This is what you would call an excellent melter for your fondue. Washed with an herbal brine for flavor, it is a butter-colored cheese that gets darker with age. This classic version is 3-4 months in age and is frequently brushed with various herbs, pepper, brine, cider, and white wine during its aging. Note: Can you believe this style of Swiss mountain-cheese has been around for over 700 years? It started out as a cheese made in monasteries stored in cool caves to age.

Aged about 5 months, this cheese has an attractive nuttiness and as it matures gains a slightly tangy, lemony aftertaste. Grate on pasta, melt on bread and a try adding to a vegetable pizza for a little zip in the evening.

Made of fresh whole cow's milk, this is a simple cheese that can be used in many dishes. Try it melted on carrots or as a winter substitute for mozzarella in a lasagna or chopped up with olive oil in a tomato basil salad. Invite your friends!

Wrapped up and ready to eat, these delicious rustic cows milk cheeses are as tasty as they are beautiful. Cocooned in chestnut leaves they get the chance to acquire the tangy, yet woodsy flavor that is so wonderful to eat.

Aged a minimum of 26 months, this is a new addition to our cheese selection. The cows graze only on pesticide-free pastures that contain rare blue sea clay. This clay contains minerals that give the milk a sweeter and softer milk fat, giving Beemster cheeses a softer and creamier texture than other Dutch cheeses. You will taste the butterscotch, pecan and whiskey flavors that are so pronounced in this treat of a cheese. Try it, you'll like it, we do! 

The amber color helps to show its age, and leaves a sweet, nutty flavor on your tongue, which makes it so easy to eat as a dessert cheese. Also try it grated over a side dish of steamed asparagus or potatoes. Also, it's fun to sing "black wax gouda" to the tune of the Ted Nugent classic "cat scratch fever".

This is a unique but traditional cheese which is handmade, free of preservatives and has cumin and cloves added to it. We liked it on a grilled chicken sandwich. Sorry, but this cheese is currently not shipping into the U.S. Keep your fingers crossed, blind cow lovers!

Similar to but slightly different from Alpine mountain cheeses, this one has a pronounced buttermilk flavor that intensifies as it ages, probably due to the grass fed cows. Aged about 6 months. 

These are artisan handcrafted Bries that are just so easy to eat and a pleasure to melt on a toasted baguette and a glass of wine.

When this cheese is young it's mild, buttery and with a chalky center and as it ages it becomes runny and it takes on a slight earthy flavor. A customer favorite in our shop.

We love this cheese, but how can you not once you've tried the decadent creamy flavor it has to offer. Invite friends to join you and purchase a great loaf of crusty bread to spread it on. We like it spread on Croccantini Crackers, the rosemary ones in particular.

Rich and delicate is the flavor of this fresh mozzarella. It is a mixture of both cream and mozzarella curds inside and knotted at the end. Have this seasonal treat with Heirloom tomatoes and a fresh Ciabatta bread. My favorite way is on a bed of mixed baby greens with a peppered piece of seared Ahi Tuna, add a drizzle of your best olive oils and sea salt and dinner is served

To start off with, this is a very appealing cheddar sliced on a cheese board. It's made with a tangy Irish cheddar cheese and the addition of elderberry wine gives it a slightly sweet taste.

A triple cream brie with just a hint of blue. For those who haven't made the leap over to blue cheese because of their sometimes strong flavors, this is a great transition cheese to try. Excellent to spread on apples or on a nice crusty French baguette.

The classic favorite! This supple delight hales from North-Western France and is known for its earthy fragrance and creamy texture. Goes great with fruit, bread and wine!

Many times you will hear us refer to this cheese as a "vuluptuous blue". By that we mean it's well rounded in just about every area. Not too salty, not too sweet, not too strong, but just right! Just like Baby Bear's pourage. Made by a single family on a single farm in Tipperary Ireland.

Oh so many wines, but none of them the perfect match... We'll keep on drinking 'til we find the right one. What a tough job!

Cheshire is one of england's proudest and oldest creations. Crumbly, firm texture with a nice mild and creamy texture with just a hint of dry sharpness.

