Carr Valley Cheeses

My favorite pre-loop-theater dinner is to drink wine and eat appetizers at Bin 36. I've never had a main dish there, but I like light meal before a long play, and they do very well on that score. We always get a cheese plate; they let you choose 3, 5 or 7 (I think) from a list of about 20. On two occasions, we had a Carr Valley cheese, and one was sensational, and one was great.

Fast forward to Saturday at Fox & Obel. They had a Carr Valley cheese which I asked about. The cheese person said she also had Carr Valley's Benedictine in back. That sounded like the one I loved at bin 36, so she brought it out. I can't recall if it's "the one," but to my taste its a great, great cheese.

Carr Valley has won a number of awards lately. If you go to their web site, its an interesting mix of both volume and artisanal cheeses. I haven't had more than one or two of their cheeses. Has anyone else found some Carr Valley product they've enjoyed?

I can't really contribute, but I am interested and curious about the referenced cheeses. I notice from the website (www.carrvalleycheese.com) that the benedictine sells for $13/lb. plus $3/order shipping. What is F&O charging?

thanks.

- Simon

You know, I'm always skeptical when brands like Carr Valley or Cowgirl Creamery start showing up everywhere. Not that their cheeses aren't tasty, but, with these two brands in particular, I've found the prices aren't in line with the flavor. That is, once the brand takes off, prices rise commensurately and there are other comparable cheesemakers that keep doing what they've been doing and make products just as tasty, but you don't have to pay for the name.

I say this merely in the interest of revealing my own biases, because I'm not completely convinced of my own argument. But generally, I've thought that Carr Valley and Cowgirl made nice cheeses that didn't quite live up to the tremendous hype.

Recently, though, as in within the past week, I've really enjoyed a couple of these cheeses. The Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam was a very nice American soft-ripened cheese. It had a surprisingly complex taste, but the real selling point on the particular piece (bought at Fox and Obel) was it's ideal ripeness. Ripeness and serving temperature makes all the difference in a cheese like this. It's labeled a triple cream, but it's more Brie de Meaux than St. Andre or Pierre Robert. My only quibble is that it was a touch salty for my taste.

I also picked up a small piece of Carr Valley's Mobay, which is a riff on the French classic Morbier. Where Morbier is cows' milk cheese made partly from the morning milking and from the evening milking, separated by a thin layer of vegetable ash, Mobay is a sheep milk and a goat milk version, separated by a thin layer of ash. Each "half" is good, together it was wonderful--at the same time light and robust in flavor. A hint of rich earthiness to make it interesting, but more characteristic of Basque sheep milk cheeses than its namesake.

Both cheeses are pricey, though, probably around the $20/lb. range. My strategy of late has been to check out the pre-wrapped cheese case at Fox and Obel. Generally, I find the pre-wrapped cheese case to be an abomination. But I like looking for what amounts to scraps of interesting cheese that they throw in their trying to get rid of them. I generally like to buy pretty small amounts of cheese at a time--anywhere from .10 to .25 lbs., but I hate sampling three or four cheeses at the counter and then asking for a slice so small. Often, though, pieces of that size are the last in a wheel, or were cut off a more finicky customer's slice to get the weight to within .01 of a lb. They can tell me at the cheese counter how long it's been around, and what kind of shape it's in. They like it because I buy their leftovers. I like it because I get enough cheese for a light pre-dinner snack. And it's made me a little more open to some "hot" name cheeses.

Simon - I have to confess that I didn't ask the price, and since I got a fairly small piece, I couldn't even guess. It would be very interesting to find out F&O's markup. If you find out what F&O charges for a cheese and what you can get it for from the web site for, please post!

I sounds to me like you ought to go to this Wisconsin Artisan Cheesemakers' Dinner which the ChicaGourmets! are holding on August 18th. Sid Cook, of Carr Valley, is supposed to be there, along with a lot of various Wisconsin cheese.

I know that Carr Valley has gotten a lot of press recently, including a nice award at the American Cheese Society's recent meeting. and it is wonderful cheese.

Another source for their cheese, as well as the products of a bunch of other small cheesemakers would be The Great American Cheese Collection, which is a small business here in Chicago. Giles Schnierle carries his cheese to a couple farmers' markets, including the Sunday year-round market at CHIC, as well as selling to stores and restaurants. Unfortunately, except for the farmers' markets, and an occasional appearance at something like Slow Food's Feast of the Senses, Giles doesn't sell at retail.

The Cheese Stands Alone (4547 N. Western) usually carries one or two Carr Valley cheeses. We had Mobay the July 4 weekend. It may still be on the active list.

