Hello all!

I had the great pleasure of hosting a cheese part this past weekend, courtesy of cheese, crackers, and party supplies shipped to me from Wisconsin Cheese. I’m also extremely happy because this was my first real collaboration with a major brand – AND it just so happens to be with my favorite food group!

To give you all some background, I LOVE cheese. I was that kid (and now adult) who would go into grocery stores specifically hoping for free cheese samples and would douse their pasta with a hefty covering of Parmesan. My affinity for cheese has not diminished and I genuinely enjoy testing out new brands from around the world. I now seek out unusual flavors and new types to constantly expand my palette, so when the opportunity came for me to try out some new Wisconsin cheeses, I couldn’t pass it up!

The Cheeses:

• Salemville Smokehaus Blue – best paired with apple cider or juice or fruity spritzer (apples, pears, apricot).
• Deer Creek Vat 17 World Cheddar – best paired with ciders / sparkling ciders
• Roelli Cheese Haus – Red Rock – best paired with apple cider or juices or fruity spritzer or sparkling ciders.
• Yellow Door Creamery Monteau – best paired with a fruity spritzer, sangria, or sparkling beverage
• La Bottega Di Belgioioso Artigiano Aged Balsamic & Cipollini Onion – best paired with a strawberry spritzer, strawberry mojito, or strawberry cream soda

I had each of my guests write down their favorite cheese and I’m pleased to say there was a clear winner: The La Bottega Di Belgioioso Artigiano Aged Balsamic & Cipollini Onion cheese! I was actually really happy that the most unusual of the cheeses (a “wildcard” taste, if you will) was the top pick for every single person who tried it! It was definitely my top choice as well, followed closely by the Blue cheese and the Monteau.

However, I must say that despite the La Bottega being a clear favorite, we all agreed that there wasn’t a bad option in the group. In fact, I need to give this cheese company credit on their blue cheese in particular, as a few of my guests normally avoid eating blue cheese but they really enjoyed eating this one! I also appreciated that the cheddar was sharper than I anticipated – I’m a fan of Vermont cheddar’s sharp flavor and this one was very similar. The Red Rock was a beautiful combination of an orange cheddar flavor paired with a hint of blue cheese – a unique and fun option for my less daring cheese testers. Lastly, the Monteau was a smooth cheese with a lighter flavor that was a universal crowd pleaser.

I had an absolute blast hosting this Cheeselandia Cheese Party! I will be incorporating these cheeses into any future events I’m hosting and encourage you all to sample the wide variety of Wisconsin cheese available. It’s great to support American farmers and their delicious craft!

XOXO

Parisa