GGM's Top 10 Cheeses 2009..
Well here we find ourselves at another year's end. We have traveled the globe this year on a quest to discover the great cheeses and cheese producers of the world and we have finally come full circle. Since the holiday's are here it is our pleasure to give you our picks for "GGM's Top Ten Cheeses 2009." We realize that this is subjective, and if we have not included your selection as part of our ultimate cheese board, feel free to substitute your own choices. It is our hope that you enjoy these articles and features and we are committed to bringing you more great Fromage experiences and information in 2010.
Il Boschetto al Tartufo, Italy The Il Boschetto al Tartufo is a mild semisoft cheese, a blend of sheep and cow's milk, loaded with white truffle bits. If you ever have a chance to purchase this cheese, while a bit on the pricey side, it is well worth every tender morsel and mouthful. If you are a lover of truffles as we are, this will become one of your favorite cheeses for any occasion. We absolutely love this cheese.
Brillat-Savarin, France Manchego, Spain Named for the region of La Mancha, which was also the home of Don Quixote, this historic cheese is made from pasteurized sheep's milk. It has a black gray or buff colored rind, with a crosshatch pattern, the interior ranging from stark white to yellowish, depending on age. The aroma should suggest lanolin and roast lamb. The final cheese is usually smeared with olive oil and surface mold is removed. It has a number of holes and a mild, slightly briny, nutty flavor. It is sold at various stages of maturity: at the age of 13 weeks it is described as curado (cured) and, when over three months old it is referred to as viejo (aged). There is a peppery bite to cheeses that have reached a great age. Blue Stilton (Mature, also known as Royal Blue), United Kingdom It is one of a handful of British cheeses granted the status of a "protected designation origin" (PDO) by the European Commission. Only cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and made according to a strict code may be called Stilton.** There are just six dairies licensed to make Stilton, each being subject to regular audit by an independent inspection agency accredited to European Standard EN 45011. **To be called Stilton, a cheese must A) Be made only in the three counties from local milk which is pasteurized before use, B) Be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape, C) Be allowed to form its own crust or coat and be un-pressed, D) Have delicate blue veins radiating from the center and have a taste profile typical of Stilton. Konig Ludwig Bierkase, Germany Comté, France Cypress Grove Chevre Humboldt Fog, California, USA With a central layer and outer covering of ash, this goat's milk tome ripens with a soft, white interior. When cut, it is reminiscent of the early morning fog. This cheese, made by mother and daughter team, Mary Keehn and Malorie McCurdy. These amazing women have an enviable passion for their work that has been rewarded by national awards, reputation, and a steadily growing business. American farmstead cheeses often command a hefty price due to their limited production, but one bite will convince you that the luxury is worth the cost. Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk Made with cream-enriched organic cow's milk from Marin County's Straus Family Creamery, Red Hawk belongs to the category of smelly cheeses known as washed rinds. Several times during the cheese's six weeks at the dairy, workers bathe the surface with brine to attract flavor-producing bacteria. A ripe Red Hawk has the luscious texture characteristic of triple-cream cheeses and aromas of mushroom, earth and spice. Shelburne Farms 2 yr. Aged Vermont Cheddar Shelburne's cheese is only made from the fresh, raw milk of purebred Brown Swiss cows raised on the farm. This spectacular cheese, aged for approximately two full years, is noted for its sophisticated, rich flavor that leaves hints of maple and apple. It has consistently won awards from the American Cheese Society, including "Best Farmhouse Cheese" and "Best Cheddar Cheese." Smokey Blue by Rogue Creamery, Oregon "Oregon Blue" is a classic Roquefort style blue cheese that is cold smoked 16 hours with Oregon Hazelnut shells. The smoking process releases a sweet, creamy, smokey flavor that balances both the sharp blue flavor and sweet, creamy flavor of the 100% natural full cream sustainable milk from Bonanza View Dairy. Oregon's Rogue Creamery scored the coveted Best New Product in the World Award at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Food Show in New York (2005) and best product line (2006). Smokey Blue was also the winner of the of the Innovation Award - (2006 SIAL Paris, France. Made from unpasteurized cow's milk. Suitable for vegetarians. 
