1924 Blue
1924 is a French soft cheese named for the year of its creation, made in the tradition of the rich, bloomy-rind cheeses that emerged in France between the wars. It belongs to the family of small-format soft cheeses designed for the table rather than for long keeping.
Flavor Profile
The paste is dense and creamy beneath a natural rind, with a texture that softens noticeably as the cheese approaches room temperature. The flavor is sweet and buttery with a distinct blue-tinged character in some expressions, balanced by a mild savory depth. The finish is rich and rounded without sharpness.
How to Serve
Serve at room temperature, allowing at least 30 minutes out of the refrigerator for the paste to soften fully. It is best appreciated simply, on a board with good bread and minimal accompaniment so the richness leads.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a red wine, a Burgundy, or a Champagne. Serve with crusty baguette, walnuts, fresh pears, and honey.
Storage
Wrap in wax paper and store in the refrigerator. As a soft cheese, consume within one to two weeks of cutting.
Abondance
Abondance is an AOP cheese from the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps, made from the raw milk of Abondance, Tarentaise, and Montbéliarde cattle. Monks at the Abondance Abbey have documented its production since the 14th century, and the wheels are still pressed with a distinctive concave edge.
Flavor Profile
Abondance is a semi-hard cheese with a supple, dense paste and a brushed amber rind. The flavor is nutty and fruity with a pronounced hazelnut character, a light bitterness on the finish, and a persistent grassy alpine quality from mountain pasture. It is more aromatic and less sweet than Gruyère, with a distinctive tang.
How to Serve
Serve at room temperature on a board where its complexity registers. Abondance is the required cheese for berthoud, a Savoyard dish in which it is melted with white wine and garlic. It also performs beautifully in fondue and gratins.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a Savoie white such as Roussette, a Jura Vin Jaune, or a light Pinot Noir. Serve with cured ham, walnuts, dried fruit, and rustic bread.
Storage
Wrap in wax paper and store in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Keeps well for three to four weeks.
Affidelice
Affidélice is a Burgundian washed-rind cheese from the same producer and tradition as Epoisses, washed during aging in Chablis wine rather than Marc de Bourgogne. The wine wash produces a slightly gentler result than its more famous relative.
Flavor Profile
The rind is sticky and orange-tinged, and the paste beneath is soft, supple, and nearly flowing when fully ripe. The flavor is savory and creamy with a pronounced tang and a meaty depth, though the Chablis wash lends a fruitier, more restrained character than the brandy-washed Epoisses. The aroma is considerably stronger than the taste.
How to Serve
Serve at room temperature in its wooden box, scooping the softened center onto crusty bread. Pair with sweet acidic fruits, which balance the savory intensity. This is a cheese that rewards the adventurous.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a Chablis, echoing the wash, or with a Sauternes or Gewürztraminer. Serve with baguette, grapes, apple slices, and walnuts.
Storage
Keep refrigerated in its box, away from other foods since the aroma transfers readily. Consume within one to two weeks.
Afuega’l Pitu
Afuega’l Pitu is one of Spain’s oldest cheeses, made in Asturias from cow’s milk. The name comes from Asturian dialect and translates roughly as “choke the chicken,” a reference to the cheese’s dense, dry texture. It carries a DOP designation and comes in four recognised varieties.
Flavor Profile
The texture is notably dense, dry, and slightly grainy, quite unlike most fresh cow’s milk cheeses. The flavor is tart and lightly acidic with a clean milky base, growing sharper and saltier with age. The roxu variety is kneaded with paprika, which adds a warm, smoky heat and stains the exterior a deep red.
How to Serve
Serve at room temperature. Traditionally shaped by hand into a cone or pumpkin form using cloth, its silhouette is part of its appeal on a board. It is excellent with jam or honey, which balances the tartness.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with Asturian sidra, a Spanish red such as Mencía, or a dry rosé. Serve with quince paste, honey, fig jam, and rustic bread.
Storage
Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate. Best consumed within two weeks of cutting.
Appenzeller
Appenzeller is a traditional hard Swiss cheese made from raw cow’s milk in the Appenzell region of northeastern Switzerland. It is one of Switzerland’s oldest cheeses, with a production history spanning over 700 years.
Flavor Profile
What makes Appenzeller unique is its herbal brine wash. During aging, each wheel is regularly bathed in a blend of herbs, spices, wine, and other natural ingredients. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, known by fewer than three people at any time. This wash gives the cheese its signature spicy, tangy flavor with fruity undertones.
