Harvest Season Cheese Tasting at La Vie Est Belle

Hello, and thank you for following the QR trail! As promised, here is the list of the cheeses we tasted today and a link to the PDF presentation. I like to incorporate information and images of the makers in our tastings and presentations. I feel that seeing the faces and learning about the production really brings them to life for us and give us an almost personal connection to the makers. And helps all of us better understand where our food comes from.

So here we go!:

1. The appetizer: Bovre, Janet's Finest seasonal spread Cranberry Jalapeno, and an Apple Spiced Doughnut or GF Gingersnap. Bovre is a brand new cheese from Redhead Creamery and Spirits in Brooten, MN. It is a soft, spreadable cows milk cheese similar to Chevre. Alise Sjostrom is the cheese maker at Redhead. She knew since the age of 16 that making cheese was in her future and she worked ridiculously hard forging that path. The ridiculously good cheese you taste today is the culmination of years of study, trips to artisan cheese plants, funding campaigns, testing, waiting, sampling and starting over. Continuing the farming culture fostered by her parents, Jerry and Linda, she opened a cheese production facility in 2014 on the farm where she grew up and her parents have the fluid operation. By building a cheese facility and scaling up the farming operation, the businesses of Jer-Lindy Farms and Redhead Creamery were able to sustain 2 families. Fast forward to today, they now have Farm Tours, a Bistro and Cocktail Room with a Speakeasy!!! Yes, they have started distilling whey (byproduct of cheesemaking) into a clear spirit called Araga! No, these people can't sit still. They are constantly adding value to the farming operation. Bovre is the second new cheese for Redhead this year. And, yes, Alise and her 3 sisters all have naturally red hair! The next two cheeses are from Redhead, because we love and support heartily, these folks!

2. Goats Milk Brie from Laura Chenel After spending ten years working and studying in Europe, New York, and the San Francisco Bay Area, Laura Chenel returned to Sonoma County, uncertain about her future direction. She was eager to reconnect with the land to achieve self-sufficiency. Passionate about eating and cooking with healthy, natural foods, and having always been interested in goats, she decided to purchase her first goats. As her herd expanded, Laura developed a strong bond with them. With the growing milk production, she felt a responsibility to honor the milk by transforming it into something special, which led her to cheese-making. She started making cheese in 1979.

3. Tipsy Tilsiter from Redhead. Originating in Switzerland and Germany, Tilsiter (or Tilsit) is known for its robust flavor, smear-rinded surface, and medium-firm texture, featuring irregular holes or cracks. They "smear" or wash Tipsy Tilsiter with Flora, a hard cider crafted at Milk & Honey Ciders in nearby St. Joseph, MN. And, you are tasting some of the last of this cheese as it is now officially retired!!

4. Wood River Cheddar Gruyere with Applewood Smoked Sea Salt.

   Burnett Dairy Cooperative traces its origins to the Branstad and Wood River creameries in northwest Wisconsin, both of which have a long history of serving dairy producers. The Branstad Creamery, the third in Burnett County, began its operations in May 1897.

   Burnett Dairy Cooperative started in June 1896 and continues to produce the Fancy® brand initially created by Wood River Creamery. As a farmer-owned cooperative located near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, and established in 1896, it remains one of the few full-service cooperatives still making cheese today. Guided by its Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker®, the cooperative's award-winning cheeses are Masterfully Made™ with innovative flavors.

5. Marieke Gouda Summerfields. is raw cow’s milk, rosemary, onion, tomato, thyme, garlic. I dare you to not like this cheese! Marieke Penterman's cheese journey began on her family's dairy farm in the Netherlands. Her passion for quality dairy deepened after moving to Wisconsin with her business partner, Rolf, who ran a dairy farm in Thorp.

   Missing authentic Gouda, Marieke pursued becoming a licensed cheesemaker, leveraging her Dairy Business degree to master cheese production techniques.

   She returned to the Netherlands to learn traditional Dutch Gouda-making from seasoned cheesemakers, perfecting her craft.

   Back in Wisconsin, Marieke founded her company, blending Dutch heritage with local ingredients to produce exceptional Gouda.

   In 2024, she became the fourth woman to earn the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certification, highlighting her skill and dedication.

6. Big Woods Blue, Shepherd's Way.

   Shepherd’s Way Farms creates award-winning sheep milk cheeses, ranging from fresh to aged varieties, including blue and tomme styles. These farmstead cheeses are made on-site using milk from their pasture-raised ewes. Each wheel is personally handcrafted by Jodi Ohlson Reed.

   As a small farm with around 200 ewes, their production is limited, so their cheeses are only available at select cheese shops, specialty grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers markets in the Twin Cities.

   Shepherd’s Way was one of the first to make farmstead sheep milk cheese, launching Friesago in 1998, Shepherd’s Hope in 1999, and Big Woods Blue in 2003. Recent offerings include Hidden Falls, Shepherd’s Ricotta, Morcella, and Sogn, a tomme style cheese that won 1st place in the 2022 ACS competition. In 2023, Sogn and Burr Oak were recognized in their respective categories.

   
   
   
   

   I have really enjoyed our time with you today. If you liked the class or have a question, please leave a comment!

   
   

   Here is the presentation:

Presentation La Vie Est Belle 09112025.pdf

Download PDF • 2.28MB