Klondike Cheese Company is a fourth-generation cheese company that’s home to three Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers. Located in Monroe, Wisconsin, Klondike Cheese Company gets the milk for its cheeses from 85 nearby family farms. Though best known for its distinct Feta Cheese, Klondike Cheese Company makes delicious Muenster and Brick Cheeses. Brick Cheese, a Wisconsin original, is a sweet and pungent cheese. It is a perfect cheese on dark bread – add some onions and pair with a Shiner Bock. Heavenly.

Chalet Cheese Cooperative is a farmer-owned co-op in Green County, Wisconsin. Founded in 1885, Chalet Cheese Cooperative and its Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers have won numerous national and international awards. As the only U.S. producer of Limburger, under the brand Country Castle Limburger, Chalet Cheese Cooperative is nationally acclaimed. Limburger is well-known for its strong odor. When the cheese is first produced it is firm and crumbly, similar to Feta, but within six weeks of production Limburger becomes softer along the edges though is still chalky near the center. Once it is aged for two months, the cheese is creamy and smooth and at three months, the cheese’s pungent odor becomes present. This cheese is often enjoyed in a Limburger sandwich – rye bread, raw onion, and Limburger Cheese. Another delicious sandwich to enjoy with a Shiner Bock.

Holland’s Family Farm, located in Thorp, Wisconsin, is a first-generation Wisconsin dairy farm established in 2002. The farm’s Gouda Cheese, Marieke Gouda, is a very popular Wisconsin-based Gouda Cheese, and although it has only been produced for three years, has already won numerous awards. The cheese is produced in several flavors – the plain or smoked varieties are best alongside a Shiner Bock.

Pair a glass of this pinot noir with semi-soft cheeses, Dofino Creamy Havarti, Meister Cheese Company Great Midwest Basil Jack and BelGioioso Fontina. Or complement the smooth pinot with high-texture, the low-moisture, hard-style cheese of Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods Aged Asiago.

Havarti, a milder version of German Tilsit, originated in Denmark. In Wisconsin, the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed a special Wisconsin-style Havarti that is firmer in texture and more buttery than other types. Dofino Creamy Havarti is a perfect example of this gentle and buttery cheese, produced in the Danish tradition. Need an easy and delicious Havarti recipe? To prepare baked Havarti, wrap an 8-ounce piece in puff pastry, brush on egg wash and bake at 425º F until golden brown. Serve hot with fresh fruit, such as apples or pears, for a party appetizer.

Meister Cheese Company produces cheese that is known for its many unique flavors and intense creaminess. Great Midwest Basil Jack, a variety of the Meister Cheese Monterey Jack line, is delicate, buttery and has a slightly tart flavor that balances nicely with the basil herb. Monterey Jack goes well with fruit and poultry.

Fontina originated in Italy in 1477 in the mountainous Val d’Aosta region near the Swiss border. It was named Fontina d’Aosta for Mont Fontin and the nearby village of Fontinaz. Fontina is considered to be one of the most versatile cheeses in the world because it is excellent both on the table and in cooking. BelGioioso Fontina is a semi-soft, mild cheese with a silky texture and sweet, yet earthy flavor – a divine melting cheese.

Asiago derives its name from a small town in northern Italy. In Italy, Asiago usually means Asiago Fresco, or fresh and has a mild flavor and semi-hard texture. In Wisconsin, cheesemakers age Asiago to develop sharper flavors. Thus, Asiago Cheese is often firm and grated. Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods Aged Asiago is creamier, with sharp and tangy flavors. Pair it with a glass of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and some crusty Italian bread.

Enjoy any of these cheeses and a glass of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir in the “Wisconsin Cheese Recipe of the Month”: Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese.

Located in Green County, Wisconsin, often known as Wisconsin’s cheese epicenter, Silver Lewis Cheese Co-op is well respected for its Muenster and Brick. Brick cheeses resemble Germany’s surface-ripened Beer Cheese or Beer Käse. Wisconsin cheesemakers produce Brick in mild, medium, and aged varieties. Silver Lewis Cheese Co-op Brick atop Oliveto Pizza is the perfect meal next to the Cambria Chardonnay.

Yellowstone Cheese is located in Cadott, Wisconsin and offers more than 20 different flavors of Monterey Jack, including apple wine, black olive, tomato basil, and bacon ranch. The name Yellowstone Cheese is used because the farm is located on the Yellowstone Trail, which is the first automobile route from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. Pair a glass of Cambria Chardonnay with some caraway or vegetable Monterey Jack. Looking for an interesting recipe to use with Monterey Jack? Try these Duck Confit Enchiladas.

Saxon Homestead Creamery is a fifth-generation dairy farm in Cleveland, Wisconsin. The cheese from this producer, Tilsit, is a German-style cow’s milk cheese that is smooth, soft, and buttery. One specific Tilsit, branded Saxony, is a sophisticated cheese with a nutty flavor and supple body. Saxony is made from whole, raw cow’s milk. The cheese has light, dry, washed rind that’s ripened a minimum of 90 days.