A lovely variation of Clawson's Double Gloucester w/ chives and onion. The easiest way to make a killer omelet with zero preparation!

The Danes have outdone themselves with this one! Firm crumbly blue cheese that goes wonderfully with pears or apples or with your favorite late harvest zinfandel or port. Aged for 8 to 12 weeks and was originally intended to emulate Roquefort's flavor and texture by its creators.

Of the triple-creams you have to choose from when you visit the shop, this one is probably one of the best to start with. Similar to the brillat savarin but more buttery and slightly more of a tang.

One of the great crowd pleasers! This white Irish cheddar has a subtle sweetness that makes it perfect pair with fruit, beer and/or nuts. Be careful though, it's addictive! Aged for at least 12 months.

The Swiss cheese that started it all! A necessity for any fondue, this nutty, traditional cave-aged cheese is great for melting, sandwiches, or just nibble a piece by itself! Suitable for vegetarians.

David's favorite triple-cream. Named after the "Explorer 1" satellite, which was launched in 1958, the same year as this cheese's conception.  Don't let its snowy, innocent rind fool you, this is triple-cream is the tangiest of its kind. It has a velvety texture that is quite spreadable. Give it a taste, you'll be putting it on everything before you know it. Considered the "aristocrat" of the triple cream family.

As one of the only smoked cheeses we offer, you know this one has to be good for us to carry it. This artisan cheese (completely hand made) has a beautifully subtle smokiness and a lovely mushroomy earthiness, so make room on your cheese plate for this one if you really want something different, but pleasantly surprising.

Nutty, Grassy, Earthy flavors with a smooth, creamy, yet firm texture. This cheese is incredible for melting atop meats, potatoes, pizza, veggies, even add it to your favorite fondue recipe with a splash of apple cider, white pepper and nutmeg for a nice change of pace! Cave aged for at least 7 months. Occasionally available in an organic version, and is prominently labeled as such.

Probably the most popular brie we carry. Rich, buttery flavor with all the supple texture of a traditional brie, but twice as creamy. We love it sliced thinly on a salami sandwich on a halved baguette. Suitable for vegetarians.

Made in the famous (for cheese) Piedmont region of Italy, this creamy, young, Italian blue is a great cheese to introduce to your friends who claim to be "not really into blue". With it's mild, sweet flavor and smooth soft texture, it meets our requirements for being what we call an "eating blue cheese", meaning you don't have to cook with it or put it on a salad for it to be palatable and above all, delicious!

One of our all time favorites, this earthy, nutty cheese is great on just about everything from French onion soup to pizza to fondue to mornay sauce. Even if you are scared by the aroma, just give it a try and you won't be disappointed. Suitable for vegetarians.

Wonderful layers of English Double Gloucester (similar to a mild cheddar) and full bodied Stilton blue cheese. As beautiful as it is delicious!

A double cream that is firm and buttery when cold and gooey and runny at room temperature. What else do you need? A great tangy brie to put on your party cheese board. But beware, you better get two because they will be gone before you know it.

Beautifully ripe, traditional French brie with a nice, pungent aroma and a rich full earthy yet creamy flavor.

A handmade version of Mahon, this one slightly milder and more grassy.

Fruity, nutty hard yet smooth. Mimolette is one of the most popular cheeses we carry because of its intense flavor and rich texture. This cheese is aged in individual nets hung from the ceiling of caves. Originally modeled after edam due to a 17th century ban on imported cheese, Mimolette contains a distinguishing natural coloring agent called annatto which when added to the milk will become darker orange as it ages. The grayish crust of aged Mimolette is the result of cheese mites intentionally introduced to add flavor by their activity on the surface of the cheese.

This creamy, yet crumbly blue is made in Lombardia, Italy. The texture is favorable for use in just about any recipe that calls for a mild blue cheese. The cheese is begun with the morning milk covering the bottom and sides of a mould, and the evening milk is used to fill in the center. How 'bout that?!

A mellow washed rind cheese consisting of the morning and evening milkings, separated by a layer of fine vegetable ash. There are too many different historical explanations for this to mention, so "Google it" if you're curious. Morbier has been around for over 700 years old.

