The Signature Box

Taking inspiration from Europe, the Feete family created Grayson to suit their mountainous Virginia landscape. The Feetes only make cheese when their small herd of Jersey cows is grazing on pasture, making it a seasonal cheese and creating its delicious flavor. We pick up hints of grass, nuts, and an undertone of earthiness in the taste. Grayson is a washed rind cheese. Washed rind means it's washed with a brine solution while aging to propagate the beautiful reddish-orange rind and further develop the meaty texture and sometimes bacony flavor.

Farm/Producer/Importer: Meadow Creek Dairy/Helen Feete
Place: Galax, VA
Style: Washed
Milk Type: Raw cow
Rennet: Traditional
Age: 6o days
Pairing: Riesling or Belgian Ale

A collaboration between cheesemonger Ann Saxelby and Jasper Hill, Calderwood wheels are washed with brine for six months in the cellars before being coated in hay and sealed in cryovac. After an additional four months of aging, the cryovac is removed, and the cheeses are left to dry and form a natural rind in the cellars. Calderwood is an expression of terroir, the idea that the flavors in real foods are a reflection of the place they are grown and produced. The cheese is firm with a complex flavor that hints of chestnuts, caramel, and earth. The hay lends a toasty, tropical fruit finish.

The hay comes from Jasper Hill Farm's cropping center which is home to the country's only hay dryer. The Randi Albert Calderwood Cropping Center is the first of its kind in the United States. Jasper Hill Farm was inspired by a hay dryer in Parma Italy, a region whose cheese calls for grass-fed milk, but whose climate is too rainy for making consistently dry hay. Dry hay helps Jasper Hill feed their herd of cows and eliminates the hay from fermenting. The fermented feed can be troublesome for raw cheesemakers. In 2018 Calderwood took second place best in show at the American Cheese Society's annual competition.

Farm/Producer/Importer: Jasper Hill Farm
Place: Greensboro, VT
Style: Firm
Milk Type: Raw Cow
Rennet: Traditional
Age: 11-12 months
Pairing: Jacquère or Beaujolais, Pale Ale

Inspired by Basque shepherds who produce the famous sheep's milk cheese Ossau Iraty in the Pyrenees Mountains, David Major crafts the seasonal Verano from the summer milk of his herd of 300 sheep in the rolling hills of Vermont. The paste is smooth and dense and flavors vary depending on where the sheep were grazing. We have noted a toasted nut, grassy, sweet and herbaceous flavor in these wheels.

Farm/Producer/Importer: Vermont Shepherd, David Major cheesemaker
Place: Putney, VT
Style: Firm
Milk Type: Raw sheep
Rennet: Traditional
Age: 4-6 months
Pairing: Pinot noir or brown ale

Made by a mother and son team, Peter Potter Weber and Nancy Potter, in Madison, WI, the stated mission of the bakery is to "sustainably produce organic crackers of the highest quality." They are 100% certified organic and use ingredients local to the bakery: milk, butter, and Wisconsin-milled whole wheat.

Made in small batches in Brooklyn, New York, Brins Jams are inspired by the flavors of New Orleans. Cherry Chai is made with local New York sour cherries, which are cooked with warming spices of masala chai: cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger.