Dear fellow food-lover,

Welcome to The Cheese Plate , a monthly email from Oldways with curated information about different types of traditional cheeses, with ideal pairings. Let The Cheese Plate be a guide to put wonderful traditional cheeses on your plate. Visit your favorite cheesemonger to find these delicious cheeses!
Cathy Strange ( VP at Whole Foods, OCC Advisor, Oldways Board Member, and World Cheese Awards Judge) with Rogue River Blue at the 2019 World Cheese Awards.
Must Try Cheeses!
This month, The Cheese Plate is serving you three iconic traditional cheeses. If you haven't tried these cheeses before, you must try them! Their unique flavors can not be imitated, and each is a star on a cheese plate or when used as an ingredient. They win revered awards, and have a history of impressing cheese lovers all around the world.
Gruyère AOP (Switzerland)
Gruyère AOP has been made with the same recipe for hundreds of years. The result is a delightful cheese that defines traditional Alpine flavors—from caramelized onions and beef broth to nutty and sweet.

Many attempt to imitate the incredible flavor of Gruyère AOP by adding specific lactic cultures during the cheese making-process. The real Gruyère AOP gets its time-tested flavors because it is made with high quality raw milk, in copper vats, and aged on wood boards. The AOP stands for "Appellation d'Origine Protégée” (Protected Designation of Origin).

Gruyère AOP is versatile. Melt it for grilled cheese sandwiches or fondue, shred it on salads or grain bowls, bake it in a quiche, or eat it by itself. The only thing you'll be disappointed about with this cheese is when you run out.
Parmigiano Reggiano (Italy)
Parmigiano Reggiano's well-earned nickname is 'The King of Cheese'. It has all the characteristics that make traditional cheeses so special: it's made with raw milk, in copper vats, aged on wood boards, and has a Denomination of Origin. 

Its unique, sharp flavor comes from raw milk from cows who are only feed grass and hay from a particular region of Italy. As much as imitators try, they can't replicate the unique taste that results from the traditional cheese-making process and regional flavors.

Parmigiano Reggiano adds mouthwatering flavor to recipes when it's sprinkled onto pasta or soup, folded into risotto, or shaved in a salad. If you really want to appreciate the magnificence of its flavor though, eat it by itself or drizzled with Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena .
Rogue River Blue (USA)
Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue is the reigning Best Cheese in the World . A global panel of expert judges selected it from 3,800 cheeses from 42 countries at the 2019 World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy. It is the first U.S. cheese to ever win the coveted award.

It's an exquisite blue cheese with a powerful punch of flavor that results from a combination of blue mold and wrapping the cheese in grapes leaves soaked in local pear "eau de vie" (spirits). Pasteurized summer milk gives it its nice, creamy paste. Enjoy Rogue River Blue with a good crusty bread and a spoonful of honey.

It's a cheese worth waiting for, and wait you will! We're told pre-ordering is the best way to be certain you'll get to add Rogue River Blue to your cheese plates during 2020.
Featured Pairing: Sparkling Wine
Do you know why judges drink sparkling water during cheese competitions?

The bubbles help lift the creaminess of cheese! This same principle applies to the bubbles in sparkling wines.

Whether you prefer Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, or a sparkling wine made in the U.S., all can be successfully paired with cheese. When selecting a sparkling wine to pair with your cheese, a guideline to follow is to look for wine and cheese made in the same region. So, next time you are having Parmigiano Reggiano, pour yourself a glass of Prosecco. You will find these Italian delicacies are simply wonderful when enjoyed together. Cheers!
Join Oldways in Sicily for a food and cheese lovers trip of a lifetime