This Monday is the Fourth of July, and Americans are preparing to celebrate the anniversary of their country’s birth in typical American fashion: firing up the barbecue, planning elaborate fireworks displays, and decorating everything in sight with red, white, and blue.
If you’re an American cheese lover, you might be wondering, How can I incorporate my love for cheese into my weekend festivities? Pairings with festive color schemes, of course! To help you strike the perfect balance between love for country and love for cheese, we’ve put together a list of some of the best American-made blue cheeses to pair with your favorite reds and whites (we’re talking wine, of course).
Bay Blue
This cow’s milk blue comes from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. in California. The earthy, slightly salty caramel flavors in this cheese pair well with port wines or zinfandel. Culture’s wine columnist, Tara Q. Thomas, recommended pairing Bay Blue with Dashe Cellars’ Late Harvest Zinfandel.
Ba Ba Blue
We recommend pairing Carr Valley’s Ba Ba Blue with a port or ice wine. This semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese from Wisconsin has a distinct sweetness that makes it perfect for blue cheese beginners who aren’t looking for something too assertive.
Midnight Blue
The hint of pepper in this firm goat’s milk blue is the perfect complement to malbec. The natural rind on this cheese, made by Avalanche Cheese Company in Colorado, encases a dense paste slightly drier than other blues, marbled with dark blue veins.
Cavemaster Reserve Barden Blue
Photo Credit: Murray’s Cheese
Made at Consider Bardwell Farm in Vermont and aged in the caves at Murray’s, the Cavemaster Reserve Barden Blue has a “grassy … sunshiney brightness,” a distinctive yellow color speckled with dark blue-green mold spores, and a texture similar to butter. Declare your independence and pair this raw cow’s milk cheese with vermouth—which is for more than just martinis!
Feature Photo Credit: AXL | Shutterstock
Tori Bilcik
Tori is a senior journalism major at Emerson College and a firm believer that a handful (or three) of cheese can instantly improve any dish. When she’s not scouring the artisan cheese aisle at Roche Brothers for wheels and wedges she can’t afford, she’s probably drinking tea, eating cheap pizza, or listening to sad emo punk music.
