Cabrie

Producer

Montchevré

Country

United States

Region

Wisconsin

Size

Varies according to weight

Weight

2.2 lbs or 4.4 oz

Website

www.montchevre.com

Milk

Goat

Classification

Soft

Rennet

Vegetable

Rind

Mold Ripened

Located in Belmont, Wisconsin, Montchevré produces a wide range of goat’s milk cheeses. The running of the company is overseen by Arnaud Solandt and Jean Rossard, both of whom have a strong background in the dairying and cheesemaking business. Solandt grew up in France in the town of Montauban, where his grandmother owned a creamery. His father worked for Tempé-Lait before starting his own business representing French cheese manufacturers to various export markets including the USA. It was the dominance of the cheese market in the US that persuaded Solandt’s father to move his family out to the United States in 1983. Having effectively grown up surrounded by the cheese business, it was no surprise when three years later Arnaud was approached by Michel Betin, one of the principle French Manufacturers to asked him to help with his company that was undergoing a difficult transition. Arnaud accepted and moreover, was the driving force behind shifting the company’s focus from importing French cheeses to developing a cheesemaking business that specialized in French style cheeses. Montchevré’s Head Cheesemaker is Jean Rossard also grew up in France surrounded by a world of cheese. Jean’s father was a cheese maker and his babysitter was the truck driver who collected the milk for his father – often with Jean in the seat beside him. Today, cheesemaking at Montchevré takes place within a large 110,000 sq. ft building and the company produces over 250,000 pounds of goat cheese each week. The first cheeses they made were the Cabrie, the Chevriotte and the Chevre in Blue. Milk is sourced from mixed breed goats located at over 300 farms across Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. Styled after brie but made with goat’s milk, Cabrie is a white, bloomy-rinded cheese, resulting from the addition of penicilium candidum cultures during the cheesemaking process.

Tasting Notes

Flavors and aromas are mildly tangy when young, becoming increasingly assertive with age as the cheese matures from the outside towards the center. Likewise, young cheeses have a firm texture throughout that begins to break down near the rind, becoming softer and creamier with age.

Pairings

Cabrie works well on a cheese board, alongside some fresh fruit, melted on your favorite burger or simply paired with some fresh bread and crackers. It pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Champagne.