I was fortunate enough to be taken as a guest to the American Cheese Society's award ceremony several weeks ago in Milwaukee. Many fabulous cheeses there to be tasted - so many, in fact, that I left feeling as if I had become a biological fondue pot. Carr-Valley was well represented - a majority, if not all, of their cheeses were there to tasted. In fact, the grand prize winner, Gran Canaria, is one of their cheeses. It's a crumbly parmesan-ish cheese that's aged three years in olive oil. At $14 a pound, I don't think it's a bit over-priced. The regular Canaria is an acceptable substitute for parmesan in many applications ... it's just not as robust as the Gran Canaria, which is no bad thing ... in fact, positive in many applications. I second the recommendation of the Mobay. The Cardona, Cave-Aged Cardona and the Cocoa Cardona are also very good semi-soft goats milk cheeses. If you're into super old cheddars, the 6/7/8 year were nice and intense.

On non-Carr Valley cheeses, the Rogue Creamery blue cheeses were my personal favorites. The Crater Lake blue might be impossible to come by in local stores - only a 1000 wheels made - but you can order if from their web site. You have to order a minimum half wheel (2.5 lbs) for $46 so you'd have to go in on it with some cheese loving friends or OD on the blue. Also highly recommended are the Oregon Blue Vein, the Rogue River, and the recipient of a horribly clever name, the Oregonzola. Excellent cheeses. Their cheddar's won several awards as well, but I'm not a big fan of flavored cheddars - pesto, kalamata olive, lemon artichoke, etc. I believe The Cheese Stands Alone will be carrying at least one of the blues.

rien

Ooops, an addendum. You can order a Rogue Creamery Blue Sampler for only $26. You get the Crater Lake, the Oregonzola, the Oregon Blue, and some Italian honey. Looks like a great package. Go to http://www.roguegoldcheese.com/gifts.shtml for more info.

rien

We were in The Cheese Stands Alone this afternoon for some fresh mozzarella. They still have Carr Valley Mobay at $21.00/lb.

It's $14 per pound on the Carr Valley web site.

rien

rien wrote:It's $14 per pound on the Carr Valley web site.

rien

And probably fresher and handled better, though I know the Cheese Stands Alone cares well for their cheese. Most places do not. I am still working this, "get it direct from the producer, or even better go and see them" thing.

I know it is not very practical on a regular basis, but that prevents me from eating too much cheese. I am going to start working on mapping out a Wisconsin Cheese trail trip. Not sure about the Oregon trail, but I do believe there are also NY, California and Vermont (2) trails that I will explore. Let the makers share their passion. Great fun.

There is a map available at the rest area on I-94 welcome station that lists all the cheese producers and the dairy cooperatives in the state. They are mostly concentrated in the southern half of the state.

rien wrote:It's $14 per pound on the Carr Valley web site.

rien

FYI, it's $19/lb. at Fox and Obel, and is not in the pre-cut, pre-wrapped cheese bin.

Another source for their cheese, as well as the products of a bunch of other small cheesemakers would be The Great American Cheese Collection, which is a small business here in Chicago. Giles Schnierle carries his cheese to a couple farmers' markets, including the Sunday year-round market at CHIC, as well as selling to stores and restaurants.

Giles is also at the Evanston Farmers Market. I bought an amazing creme fraiche from him this past weekend.

Aaron Deacon wrote:

rien wrote:It's $14 per pound on the Carr Valley web site.

rien

FYI, it's $19/lb. at Fox and Obel, and is not in the pre-cut, pre-wrapped cheese bin.

That's for the Mobay, by the way. For the record, F&O pricing on some other Carr Valley cheeses:

Benedictine: $21/lb. ($13 on website)
Marisa: $23/lb. ($14 on website)
Cocoa Cardona: $26/lb. ($14 on website)

You pay quite a premium, obviously, to get it at the store.

Aaron,

What about shipping and handling? Of course, this where sharing the burden of the order with someone makes sense.

Cathy2 wrote:What about shipping and handling? Of course, this where sharing the burden of the order with someone makes sense.

That's true, of course. I couldn't find on the site where it said how much shipping and handling cost, except that 2-day delivery (necessary in summer) is an extra $2.50 and shipping and handling is an extra $3.00.

When I went through the checkout as if I was buying a pound of cheese, it added $18.50 to my total. That's a lot of course, but it's expensive enough at Fox and Obel, anyway, that you're already saving money at 2 lbs., depending on the cheese.

I'm not particularly recommending ordering from the website instead of getting at the store. I never buy even a pound of this kind of cheese at once. I prefer to buy about a fifth of a lb. to have something to snack on.

My original point (I think ) was that twenty bucks a pound is a lot to pay for this cheese, tasty though it may be. This thread's got me thinking about Carr Valley, so I went down today and bought a nice chunk of Benedictine. I only had a taste, but I suspect I could have bought some Chimay (cheese) and satisfied the same taste buds at maybe 2/3 the cost. The factory price for Carr Valley seems much more in line with what I would be willing to pay.

I can't help but think you're paying a hefty premium for the Carr Valley name, since American "artisanal" cheeses are "in" in a way that Belgian monastery cheeses, and some of the old classic European stand-bys, aren't.

