Driftwood: Australia’s First Bark-Wrapped Cheese

Cheese Atlas — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 01:49:05 +0000

Long Paddock Driftwood is one a kind! Indeed, this soft surface-ripened cheese is Australia’s first and only cheese wrapped in spruce bark.

Read on to learn more about this deliciously complex cheese and its maker, Long Paddock Cheese.

Made in picturesque Castlemaine

Long Paddock Cheese is a small-scale artisanal cheesemaker based in Castlemaine, Victoria. Effectively, it is the brainchild of Australian dairy personality, Alison Lansley, and famous French cheese makers, Julie and Ivan Larcher.

At their little facility at The Mill Castlemaine, Long Paddock Cheese make and sell their small range of fresh dairy products (fresh milk, yoghurt, butter and cheese).

Cheesemaking and education

Their delicious cheeses are all handmade from organic cow’s milk by resident French artisan cheesemakers, Julie and Ivan Larcher.

In addition to this, they also run Victoria’s first accredited cheesemaking education program. Indeed, The Cheese School offers small-class practical and theoretical professional artisan cheesemaking and other dairy training, plus a range of small-scale business-related training.

Inspired by Mont d'Or

Driftwood is one of the first cheeses that Julie and Ivan started making in Castlemaine. As a matter of fact, they drew their inspiration from the most famous seasonal mountain cheese from France, Mont d’Or.

Indeed, their dedication to crafting a unique cheese was such that they import the spruce bark from one of the few remaining sangliers in the Jura mountains.

Also, like Mont d’Or, Driftwood is available as a small format and a large format cheese. While the latter is made for sharing, the former is a great cheese for a party of two (or maybe one?).

What Long Paddock Driftwood tastes like

Undoubtedly, this unique cheese oozes with character and its aroma is reminiscent of a damp forest floor. With its deep earthy notes (thanks to the spruce bark) and its sweet mushroom and grassy flavour, this cheese will not disappoint.

How to serve Driftwood

You will definitely want to wait till the cheese is close to its “Best Before Date” before even considering opening up this little parcel.

When you are ready to eat it, leave the cheese at room temperature for at least two hours. Then, cut off its top rind and scoop out the insides with a wooden spoon.

Having said that, Driftwood can also be baked with rosemary and garlic, just like Vacherin and Mont d’Or.

What to pair with Driftwood

Whether you’re serving this cheese fresh or baking it, a crisp white wine will provide the perfect pairing. Our recommendation here is a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try a local cider from Harcourt. Or a Victorian Pale Ale.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading this post about yet another amazing artisanal cheese. Have you tried this cheese before? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts.

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