Consider Bardwell Farm Rupert
Rupert may sound like the name of the nerdy guy in your AP physics class, and this is one serious cheese, but the name comes from one of VT's oldest towns. Made by Consider Bardwell and aged for at least 6 months, this raw cow, golden-hued beaut' is chock full of huge Alpine flavor: deep, sweet, and butterscotchy, but leavened with lovely tropical fruit flavors. Rupert's perfection is maintained in Murray's caves, where regular moistening keep the lovely smear-ripened rind at peak. Celebrate the accomplishment with a glass of Merlot.
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Just the Facts
Country
United States
Region
Vermont
Milk Type
Cow
Pasteurization
Raw
Rennet Type
Vegetarian
Age
9-12 months
Pour a glass of...
Bourbon
Think: Caramelly, crystalline cheeses have the strength to stand up to bolder booze. With sweet bourbon, these cheeses become almost like dessert.Malbec
This rustic wine is inky and dark, full-bodied with plenty of tannins. Fruity flavors of plums and berries are contrasted by spice and leather.Pair with: Equally toothsome cheeses like Boerenkaas Gouda.
Merlot
A smooth and medium-bodied wine with a more rounded flavor than other reds. Dark fruits are present but with minimal tannins and no noticeable spice.Pair with: Earthy tommes like Toma Walser, mellow Fontina, or a lightly aged goat cheese like Leonora.
Founded in 1864 by Consider Stebbins Bardwell, this 300-acre farm was Vermont’s first cheesemaking coop. Now, more than 100 years later, Angela Miller and Russell Glover are continuing the tradition, making cheese by hand using milk from their herd of 100 Oberhaslis goats, and from cows at neighboring partner farms. All of the milk used to make their small batches of cheese is free of antibiotics and hormones, and animals graze on pesticide- and fertilizer-free pastures that straddle Vermont’s Champlain Valley and Washington County, New York. The farm recently joined the USDA Grassland Reserve Program, which is a voluntary conservation membership that emphasizes biodiversity of local flora and fauna. Diverse diets help the cows and goats produce sweet and flavorful milk, which means tasty cheese for all of us!