Appenzeller comes in three varieties: Classic (silver label, 3 months, mildest), Surchoix (gold label, 4-5 months, medium), and Extra (black label, 6+ months, most intense).
How to Use Appenzeller
Appenzeller melts smoothly and evenly, making it an excellent addition to fondue blends with Gruyère and Emmentaler. It is the perfect companion to crisp, sharp fruit such as apples. Serve in omelets with smoked salmon, in potato gratins, savory tarts, or on a salami sandwich.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with dry Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, or a light Pinot Noir. For beer lovers, a crisp Swiss lager or wheat beer complements its spicy character nicely.
Storage
Wrap in wax paper and store in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for the fullest flavor expression.
Arpea de vache
Arpea de Vache is an alpine cow’s milk cheese in the French mountain tradition, produced in the high summer pastures where cattle graze on wildflowers and alpine herbs. The name references the vache, or cow, distinguishing it from sheep and goat versions made in the same region.
Flavor Profile
The paste is semi-firm and supple with a natural brushed rind. The flavor is mild and buttery with a nutty sweetness and a clear herbaceous, grassy quality drawn directly from the mountain pasture. There is a gentle savory depth on the finish without any sharpness or pungency.
How to Serve
Serve at room temperature on a board, where the alpine character comes through most clearly. It melts smoothly and works well in gratins, raclette-style preparations, and over boiled potatoes in the mountain manner.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a Savoie white, a light Pinot Noir, or a dry cider. Serve with cured mountain ham, cornichons, walnuts, and rustic bread.
Storage
Wrap in wax paper and store in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Best consumed within three weeks of cutting.
Asiago
Asiago is an Italian cheese from the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige regions, carrying a DOP designation. It comes in two fundamentally different forms: Asiago Pressato (fresh, pressed) and Asiago d’Allevo (aged), which are essentially two different cheeses sharing a name.
Flavor Profile
Asiago Pressato is a young, semi-soft cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, elastic texture. It melts well and is approachable for everyday use. The flavor is gentle, buttery, and pleasant.
How to Use Asiago
Use Asiago Pressato in sandwiches, on pizza, and in any preparation where a mild, melting cheese is needed. It is a great everyday cheese that works in both cooking and casual snacking.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a light white wine like Pinot Grigio or Soave, or a crisp lager. Serve with fresh vegetables, Italian bread, and mild charcuterie.
Asiago d’Allevo
Asiago d’Allevo is the aged form of Asiago, a DOP cheese from the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige regions of Italy. Unlike its younger sibling Asiago Pressato, d’Allevo is aged for months or years, transforming into a firm, granular hard cheese with a sharper, more complex character.
Flavor Profile
Asiago d’Allevo is firm and granular with a sharp, savory, and slightly fruity flavor. The aging process concentrates the flavors and develops nuttiness and a pleasant bite. Longer-aged versions become hard enough for grating and develop small crystalline deposits similar to those found in Parmigiano-Reggiano.
How to Use Asiago d’Allevo
Grate over pasta, soups, and risotto. Use as a table cheese on cheese boards alongside softer varieties for contrast. The aged character makes it an excellent alternative to Parmigiano for grating applications where you want a slightly different flavor profile.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a Valpolicella Ripasso, Amarone, or a robust Merlot from the Veneto. Serve with fresh pears, walnuts, and dark honey.
Beaufort
Beaufort is a French Alpine cheese from the Savoie region, sometimes called “the prince of Gruyères.” It is a hard, raw cow’s milk cheese with an AOC designation, produced high in the French Alps using milk from Tarine and Abondance cattle breeds that graze on mountain pastures rich in wildflowers and herbs.
Flavor Profile
Beaufort has a smooth, dense texture and a rich, buttery flavor that balances sweetness and nuttiness with a pleasant tang. The finish is long and complex. Summer Beaufort, made from the milk of cows grazing at high altitude, is considered the finest expression, with the most nuanced and aromatic flavor profile.
How to Use Beaufort
Beaufort is superb for fondue and gratins, where its smooth melting quality and rich flavor truly shine. It is one of the best cheeses in the world for cooking with heat. On a cheese board, aged Beaufort stands on its own as a centerpiece.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair with a dry white wine from Savoie, a Burgundy Chardonnay, or a Jura Vin Jaune. Serve with rustic bread, dried fruit, and hazelnuts.