One of our favorites of the stinky varietals. Creamy yet supple texture paired with the famous earthy pungency has made this cheese a veritable rock star in the world of fromager. Be warned though, it's nothing like its American counterpart of the same name (found at the deli counter in most supermarkets).

You might have seen this one on the food network, as it's a favorite of many notable foodies for its obscurity and unique nature. Almost hard, crumbly texture with an intensely strong blue flavor. Nutty, earthy, not for the faint of heart.

This blue cheese is an instant classic. For many of our staff members, this is a staple blue to always have in the fridge at home. Medium strength, with just the right amount of blue veining. Awesome on a steak, awesome in a sauce, awesome on a salad, awesome on a cracker. If you can think of something edible, put some Oregon blue on/in and enjoy.

This is the original Parmesan, the one that started it all! Crumbly and sweet, this is one to always have on hand at home, as it pretty much makes any recipe better. Accept no substitutes.

Widely regarded as "Holland's version of a parmisan". Rich smooth "young gouda-like" texture and nutty sweetness make this a favorite eating cheese among our staff. We eat a lot of this when we are cutting it...

An aged Italian cheese very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano but significantly milder in flavor. A fantastic eating cheese with a mellow, balanced taste.

A nice triple cream with a well defined tang which drastically intensifies as this cheese ages. The perfect cripple cream for those who like them a little more on the ripe and salty side.

Haven't had raclette? You are in for a big treat! At first glance, this cheese would seem quite mild and unassuming, but wait until its melted ('til brown) over potatoes, mushrooms, meat, asparagus, boot leather - you name it, it's all good!

In the Middle-Ages, farmers in the mountains of Haute Savoie used to pay their taxes with part of their milk production. They did not fully milk their cows so as to lower their level of production. Once the tax officers came to measure the milk produced and left, the farmers went back to milk the cows again. The milk they got was much richer and was used to make Reblochon! Today, reblochon is aged in cellars or caves in the mountains. The cheesemaker turns the cheese every two days and washes it with whey in order to speed the aging process. Creamy, earthy, with a mildly pungent smell.

A mild cheese base similar to soft Monterey Jack with pureed sage added during the curd stage.

"It's like butter" - but better! A velvety smooth triple cream with a firmer than usual constitution and a subtly tangy rind. Try it on a rosemary croccantini cracker, you won't  be sorry.

Made right here in good old California in the San Joaquin Valley by the Fiscalini Cheese Company. This award winning cheese (gold medal in London, at the World Cheese Awards in 2004, gold medal in 2005 and a silver medal in 2006) was originally intended to be a fontina recipe, but the cheese had other ideas. What came out was somewhere across between a traditional bandage wrapped cheddar and a parmesan. Goes great with fruit, wine and meats.

Another hearty blue cheese from our friends across the pond. A bit more on the savory side of the blue spectrum, shropshire is an awesome addition to any salad or paired with your favorite desert wine. Suitable for vegitarians.

Runny inside, supple soft outside, this soft ripened cheese is the perfect complement to a crusty baguette and glass of white wine. For those of you who have a taste for the more "aromatic" varieties.

Known  as the "king of blues", stilton combines about as many favorable qualities as you can in to one blue cheese. Perfect blend of salt, sweet, tang, creamy yet crumbly  texture... one of the most versatile blues we have found.

Holy moly! Love 'em smelly? Well then get ready for the love of your life! Easily the stinkiest cheese we carry. Creamy washed rind bliss that will have your friends banning you from their cars and homes. In all seriousness though, this cheese is heavenly delicious, but not recommended to serve on a first date.

Washed in crushed grapes, this cheese has a unique bright fruity flavor and light, pleasant, fresh aftertaste.

Washed in a mixture of soybean or safflower oil, black pepper and unsweetened cocoa, this is a very versatile cheese that can be grated over pasta or salads, thinly planed over bruschetta, or sliced to be eaten along side a crisp white wine.

Many of our younger patrons are often astounded to discover that their favorite cheese is older than they are. Wonderful notes of whisky sweetness, nuttiness, and a burst of flavor that you might have to sit down for.

Oh so many wines, but none of them the perfect match... We'll keep on drinking 'til we find the right one. What a tough job!