Carpentras has become one of my destinations in Provence.  It is home to one of my favorite restaurants, Chez Serge, to one of my favorite patisseries, Patisserie Jouvaud, AND to the best cheese shop in all of Provence, La Fromagerie du Comtat.  This gorgeous shop is owned and operated by Master Fromager Affineur, Claudine Vigier. 

Claudine is extremely knowledgeable about cheese and is so friendly and nice.  She is always happy to help me choose an assortment of cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep’s milk cheeses that are at the perfect stage of ripeness for my events.  Not only does Claudine sell an incredible variety of cheeses from France and other areas, but she is also an affineur, or ager, of cheeses.  Claudine buys cheeses that are very young and then ages them until they are at the perfect stage of ripeness.  Claudine adds her own touches, too – sometimes adding peppercorns or lavender to the goat cheeses to give them a particular flavor. 

Claudine is also quite famous in France for inventing the professional cheese knife, designed with non-professionals in mind, as well.  This knife was created by Forge de Laguiole, a top name in professional knives in France.  The knife is designed to give cheeses a nice, even cut without the cheese sticking to the knife.  The knife has a beautiful olive wood handle and is sturdy enough to cut all types of cheese.   

La Fromagerie du Comtat is located at 23 place de la Mairie 84200 – CARPENTRAS. Tél : 04 90 60 00 17

I recently enjoyed a taste of Clothbound Farmhouse Cheddar from Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont. This cheddar is made in the traditional method from raw milk of the purebred Brown Swiss cows raised on the Shelburne Farm (giving it “farmhouse” distinction). The Clothbound Farmhouse Cheddar has been hand-wrapped and aged for more than a year in cheesecloth. It has a sharp flavor and a lovely pale gold color. It sells for about $24 per pound. This cheese can be ordered directly from the Shelburne Farms General Store at shelburnefarms.org/ or from igourmet.com/.

Brinata is a pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from the Tuscany region of Italy. It is moist, creamy and delicious. This cheese has a white mold rind and a soft, creamy texture. It is similar to a cow’s milk brie but with a tangy bite to it. This cheese has been aged for about 30 days.

Brinata sells for about $20 per pound. It can be found at igourmet.com. Look for it, too, at cheese stores near you.

Sumi is a goat’s milk cheese from Goat’s Leap Dairy in St. Helena.  It is shaped like a truncated pyramid and coated with ash.  Inside it is firm and tangy with a long rich finish.  It is aged for only two to six weeks.   It is named for one of the goat’s on the farm.  It sells for about $29 per pound. 

This is a naturally rinded blue cheese made from whole raw milk, primarily morning milk which is lower in fat.  It is produced in Vermond by Jasper Hill Farm.  It is aged for 4-6 months.  It has a crumbly texture and rich flavor.  It sells for $24.50 per pound.  It pairs well with a Late Harvest Semillon, a Muscat or a Sauterne.

This is a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese from Tumalo Farms in Oregon.  The farm is in the Cascades near Bend.  It is a semi-firm cheese that is aged for 2-12 weeks.  It is mild in flavor and pairs well with a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.  It sells for $28 per pound.

This is a pasteurized cow’s milk cheese made by Zuleta Dairy in Equador.  It has been aged for a minimum of 4 months.  The orange color comes from annatto seeds.  This cheese is similar in color to the French cow’s milk cheese, Mimolette.  It can be difficult to find.  Locally, it is carried by Napa’s Oxbow Cheese Merchant.  It sells for $28.50 per pound.

Dafne is a relatively new goat’s milk cheese made by Barbara bacchus at Goat’s Leap Dairy in St. Helena, California.  Dafne is made using pasteurized milk from the goats on the Goat’s Leap farm.  It has a moldy white rind and a ripe, distinctive flavor.  The cheese is topped with a bay leaf (dafne).  This cheese sells for $30 per pound.  Suggested pairings are Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc.

This is a soft-ripened goat’s milk triple cream cheese.  It has been enriched by adding cow’s milk creme fraiche to the curd during the cheese making process.  It is made by cheese maker Soyoung Scanlan of Andante Dairy in Petaluma, California.  It is sold in half-pound rounds for $20 each.  It is an exceptional cheese.  Suggested pairings are Champagne, Chenin Blanc, Sancerre, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Our friends from Portland turned us on to this delicious cheese.  Rogue Creamery in Oregon has been making its famous raw milk blue cheese for almost fifty years. The cheese is aged in caves for at least 90 days.   However, this version has been smoked for 16 hours over hazelnut shells.  We really enjoy the smoky flavor mixed with the tanginess of the blue cheese.  Try it paired with Silverado Vineyards’ Late Harvest Semillon or Thomas Fogarty’s Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer.