Rogue River Blue—the first American cheese to be named World Champion at the World Cheese Awards, is an exquisite blue cheese with a powerful punch of flavor that results from a combination of blue mold and wrapping the cheese in grapes leaves soaked in local pear "eau de vie" (spirits). Pasteurized summer milk gives it its nice, creamy paste. Enjoy Rogue River Blue with a good crusty bread and a spoonful of honey.

Photo Credit: Rogue Creamery, not for download or re-use.

The second cheese ever designed by Mystic Cheese Company, this robiola-inspired cheese gets its name from Shel Silverstein’s “Melinda Mae,” a poem about a hungry girl who claimed she could eat a whale–and she did, just to prove it. The bright, bloomy rind opens to reveal a pudgy, blubbery interior. You’ll taste notes of mushroom and cultured cream that give way to subtle sea salt on the back of the bite. At room temperature, Melinda Mae is perfectly pliable for your next cheese board alongside some tangy jam or charcuterie; sip some sparkling wine or wheat beer to complete the experience.

Photo Credit: Mystic Cheese co, not for download or re-use.