The cheese was created in the 1930s by cheesemaker Henri Androuët and is produced all year round, mainly in Normandy. It comes in wheels, 6-7 inches in diameter and approximately 2 inches thick, and is aged for one to two weeks. It is also available as a fresh cheese (non affine) that resembles rich cream cheese. Pairing with red wines is difficult, as any mushroominess or "moldy" taste will bring out the tannins of the wine. Brillat Savarin is also quite salty when ripe, which may also disturb the taste of red wine. It does pair well with Pale Ale and Champagne. Carbonation wipes the fattiness from the palate and malts enhance the creaminess of the cheese.
The original pioneer of Blue Stilton, commonly referred to as "The King of Cheeses," was Mr. Cooper Thornhill, owner of the Bell Inn on the Great North Road in the town of Stilton. The extraordinary flavor comes from careful aging for a minimum of three months. This Stilton is produced in Leicestershire and is full, rich and creamy. Its shocking blue veins radiate outward from a natural, crinkly brown crust, revealing layers and folds of honeyed, cheddary flavor. We recommend this mature Stilton as a pure table (eating) cheese; it is too precious and delicious to submerge in a dressing or dip.
Schoenegger Kaese-Alm has created a classic Bavarian cheese. They use fresh, unpasteurized milk from cows raised on mountain farms in protected regions of Europe where they are fed on fresh grass and hay. They were granted a special license from Prince Luitpold of Bavaria (great grandson of the last King of Bavaria, Ludwig II), to make Konig Ludwig Bierkase. König Ludwig Dunkel is a bottom-fermentation dark specialty beer, produced in accordance with traditional Bavarian brewing methods. This special beer is made in one of the last castle breweries in the heart of Bavaria, south of Munich in Kaltenberg Castle. König Ludwig Bierkäse is a delicate yellow, semi-hard cheese with small holes ripened in the beer to give it its hearty taste. This dark beer cheese melts well for cooking, but is just as terrific on its own or served with hearty German bread and a good beer.
Dating back to the days of Charlemagne, it is still traditionally made in more than 190 cheese dairies, known as the "fruitières" of the Jura plateau. Cheese makers need the daily production of 30 cows to make one Comté, which can weigh as much as 80 pounds. Morning and evening milks from Montbeliarde and Tachete de L'est cows are mixed. It requires a long maturation period during which the cheese is regularly cleaned and rubbed with salted water. An ivory-colored cheese, it has scattered with holes the size of a hazelnuts. With a complex, nutty and caramelized flavor, it is a great addition to any cheese tray or as an appetizer. It is even sometimes used as fondue cheese. Excellent when paired with Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Gavi di Gavi.
Tall and majestic redwood trees and scenic rocky northern California coastline lured Mary Keehn to Humboldt County where she established Cypress Grove Chevre in 1984. From the very beginning, Cypress Grove has been recognized for its superior quality; winning more than 30 Gold Medals and Best of Show in national competitions.
Shelburne Farms is a membership-supported, nonprofit environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. It is a grass-based dairy, relying heavily on pastures to support their herd of Brown Swiss Cows. Their cows graze small sections of pasture for 12 to 24 hours and then are rotated to a new section the following day. The grazed area is given time to regrow before it is used again, keeping the pastures healthy. This grass-based method of dairying is friendlier to the environment because it eliminates the use of crop-based herbicides and pesticides, uses less machinery and fuel, uses manure as a natural fertilizer, and controls water pollution by maintaining thick pasture growth. 
In 2002, Ig (Ignazio "Ig" Vella, affectionately known as the Godfather of artisan cheese) hand selected Cary Bryant and David Gremmels as the new owners of what is now known as The Rogue Creamery. Of utmost importance was to carry on the tradition of hand-milled cheese. Bryant and Gremmels hit the ground running. Within a year, they were producing award-winning cheeses,
Sources
Wisconsin Department of Tourism, http://www.wisconsinmade.com/ , www.wisconsincheesemart.com, food-fun.wisconsinfood.com, www.365cheeses.com , elegantfoods.net , Some of the cheeses found in this article are from www.igourmet.com, We highly recommend them for all your gourmet food needs.