Idyllweiss

Producer

Idyll Farms

Country

United States

Region

Michigan

Size

2.5 in diameter x 1.5 in height (small); 3.5 in diameter x 1.75 in height

Weight

3 oz (small); 6 oz (large)

Website

www.idyllfarms.com

Milk

Cow
Goat

Treatment

Pasteurised

Classification

Semi Soft

Rennet

Animal

Rind

Mold Ripened

Style

Soft-Ripened (Brie-like)

In 2010, Mark and Amy Spitznagel purchased a 100-year-old cherry orchard in Northport, northern Michigan and turned it into a goat farm. Mark, a successful hedge fund manager, saw the farm as an opportunity to spend time with his family in the area where he grew up. He also saw it as a way to pursue a holistic approach to sustainable agriculture compatible with his ideals, combining time-honored French tradition with modern techniques and technology.

By 2015 Idyll Farms was growing to become one of the largest pasture-based goat farms in the country. In addition to managing the intensive rotational grazing of their Certified Humane Alpine goats, the Spitznagels are also interested in urban farming projects; in the past, they’ve experimented with bringing Alpine goats to Brightmoor, a blighted section of Detroit, to graze on the city’s overgrowth.

All of Idyll farm’s goat cheeses are made on-premises at the farm.

Tasting Notes

Paste is dense and firm with little to no creamline, while aroma is lactic and tangy. Texture is creamy on the palate, and flavor is mild yet bright with a carroty sweetness and a barnyard aftertaste.

Pairings

Pair it with a Riesling, a Vouvray, a Sauvignon Blanc or with a Champagne. For red wine pairings, try it with a Cabernet Franc or a Grenache. Serve it on a cheeseplate alongside Idyll Farms Cherry Butter, quince paste, dragonfruit or pancetta.