Sheep's Milk Cheese

One of the last small-batch, natural-rind Manchegos in production, the cheesemakers at Sierra la Solana age these wheels a minimum of 6 months to best develop the flavors of the milk. The sheep’s unique diet of grasses, grains, and olives from the groves in which they graze results in a perfectly balanced and  complex flavor, carrying notes of buttered toast and green almonds. 

As the USA's oldest sheep dairy in operation, the cheesemakers at Vermont Shepherd certainly know what they're doing. Extra Aged Invierno is their raw mixed-milk cheese that benefits from an extended aging period in the caves - at least two years before hitting our counters. The cows' milk lends a little sweetness that plays nicely with the earthy richness of the creamery's own sheeps' milk. Expect notes of grass and roasted garlic, with a tiny bit of crunch.

One of only two cheeses produced on Vermont Shepherd's farm, Verano, meaning "summer," is made only during the warm summer months when the sheep graze in the luscious pastures of Southern Vermont. Sweet and earthy with a fatty richness, Verano and a crisp bottle of Albarino will make any weeknight feel like a celebration. 

A unique cheese years in the making, Rispens is one of the Netherlands’ only farmstead sheep milk goudas. The Rispens family milks their herd of 300 Lacaune sheep in the northern town of Morra and sends it off to a nearby co-op cheesemaker. The result is a supple, toasty wheel of gouda, subtler than most older cows’ milk versions. Rispens is incredibly pair-able: notes of toasted hazelnut, brown butter, and honeyed brioche make this an ideal pair for a long list of wines, but our mongers love it best with a glass of Hiyu Floreal Cider.

A fluffy little cloud of a cheese from the Charentes region of France. Salty sweet with notes of fresh hay and lemon curd. A friend to Chenins  of all origins. 

Bold and lightly sweet, this classic Roquefort from the master affineurs at Hervé Mons is a beautiful example of the style. Made from rich sheeps’ milk, these wheels are aged in the natural limestone caves of Mont Combalou by the Coulet family — one of the few small-batch producers of Roquefort still in existence. Equal parts sweet and spicy, mineral and herbaceous, this Roquefort plays well with a crusty baguette and glass of Sauternes after dinner.

One of family cheesemakers Casa Madaio's most precious wheels, this sheeps' milk cheese is aged to crystalline perfection in natural stone caves perfumed with locally-sourced spring herbs. A bit of toothy bite gives way to flavors of sweet thyme blossoms and sun-baked grasses.

A toothsome and caramelly sheep's milk cheese from Catalunya, Ombra is much more than the smaller format Manchego it resembles. Made by legendary Spanish cheesemaker Josep Cuixart, this cheese has a hint of the crystallization so sought after in aged dutch cheeses and Parmigiano. Notes of wool, toasted walnuts and butterscotch add up for a savory & sweet combination that calls out for a red wine with some spice or even oxidative wines.