[quote="Aaron Deacon"]

I also picked up a small piece of Carr Valley's Mobay, which is a riff on the French classic Morbier. Where Morbier is cows' milk cheese made partly from the morning milking and from the evening milking, separated by a thin layer of vegetable ash, Mobay is a sheep milk and a goat milk version, separated by a thin layer of ash. Each "half" is good, together it was wonderful--at the same time light and robust in flavor. A hint of rich earthiness to make it interesting, but more characteristic of Basque sheep milk cheeses than its namesake.

Both cheeses are pricey, though, probably around the $20/lb. range.

i hadnt read aaron's long ago post regarding carr valley's mo-bay cheese when i saw it at costco last week. in fact, i'd never heard of it. but i do love morbier and i know carr valley wins many awards for its fine cheeses, so i bought a quarter of a wheel (about 1 pound). the price was, if i remember correctly, about $13/lb. way less than aaron paid 3 years ago (!). and my instincts were right on. the cheese is fantastic, thought i'd have to disagree with aaron's assessment of it as'.... light and robust in flavor'. it seems to me to be very dense in its creaminess, which i loved. in any event, anyone interested in this cheese might want to check it out at costco while they have it, at what appears to be a very good price.

Aaron Deacon wrote:I also picked up a small piece of Carr Valley's Mobay, which is a riff on the French classic Morbier. Where Morbier is cows' milk cheese made partly from the morning milking and from the evening milking, separated by a thin layer of vegetable ash, Mobay is a sheep milk and a goat milk version, separated by a thin layer of ash. Each "half" is good, together it was wonderful--at the same time light and robust in flavor. A hint of rich earthiness to make it interesting, but more characteristic of Basque sheep milk cheeses than its namesake.

Both cheeses are pricey, though, probably around the $20/lb. range

i hadnt read aaron's long ago post regarding carr valley's mo-bay cheese when i saw it at costco last week. in fact, i'd never heard of it. but i do love morbier and i know carr valley wins many awards for its fine cheeses, so i bought a quarter of a wheel (about 1 pound). the price was, if i remember correctly, about $13/lb. way less than aaron paid 3 years ago (!). and my instincts were right on. the cheese is fantastic, though i'd have to disagree with aaron's assessment of it as'.... light and robust in flavor'. it seems to me to be very dense in its creaminess, which i loved. in any event, anyone interested in this cheese might want to check it out at costco while they have it, at what appears to be a very good price

I don't think it's been mentioned in this thread, but Carr Valley cheeses are often at Costco's, at very reasonable prices.

Vital Information wrote:I don't think it's been mentioned in this thread, but Carr Valley cheeses are often at Costco's, at very reasonable prices.

Good point, VI, but I think it bears repeating that artisanal cheese (all cheese, really) requires proper handling all the way along the supply chain to keep it tasting at its intended high levels, as discussed here:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... defa129c6f

So, a Carr Valley cheese purchased at Costco does not equal a Carr Valley cheese purchased at Marion Street Cheese Market or Pastoral or anywhere they cut the cheese to order and do not "smother the baby" (to use Leslie Cooperband's terminology) in plastic.

Vital Information wrote:I don't think it's been mentioned in this thread, but Carr Valley cheeses are often at Costco's, at very reasonable prices.

Do you mean aside from Joan's post immediately above yours?

David Hammond wrote:So, a Carr Valley cheese purchased at Costco does not equal a Carr Valley cheese purchased at Marion Street Cheese Market or Pastoral or anywhere they cut the cheese to order and do not "smother the baby" (to use Leslie Cooperband's terminology) in plastic.

I find this is true for most cheeses at Costco. While I'm often swayed by the cheap price, the quality of the Roquefort or Manchego or Parmigiano is quite a bit lower than a small piece cut freshly off a good wheel.

Of course, the local cheese purveyors here in KC are of...well, perhaps I should say that cheese traffic isn't high enough to keep everything in good condition at the local places.

Aaron Deacon wrote:

Vital Information wrote:I don't think it's been mentioned in this thread, but Carr Valley cheeses are often at Costco's, at very reasonable prices.

Do you mean aside from Joan's post immediately above yours?

Can I be a moderator again, just for today.

Beginning of November I was on a grape collecting expedition [and yes, I have a permit! ] along the Wisconsin river, and happened to go through Sauk City. There, in a strip mall on the west side of town, I spotted a Carr Valley cheese outlet. Hit the brakes! Who knew?

$US 60 later I had a whole bunch of different CV cheeses, mostly aged, washed rind. I brought them up here to Canadia with me.

Oh boy, some of those cheeses are just flat out superb. They've got a couple versions of a melange of goat & sheep milk that are most excellent.

Soooo, I can't complain: Carr Valley at the source is top o' the line.

Geo

PS. Aaron, hasn't the Better Cheddar on the Plaza treated you well for cheese? They took a nationwide award last year ('06) for top US speciality store.