This week’s Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is Chateau Les Ormes de Pez, a French Bordeaux. This wine takes its name from the village of Pez near St Estèphe and is a Cru Bourgeois wine. This Bordeaux is made from the cabernet varietal and is historically known for its high quality. The 2003 vintage of this wine starts with a fresh, forward character on the nose. There is a dense palate, with supple, powerful fruit flavors. It has firm tannins and good acids. This wine is a must pairing with rich meat and cream-based dishes. Valentine’s Day dinner?

Pair this classic Bordeaux with North Hendren Cheese Cooperative Black River Blue, Stella Romano, Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Aged Cheddar, or Hook’s Cheese Garlic Cheddar.

The Black River Blue Cheese from North Hendren Cheese Cooperative is deliciously simple and this simplicity is a perfect match to a complex Bordeaux. The cooperative is a small, local non-profit cooperative with surrounding dairy farmers as owners. It has been in the cheese business since 1923 and has been specializing in pre premium blue-veined cheeses since 2001.

Stella Romano, from Saputo Cheese USA, is a favorite Italian cheese. Romano is often confused with Parmesan though it is a much sharper, tangier cheese. It has a saltier bite and is often aged longer. The Stella Cheese label specializes in Romano, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Aged Cheddar, is a smooth, firm and rich Cheddar. It becomes increasingly sharp and more granular with age.

Hook’s Garlic Cheddar is white Cheddar infused with fresh garlic. It’s the perfect snacking cheese and is amazing in pasta sauces. However, this is, no doubt, a cheese to enjoy with someone you’ve been cozy with for a good deal of time.

Delicious red wine. Amazing Wisconsin Cheeses. A recipe for an out-of-this-world dinner for two. Happy Valentine’s Day. Love, Cheese Cupid.

Located in the Willamette Valley in Salem, Oregon, Cristom Vineyards is 65 acres and eight distinct vineyards with specific grape varietals. The 2005 Estate Syrah is the third release of the vineyard’s Estate Syrah and the coolest vintage of the three. This wine is ruby red, with rich aromas of raspberries, hints of blueberries, and moderate tannins on the finish.

Pair a glass of this wine with Henning’s Cheese Aged Peppercorn Cheddar, BelGioioso Cheese Italian Extra Sharp Provolone, Salemville Amish Blue, or Bleu Mont Dairy Cave-Aged Bandaged Cheddar.

Henning’s Cheese is known for its Cheddar Cheese, as makers of the “Mammoth Cheddar” wheels, ranging in size from 75 to 1,200 lbs. Otto Henning began the family tradition of cheesemaking in 1914, and Kerry Henning currently carries on this tradition. Henning’s Cheese Aged Peppercorn Cheddar won Best of Class at the 2009 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. This aged cheese is a perfect dinner party companion to a deep, red syrah.

BelGioioso Cheese Italian Extra Sharp Provolone is made with whole cow’s milk and is produced using the same techniques as they use in Italy. The cheese is roped and dipped into a plastic coating, which helps the cheese breath, creating a drier cheese. It is then aged inside a temperature-controlled room for up to a year. This cheese pairs well with pears, figs, cashews, and olives for an easy party appetizer.

Salemville Amish Blue is known for being produced using rBGH-free milk from cows hand-milked twice daily. The famous blue streaks are a result of mold from bacteria added during manufacturing. The distinct types of milks make the Blue Cheese individually characteristic.

Bleu Mont Dairy Cave-Aged Bandaged Cheddar is an English-style cheese made with raw, organic milk from pasture-grazing cows. The Cheddar has a clean feel, with grassier, nuttier notes than many other types of Cheddar. Bleu Mont Dairy is owned by Willi Lehner, a Swiss-American cheesemaker, and is located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

This scotch, known as “The Single Malt that Started It All,” this whisky is bright and gold with a pineapple and apricot nose. Aged in French Oak casks, the whisky’s bouquet opens up with vanilla and nutty notes. Honey, peach and pear are present on the palate. Pair this elegant whisky with Hook’s 10-year Cheddar, Carr Valley Cheese Virgin-Pine Native Blue, Bleu Mont Dairy Gouda or the fall edition of Otter Creek Organic Farm Raw Milk Seasonal Cheddar.

Hook’s 10-year Cheddar has a full, rich Cheddar flavor and a smooth finish. It has won first place at the American Cheese Society Competition and is the only 10-year cheddar to have received this honor. This Cheddar is a great appetizer and will impress the masses.

Carr Valley Cheese Virgin-Pine Native Blue is not a traditional blue cheese. First this cheese is matured and then it is pierced to become a blue. This allows native molds from the aging to naturally penetrate the cheese. This cheese is very earthy tastes best accompanying dishes.

Bleu Mont Dairy Gouda is a 10-month aged Gouda. This creamy cheese is sweet and nutty. It holds up well with meats, vegetables and in a fondue.

Otter Creek Organic Farm Raw Milk Seasonal Cheddar is produced from a herd of 180 farmstead Holsteins grazing on organic fields. It is made by the Master Cheesemaker at Cedar Grove Cheese. The fall edition of the Raw Milk Seasonal Cheddar is made from the cows’ feeding on silage made from fermented alfalfa and grasses cut from the pastures. The fast content of the milk is a lot higher in colder months, thus the fall cheese is much creamier.