fruit forward wine, however, the compliment is something we’ve never really experienced before. The buttery nature of ‘The Robin’ replaces the lack of butter in Cedar Creek’s unoaked Chardonnay. To die for.
A moderate blended blue: Fruity, tangy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A cow, sheep and goat blend we like to team this unique Wisconsin blue with white wines, beers and cider. A dry champagne, an oaked chardonnay, tangy riesling, or fruit forward sauvignon blanc are all great.
A bright, ruby red dry wine with an earthy aroma and well-balanced flavors. This wine pairs well with a steak or wild game like venison but also compliments strong cheeses. We made an amazing appetizer plate with the ‘Ewe Calf to be Kidding’ as well as some amazing venison charcuterie and duck liver pâté.
A creamy table cheese made from sheep milk. This cheese tastes amazing melted in a grilled cheese, over a chicken breast or medium rare hamburger. We found that it also pairs very well with ham, wheat crackers, stout and chardonnay.
A semi-sweet luscious but reserved white with notes of tropical fruit including pineapple, mango and kiwi. Has a semi dry finish that lingers. Great compliment to bold flavors, especially that of Pipit cheese. We melted the Pipit on these amazing red pepper wheat crackers that we found -it paired perfectly with the undertones and flavors found in ‘Brianna’.
Red Barn Family Farm
Cupola Artisan Cheese
Appleton, WI
http://www.redbarnfamilyfarms.com
IG:@red_barn_family_farms
Caramel and toasted pineapple, you can taste the care and detail that went into this cheese. Cupola likes a bit of spice to counter its slight sweetness, so we typically would enjoy it with everything from Malbec, Merlot and Syrah to Chardonnay and Riesling.
If you have never had it, Barolo is one of those wines that surprises you when you taste it. Deep cherry notes with hints of dark chocolate give this Barolo a rich flavor while the oak aging adds a smooth, heavy finish. Barolo, in general, gives off a multitude of different aromas, often including notes of freshly laid tar and budding roses -Sunset Point’s Barolo is no different. Also, depending upon the bottling, flavors in Barolo wine can range from concentrated dried fruit and leather. Sunset Point’s has a strong emphasis on ripe strawberries, plums and mulberries. This gives you the perfect compliment to the Cupola cheese.
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