Wisconsin’s cheese producers, from large-scale operations to small artisanal makers, consistently offer creative and innovative delights for cheese lovers nationwide. Discover exciting new ways to enjoy this beloved staple — from trendy new flavors to popular cheese board workshops and charming gourmet shops — that remind us why we love Wisconsin cheese.
By Kristine Hansen | Photo courtesy The Charcuterie House
When it comes to Wisconsin cheese, you likely already know about — and have tasted many times — cheese curds, aged cheddar and cold-pack cheese spreads.
Given that Wisconsin’s a mecca for cheese production, the ingenuity around cheese never stops. New cheeses are introduced every year and the number of cheese shops in communities around the state is also increasing. This includes following national trends. Tajin is the shining- star seasoning in a new flavored feta that will be released by Roth as part of its Athenos by Roth label later this year. This lime, sea salt and chili peppers seasoning injects hot, new flavor into grocery-store aisles — and that now includes cheese.
If you’re looking to shake up — in a good way — your consumption of Wisconsin cheese, here are a few ideas on what to try next, and suggested places to track those cheeses down. But before you do that, it’s worth learning how to build an amazing cheese board. Classes at cheese shops coach in how to not only make every cheese, nut, spread, preserve, cracker and veggie look delicious but also how to strike the perfect balance. Among the places where you can take a class are Fromagination in Madison, Schuby’s in La Crosse, The Milk Merchant in Wausau, Tricky Foods in Madison and Pasture and Plenty in Madison.
Cheesemongers can be your BFF when it comes to satisfying and diversifying your palate as they work hard to source from artisan, boutique-sized creameries and large, familiar brands alike. These are also ideal spots to inquire about how to build a cheeseboard, with many shops even hosting classes in this skill.
On the East Side of Madison, The Wedge opened earlier this year with its cute name and equally adorable storefront that includes a neon wedge of cheese on one wall. Cold cheese sandwiches are served, made by a former L’Etoile chef and using only Wisconsin cheese, as well as 20 cheeses from Wisconsin cheesemakers to create your own cheeseboard. Because it’s within a former brewery’s taproom, it makes sense to also pour beer (cheese’s best Wisconsin cousin).
Further north, The Gouda Life debuted in Waupaca last November and is as much a cheese shop as it is a gourmet grocery, with nearly every item made in Wisconsin. Customers can easily find these gems by looking for a sticker in the shape of Wisconsin with a heart in the center. The building was once a tavern, as early as 1908, and its original tall ceilings and interior brick wall remain. On one wall is an Instagram-friendly feature: a “say cheese” sign on a greenery wall, where customers can take photos.
Closer to Milwaukee, The Charcuterie House popped up in downtown Waukesha in late 2024. Among its offerings is a Cheese of the Month Club, with many selections from Wisconsin. While the shop’s cheese stash is spectacular, and also closely tied to Wisconsin, what also sets the shop apart are its events. In August there was a food- and-cheese pairing class, for example.
These cheese shops are great places to hunt down small- production cheeses made in Wisconsin and only distributed within the state. This includes Landmark Creamery, a producer of mostly goat’s-milk and sheep’s-milk cheese in Paoli, although they sometimes turn to cow’s milk too. One example is the new Fontina from Brown Swiss cow’s milk. It’s available in three flavors: Original, Herbs de Provence and Umamier. If you’re scratching your head about that last flavor, this is a spice blend created by The Deliciouser in Madison featuring sea salt, mushrooms, onions, garlic, ginger and red miso.
Another small cheesemaker is Chalet Cheese in Monroe. Known for its cult-favorite (and very stinky) Swiss- style limburger, and now the only U.S. producer of this soft cheese, there are two new cheeses coming from this cheesemaker that functions as a cooperative. It was founded by five dairy farmers in 1885. Chalet Cheese’s two new cheeses are Alpenaro (fusing Gouda and Parmesan) and Bier Kase (a German-style cheese that pairs well with beer).
While most Wisconsin cheesemakers have Swiss heritage — and, for many, Switzerland is where their relatives learned to make alpine-style cheese — quite a few have Italian roots. This includes Cheese Merchants’ president Bob Greco, whose “nonna” (Italian for grandmother) was named Francesca. The company’s newest cheeses in the Mama Francesca line go beyond its grated Parmesan in a container. Now you can also buy wedges of Fontina, Romano, Asiago and Creamy Formaggio.
Also born out of Italian cheese-making traditions is Sartori Cheese, which was founded in 1939 by an Italian immigrant. Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Pam Hodgson, one of only two female Master Cheesemakers in the world, recently revived the brand’s Old World Cheddar with hints of Italian Herb and Sriracha. At the 2017 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, her Black Pepper BellaVitano won “Best of Show” and that’s just one of Sartori Cheese’s many awards.
Another perennial award-winner is America’s most awarded cheesemaker, Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook, at the helm at Carr Valley Cheese, which just released Cabana White. Made from cow’s milk, this fresh cheese is a milky, sweet and salty cheese all at once. You can eat it right out of the package or fry it up in a pan.
Klondike Cheese Company in Monroe released its Odyssey® Labneh at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show and earned a gold medal for it at the 2024 American Cheese Society Competition. Cow’s milk goes into this cheese, which is creamy and spreadable and sold in a tub. Labneh is popular in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, whether enjoyed as a dip or cooking/baking ingredient.
We can’t talk about Wisconsin cheese without a mention of cold-pack cheese spreads. Since 1963, Pine River Pre-Pack’s plastic containers of cheesy spreads in 22 flavors (including Port Wine and Sharp Cheddar) have been a huge hit. Now you can add Maple Bacon, Pimento and Vintage Reserve to the list.
And, finally, it’s not every day that a cheese comes back after being on hiatus for a few years. But that’s exactly what’s happened with Pavé Henri by Brunkow Cheese, a family- owned cheese producer in Darlington since 1899. This washed-rind, Trappist-style cheese offers up buttery notes on the palate and is very smooth, also featuring a crunchy rind and intriguing aroma. What’s unique about this cheese is its single sourcing, which you more commonly see at farmsteads: all of the milk for Pavé Henri came from a single Jersey-cow herd at Jordandal Farms. It’s sold at Dane County Farmers’ Market.
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