by Wisconsin Cheese

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Today’s the last day for the t-shirt and apron giveaway.

Answer one of the last two questions (in the comment section of this post) for a chance to win a Cheese & Burger Society t-shirt or Cheese Cupid apron.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy the rest of National Burger Month with a delicious Wisconsin cheese-smothered burger this weekend and get set for the start of June Dairy Month next week!

• If you’re craving a little burger and cheese romance, which Cheese & Burger Society cheeseburger is your match? (Hint: Visit CheeseAndBurger.com)
• Which German-derived beverage goes well with a cheeseburger topped with Limburger, Brick Cheese, and Swiss Cheese, to name a few? (Hint: Visit CheeseCupid.com)

Congratulations to Alisa (t-shirt) and Leah (apron) for being yesterday’s winners!

(One prize her household. US only.)

The sun is out. The birds are chirping. The sky is blue. What better way to enjoy your week than with this week’s Cheese Cupid pairing? A Sunshine Wheat Beer and an array of unique Wisconsin Cheeses.

Sunshine Wheat Beer, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Co., offers an American alternative to heavier-bodied Hefeweizens. This beer pours with a light golden color and a thick, white head. With aromas of zesty lemon and coriander, Sunshine Wheat has a light malt and hop flavor and a crisp mouthfeel.

Pair Sunshine Wheat with Roelli Cheese Baby Swiss, Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère and Organic Valley Family of Farms Feta.

Roelli Cheese, located in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, reopened its historic factory in 2007, continuing a nearly 100-year-old family tradition of producing artisan cheeses. Roelli Cheese produces several cheeses including Swiss, Überkäse and Baby Swiss. Baby Swiss is soft, silky, mild and creamier than Swiss Cheese and is ideal for melting. Roelli Cheese Baby Swiss is a delicious companion for a glass of Sunshine Wheat Beer.

Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère, a traditional Swiss-style cheese, is cured for over four months, resulting in smooth, floral notes. This cheese melts very well, making it perfect for fondue and grilled sandwiches. Make your next panini with Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère and pair with a cold glass of Sunshine Wheat.

Originating in Greece, Feta Cheese is traditionally made with sheep’s or goat’s milk and is crumbly, yet moist. Wisconsin Feta is often made with cow’s milk and packed in a brine. Organic Valley Family of Farms Feta is one of the few Wisconsin organic Feta Cheeses. Pair Greek Burgers with Wisconsin Feta and New Belgium Brewing Co. Sunshine Wheat Beer for a delectable meal.

For more Organic Valley information, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Welcome in February, a well-known month of passion and desire, by bringing out the reds. This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week is a classic Washington State merlot, The Velvet Devil.

This 2007 vintage, from Charles Smith Wines in Columbia Valley, is a smooth wine for a moderate buy. The ruby-red merlot begins with a soft, plum scent. It has a light and balanced fruity nose. Overall smooth on the palate, this fruity merlot finishes with flavors of black cherry and cedar. Pair it with poultry, game, pork, red meat, and pasta.

Enjoy a glass of The Velvet Devil with BelGioioso Creamy Gorgonzola, Lorraine Swiss, Stella Parmesan, Sartori Reserve SarVecchio, or Fayette Creamery Avondale Truckle.

BelGioioso Creamy Gorgonzola is a soft, blue-green veined cheese, aged for 90 days. It has a full, earthy flavor and creamy texture. BelGioioso Creamy Gorgonzola won Bronze at the 2009 World Cheese Awards.

Lorraine Swiss, from Saputo Cheese USA, is a Wisconsin Swiss created to be the perfect deli cheese. It is creamier than traditional Swiss and has a lacy, light texture that lets the cheese pile easily on sandwiches and platters.

Stella Parmesan, from Saputo Cheese USA, is aged over 10 months. Parmesan, one of the most well-known Italian cheeses, tastes sweet and buttery compared with the sharper flavor of Romano.

Award-winning Sartori Reserve SarVecchio Parmesan is consistently judged the best U.S. Parmesan; in fact, it won the U.S. Cheese Championship in 2009. SarVecchio is aged at least 20 months and has a distinctive fruity flavor with lightly roasted caramel notes.

Avondale Truckle, a cloth-wrapped Cheddar, is sold under Brunkow Cheese’s Fayette Creamery label. Made from raw cow’s milk, this Cheddar is aged for 6 to 18 months and develops a full flavor with wild, earthy aromas.

Looking for a recipe for these Wisconsin Cheeses? Something to pair with your glass of Velvet Devil? Snuggle up on a cold February night with a bowl of Tuscan Onion Soup with Shaved Wisconsin Parmesan.

As January continues, keep the New Year interesting by pairing a well-known international lager with Wisconsin-branded local cheeses.

This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid “Pairing of the Week” is a Stella Artois with semi-soft Wisconsin Cheeses, such as Limburger, Butterkäse, and Swiss.

Stella Artois is a Belgian-style bottom-fermented pilsner with a full-bodied lager taste. This brew pours clear with an amber hue. The smell is hoppy, with sweet, grassy notes. A crisp taste is followed by a slight yeastiness with a bitter but pleasant finish.

Pair a pint of Stella with Country Castle Cheese Limburger by Chalet Cheese Cooperative, Cedar Grove Cheese Butterkäse,  and Roelli Cheese Swiss.

