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.

I recently discovered this luscious triple cream pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from the Ile-de France region.  It is a subtle cheese with a gentle mushroom flavor.  It pairs well with a sparkling wine.  It can be found at Oxbow Cheese Merchant and sells for about $22.50 per pound.

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.

Ewephoria is the product of a join venture between a Seattle cheese importer and a small Dutch farm.  The cheese is made in Holland from pasteurized sheep’s milk.  It is made in the gouda-style and is aged for 8-12 months.  It has a sweet, nutty, caramel-like flavor.  It also has an great price point – $16 per pound.  Suggested pairings are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

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.

If you really love goat cheese and want to try something that is unique and delicious, choose Kiku from Goats Leap Cheeses (www.goatsleap.com) in St. Helena, California.  This round of fresh pasteurized goat’s milk cheese is wrapped in a fig leaf that has been soaked in Sauvignon Blanc. It is aged for about 3 weeks.  Eat the fig leaf along with the cheese.  This cheese is seasonal and thus a bit rare.  However, now is the season so find it if you can.   I buy Kiku at the St. Helena farmers market and at Dean & Deluca in Napa Valley.

This is a Colston Basset Dairy pasteurized cow’s milk blue cheese. The Colston Basset Dairy, located in Nottinghamshire, England, was built specifically to make Stilton cheese. This cheese has been injected with penicillium roquefortii and ages for three to four months before it is ready to eat. The affineur (cheese ager) is Neal’s Yard.  This particular Stilton has a nice balance between the richness of the cream and the tanginess of the blue.  It sells for about $30 per pound.  Try it with a luscious dessert wine (such as a late harvest Semillon) or with honey comb.

This cheese has a very complex, rich flavor. It comes from northern Holland and is made from pasteurized cow’s milk. It is aged for more than three years and has a rich, butterscotch flavor. You will find wonderful crunchy salt deposits in this cheese. It sells for about $20 per pound. Try it with an aged Pinot Noir from a vineyard such as Willem-Sellym or with a nice tawny port.

This is a lovely goat’s milk cheese made in the gouda style.  It is produced from pasteurized goat’s milk in the Pyrenees region of Spain (in Catalonia). It is surrounded by a natural mold rind.  During the aging process,  the rind is rubbed down with olive oil.  The flavor has hints of hazelnuts.  This cheese sells for about $20 per pound.  Try it with Abraxas wine from Robert Sinskey Vineyards.