Oregon Archives | Cheese Atlas

Smokey Blue

Cheese Atlas — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 00:35:23 +0000

Holy smokes! This is good!

Smokey Blue is a blue cheese made by Rogue Creamery in Oregon, USA.

Effectively, David Gremmels drew his inspiration from Smokey Bear when naming this unique cheese. Once they have formed the wheels of cheese, the cheesemaker cold-smokes them over Oregon hazelnut shells. Afterwards, they mature the wheels in a cave for 90 days.

A co-op founded in 1933

In 1933, an enterprising entrepreneur from Portland, Oregon, founded the Rogue River Valley Co-op. In collaboration with the community of Central Point, they built Southern Oregon’s first artisan creamery cooperative. Overall, their goal was to help local dairy farmers make ends meet during the Great Depression.

Unsurprisingly, the Rogue Valley proved to be a particularly effective area for rearing dairy cows. In addition to this, their milk was ideal for cheesemaking due to the area’s great soil and plentiful water. Soon after, two “cheese giants” took note, including Tom Vella, the famed cheesemaker. Over the years, he and his partner turned the little cooperative into a successful cheese manufacturing.

Learning from “The Godfather”

In 1998, Ignazio “Ig” Vella took over Rogue Creamery from his father, Tom. From the beginning, he preached the significance of artisan products and was dubbed “The Godfather of Artisan Cheese”.

After many decades of family ownership, Ig thought it was time to sell Rogue Creamery. Around the same time, he met local entrepreneur David Gremmels. Actually, David had been looking for local cheese to use in a wine bar he was planning to open in Ashland, Oregon.

From day one, David set his mind on creating new blue cheeses that celebrate the local terroir.

World’s first smoked blue cheese

Whilst Rogue River Blue is his most awarded cheese, David has developed an incredible range of cheeses at their production facility. Currently, their offerings include the very popular Caveman Blue and this unique smoked blue cheese.

Overall, the slow smoking process infuses the cheese with unique aromas. Indeed, your nose will detect notes of barrel-aged vanilla, bread pudding, and candied bacon. In addition to this, your palate will taste spicy-sweet flavours of honey, apple, and nectarine. And a mild “blue” finish.

How to serve Smokey Blue

Serve in a burger and deviled eggs. Moreover, this unique blue cheese pairs well with nut brittle or preserved fruits.

Stands up well to bigger red wines, including Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel or with an American Whiskey.

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Rogue River Blue

Cheese Atlas — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 09:42:26 +0000

Best cheese in the world in 2019

Rogue River Blue – Cheese Atlas

Rogue River Blue is a seasonal cheese made by Rogue Creamery in Oregon, USA. It is brought to us in Australia by Will Studd.

This truly original blue cheese was the first American cheese to be named World Champion Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in Italy in October 2019.

A co-op founded in 1933

Soon after, two “cheese giants” took note, including Tom Vella, the famed cheesemaker. Over the years, he and his partner turned the little cooperative into a successful cheese manufacturing.

Learning from “The Godfather”

David Gremmels – Cheese Connoisseur – Source

After many decades of family ownership, Ig thought it was time to sell Rogue Creamery. Around the same time, he met local entrepreneur David Gremmels.

Actually, David had been looking for local cheese to use in a wine bar he was planning to open in Ashland, Oregon.

David Gremmels’s dream

In 2002, David took a tour of the Creamery with Ig. During the visit, he learned that they shared a great appreciation for the art and heritage of artisan cheesemaking. Subsequently, David agreed to buy the Creamery from the Vella family with the help of a partner.

Moreover, David Gremmels wanted to make a new blue cheese that celebrated Oregon’s lush Rogue Valley. Hence was born Rogue River Blue.

A truly original cheese

In order to make this cheese, he started ageing the best blue cheese wheels for months. Furthermore, he would make those select wheels exclusively with the sweet and rich cow milk produced in autumn.

Once the curd has set, they cover the wheels of cheese in spring-harvested Syrah grape leaves soaked in pear liqueur. Afterwards, the affineur looks after each individual wheel for up to 11 months.

During this time, the cheese continued to mature while absorbing the characteristics of the leaves. Eventually, they are made available for purchase around the Autumnal Equinox in the northern hemisphere.

Fudgy goodness

The end result is a stunning cheese where the grape leaves wrap around a cream-coloured pâte with a spattering of blue mould. The texture is fudgy and rich and the aroma is reminiscent of pear eau-de-vie.

On the palate, there is an explosion of flavour which ranges from pear brandy to truffle with notes of toffee, blackberry, vanilla, hazelnut, chocolate and bacon.

How to pair Rogue River Blue

Whilst this cheese is good enough to eat on its own, you can definitely also pair it with a range of beverages.

Enjoy with a dark Belgian Ale or a glass of Scotch Whisky. This blue will also pair beautifully with a Viognier, Gewürztraminer or Sauternes.

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Caveman Blue

Cheese Atlas — Sun, 03 May 2020 05:52:12 +0000

More refined than you’d think

Caveman Blue is a blue cheese made in Oregon, USA, by Rogue Creamery.

Southern Oregon is home to an extensive network of caves. Coupled with the frequent anecdotal Bigfoot sightings, Grants Pass and Josephine County in this part of Oregon have long considered the Caveman to be a bit of a local mascot.

Actually, the illustrated Caveman character that appears on their label was adapted from a logo used by the original Rogue Gold brand. Historically, Rogue Gold was a creamery based in Grants Pass that produced butter and some other dairy products until 2002.

Best of both worlds

Made from organic cow’s milk and injected with Penicillium roqueforti, the young Caveman is matured for at least 2 months in a cave in Oregon. This allows the formation of a rugged natural rind and blue veins that are a feast for the eyes.

Overall, this blue cheese is rich, complex, and sweet and fruity. Let it linger and you might detect subtle notes of vanilla, bacon and grass. Furthermore, its straw coloured pâte is sinfully creamy and just melts in your mouth.

How to pair Caveman Blue

Enjoy with fruit and nut crispbreads, or a contrasting orange marmalade. Besides, its earthy notes will allow it to pair well with a bold red like Zinfandel, American sweet Riesling, and a full-flavored Stout.

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