Limburger, a pungent, surface-ripened cheese, is the most famous of all Belgium cheeses. Country Castle Cheese Limburger, produced by Chalet Cheese Cooperative, remains the only U.S. produced Limburger. Enjoy this cheese the traditional way – a thick slice of Limburger and slices of raw onion, layered between two slices of dark rye bread – served with a cold lager.

Butterkäse originated in Germany, as an Alpine cheese, and has since become a notable Wisconsin Cheese. The Wisconsin Butterkäse from Cedar Grove Cheese Company is pale yellow and smooth with a mild, delicate taste. Established in 1878, Cedar Grove Cheese Company is well known for its variety of organic and specialty cheeses using only vegetarian, GMO-free ingredients. Cedar Grove Cheese has also implemented a “Living Machine,” using microbes and tropical plants, which is able to clean all the cheese factory’s washwater using natural and efficient processes.

Swiss Cheese is globally known for its strong, aromatic flavors and recognized as European in nature, though American cheesemakers are responsible for modernizing Swiss Cheese production. With the American advent of plastic packaging, which keeps moisture in but allows carbon dioxide to escape, it became possible to produce rindless Swiss Cheese. Wisconsin cheesemasters, Roelli Cheese, specializing in handcrafted Swiss for nearly 100 years, reopened its historic cheese factory in 2007. Roelli Cheese produces a whole milk, Shelf-Cured Swiss, as well as Ûberkäse, a cheese with the look of Brick and the taste of Baby Swiss. Swiss Cheese is full-flavored, buttery, nutty, and aged at least 60 days. Swiss Cheese is a delicious ingredient for casseroles, classic fondues, and potato dishes.

With the holidays and New Year’s Day through, January is a time for new traditions, new resolutions, and new wine and Wisconsin Cheese pairings.

This week’s Pairing of the Week is a 2004 White Oak Merlot. The grape of this merlot was hand harvested from 17 acres of volcanic soil on the Napa Valley Vineyard. The aging process for this wine occurred in 50 percent new Bourdeaux-style French/Hungarian oak barrels for 18 months. This merlot has bright fruit notes of black cherry and raspberry. It has firm tannins and a complex finish, with hints of vanilla, coffee, and chocolate adding rich depth.

Pair a glass of this merlot with Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Aged Brick, Deppeler Cheese Factory Baby Swiss, and Bass Lake Cheese Factory Sharp Cheddar.

Brick is a very versatile cheese, made in mild, medium, and aged varieties, plain or flavored with caraway and hot peppers. Widmer‘s Cheese Cellars makes the surface-ripened Brick cheese in small batches, hand filling the brick molds with curd. Widmer’s Cheese Cellars’ master cheesemaker Joe Widmer is a third-generation cheesemaker. His Swiss grandfather started the cheese plant and store, and Joe joined the business after earning his degree in food science. Widmer’s Aged Brick is best at three-and-a-half months old.

In Wisconsin, cheesemakers traditionally produce Baby Swiss from whole milk, unlike traditional Swiss, which is made from partially skimmed milk. Baby Swiss got its name for several reasons. It is not aged as long as traditional Swiss, contains smaller holes, and is usually produced in smaller sizes. Deppeler Cheese Factory Baby Swiss is a well-respected Wisconsin variety. Need a delicious way to serve Baby Swiss? Bake French bread topped with shredded Baby Swiss and chopped scallions. Also, Baby Swiss enhances frittatas and quiches.

Prior to 1850, nearly all the cheese produced in the United States was Cheddar. Today it accounts for a large percentage of the cheese made in the state. This makes Wisconsin the leader in U.S. Cheddar production. Bass Lake Cheese Factory has been producing Cheddar since 1918. The factory uses recipes handed down from generations, as well as new creative techniques to produce innovative cheeses. The Bass Lake Cheese Factory Sharp Cheddar is aged 6-12 months. Add Sharp Cheddar to cream-based soups or sauces for steamed vegetables and baked dishes. Make a traditional grilled cheese sandwich or use it to top a baked potato. Enhance apple pie by adding shredded Sharp Cheddar to the crust.

As winter approaches, cozy up by the fireplace with a smooth lager – the perfect beer to accompany your turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and, of course, Wisconsin Cheese platter.

This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid pairing is Harp, from Guinness Brewing. Harp is a golden lager, moderate-bodied and well balanced. The nose has sweet hints of grain. It was first produced in 1960 as a bottled beer and became available on draught in 1964. Pair it with semi-soft cheeses, known for their rich buttery texture. For an even bolder taste, try semi-soft cheeses infused with flavors such as dill and pepper. Pair Harp with Roth Käse Landhaus Butterkäse, Park Cheese Company Aged Provolone or Kretschmar Swiss.

Roth Käse Landhaus Butterkäse is a buttery, mild cheese that melts in your mouth. Pair it with apples and crackers, or use it to make a comforting grilled cheese sandwich.

Park Cheese Company Aged Provolone is a firm, ivory cheese that becomes more granular with age. It goes well with cured meats and fruits.

Kretschmar Swiss is a full-flavored Swiss, buttery, nutty and with characteristic holes. It is an aged Swiss, at least 60 days. This cheese is delicious with fruit and in baked dishes.