Oregon Cheeses

One of the cheeses featured in the article,
Willamette Valley Brindisi (a parmesan cheese),
is one of my local favorites.

Over the last two years, my friend Georgene and I have attended many wine and cheese tastings at Long's Meat Market, in Eugene, Oregon. What has made their tastings unique is that they theme items by nationality, and then they also find locally made items that are comparable to the imported goods. Because of this unique approach to cheese and wine pairings, I have found many Oregon made cheeses that are simply incredible.

Oregon is one of the few states that has many local farmstead cheeses, as most states, if they have dairies and creameries, only have mass produced dairy products, made for grocery stores. Oregon has at least 40 farmstead cheese makers. What this means is that these farmers produce the milk, and make the cheese; usually hormone free, and created using traditional methods of production.

While on FlipBoard (an iPad newsfeed app) this morning, I saw this article about Steve's Cheese Bar in Portland, featuring 10 Oregon cheeses. I have had a number of the selections featured in the story, and thought I would share the article.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/10/oregon-farmstead-cheese-steves-cheese-bar-pdx-portland.html (Follow the link, there is a slideshow of the 10 cheeses featured).

Article: Steve is all about supporting small local cheese-makers, but he admits, some of them are better than others. "You see cheese-makers who put a blindfold on and run off a cliff. Others study the science and art of cheese-making."

Brian Humiston, for example, studied food science and fermentation at Oregon State University before starting Full Circle Creamery in Crabree, Oregon, 2010. Applying his degree in curd-nerdery, he now makes cheddar and mozzarella from organic milk. Steve introduced us to Full Circle Creamery's cheddar as well as the unique "Chubut" cheese from a man named Mariano Battro who comes from a lineage of Argentine cheese-makers. His family's dairy back in Patagonia was largely influenced by Welsh settlers who migrated to Argentina in the 1800s and started making Chubut. He now makes this historic cheese using cow's milk from Lochmead Dairy in Junction City, Oregon.

Hearing Steve talk about the cheese-makers and where they came from gives you a sense of where Oregon cheese is headed. Many Old World cheese traditions meeting the Oregon terroir. Like Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue: a feisty blue cheese that's roasted over hazelnuts shells. (Hazelnuts are the state nut of Oregon, and Oregonians really love them.)

In addition to sampling through the cheese case, you can pop into Steve's Bar for his impressive selection of local beers and wines (really, this guy must love beer as much as his cheese), as well as cheese plates, sandwiches, salads, and warm dishes from the oven to enjoy at the seats inside.

Steve's Cheese Bar

6031 SE Belmont, Portland OR. 97215

503-222-6014