Why Wisconsin is Great = Cheese

I spent 4 days in Wisconsin last weekend, and probably consumed over a pound of cheese - all by myself.  They just do so much with it!! And WI cheeses are literally among the best in the world -- I tasted one that is the only cheese to win the National Cheese Championship twice. It rocked, of course.  Thus before I can document all of the fun things I did in Madison besides gorge on gorgeous cow, sheep and goat cheese, I must elaborate all of the ways in which WI satisfied my cheese-o-phile needs.


#1 Cheesiest Moment: Fromagination in Madison, WI 
THE source for all things artisan, stanky and local in Wisconsin Cheese.  This shop had sooo much good stuff - and they let me try everything.  And I did.  I walked out of there with these six wax-paper-wrapped beauties, which are currently still aging in my fridge. Craziest cheese I tried: Cocoa Cardona from Carr Valley Cheese - a firm goat cheese rubbed with cocoa. Best cheese I tried: Bandaged Billy from Carr Valley Cheese - aged goat cheddar wrapped in a cloth while it ripens - oh so stanky!

2nd Cheesiest Moment: The lovely dairy farms tucked into every nook and cranny of southern WI's rolling hills
Even covered in snow in chilly January, it was gorgeous.

3rd Cheesiest Moment: Competing cheese emporiums in the Madison environs
The Cheese Chalet and Mouse House each had their unique cheese with strange additions to offer, plus soo much cheese/cow/Swiss paraphenalia.  Best sample = leek and morel mushroom jack, worst = chocolate fudge cheese (weirrrrd)

4th Cheesiest Moment: Visiting the Cheese Pirates
...'nuff said.

5th Cheesiest Moment: Visiting the Cedar Grove cheese factory in Plain, WI
 They were kind enough to show me their curds, and their cheese vats, and their samples! This is a picture of their milk tanks.