Mike Brennenstuhl had a vision - creating a special place that celebrates Wisconsin cheese making expertise, and taking it to a new level with a chance to see cheese making in action while enjoying specialty cheeses, regional and international wine, and fine dining. ©   Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Sitemap. Widmer’s Cheese Cellars settled here in the heart of one of the richest cheese making areas in America more than 90 years ago. Yes, that is a lot of cheese. Sid says its earthy flavor is reminiscent of the cheese his family made more than 100 years ago. Gourmet Cheese from Wisconsin’s Master Cheesemakers. However, I must say I really do love seeing massive icicles! But Mike doesn't do it for the fame. Using a wine cooler/fridge is a great substitute for a cheese cave. While we love new and … All of that expertise is infused into every cheese Mike makes, along with the rich histories he shares about each of them. When he's in the factory, Mike wear a theatrical headset so guests can observe through the big viewing window, push a button and ask questions. Mike Brennenstuhl was born to make cheese. The Caves at Murray’s Cheese were built to enhance the quality of our products, as well as to honor the craft of each cheesemaker. You'll know it's one of ours when you see the badge. In Wisconsin, we make more flavors, varieties, and styles of cheese than anywhere else in the world. "The Wisconsin cheese scene has grown so much since I started in this business and really exploded in the last 10 years. But every Wisconsin cheesemaker is an innovator as well, which is why we have so many Wisconsin originals, like colby and muenster. “I've been a businessman and different things, but at the end of the day if you had to put something on my headstone, I’d want it to say ‘he was just a good cheesemaker.’”, ©   Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Sitemap. Shop Wisconsin Cheeseman Cheese Assortments Cheese Spreads Meats Sweets Nuts & Snacks Gifts More Ways To Shop The Cheese Course. Mike Brennenstuhl tells the best kind of stories: the ones you can taste. Spelunkers, rejoice! The Wisconsin Speleological Society (WSS), a grotto of the National Speleological Society (NSS), is a nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to cave exploration, restoration, study and tours. Dragonfly and Damsel Creative Jewelry Designs (1) 3 mi. Bodies of Water. When you hear the words, Hoard’s Dairyman, former farm kids like me immediately think of the oversized magazine we used to pull out of the mailbox and hand to our dad. Buy Now, Pay Later with Wisconsin Cheeseman Credit Learn More. Mike’s cheesemaking is more than artisan – it’s Master status. Check out our photos of "Caves in Wisconsin." He never minds the interruptions: “The best thing we can do to support our industry is to educate people. Cave Aged Marisa Ewe’s Milk Master-made in Sauk County. Whether it’s a grilled cheese sandwich, potatoes au gratin, or a charcuterie board, Wisconsin cheese makes every dish and recipe tastier. For The Love of Cheese. Cured in specially designed aging caves, it develops the flavor complexity of sheep milk cheese with a slight goat finish. Cave aging adds an earthiness while taming the sharper edges of the goat’s milk. Brr it looks so chilly in your pictures. Whether it’s a grilled cheese sandwich, potatoes au gratin, or a charcuterie board, Wisconsin cheese makes every dish and recipe tastier. “The … Cave Aged Mellage is made with a blend of sheep, goat and cow milk. We’ve designed each cave to ensure that every wheel of cheese matures in its ideal environment, and specifically calibrated each to be a chamber in which temperature, humidity and microbial activity can all be controlled and monitored with the … Mike considers Door Artisan, a brand new facility with a market, restaurant, and underground cheese caves, to be the culmination of his career. According to USDA statistics, the average American eats 34.1 pounds of cheese every year and is projected to eat 36.5 pounds by … “You’re a part of a group of people that really have made the commitment to find the inner workings of what these cheeses do, how they perform, how they taste, how they age.”. This cave-aged Cheddar variety has a creamy color and distinctive rind that develops in the open-air cave, where natural molds flourish and add beautiful character to the cheese. Caverns & Caves. It is a natural limestone cave in the Blue Mounds area of Wisconsin that formed nearly 500 million years ago. This upbringing adds incredible character to this cheddar cheese, and elicits an feeling of ancient connection. This cheese looks and tastes “old-world” There is a bit of sweetness which pairs beautifully with pears and apples. Mike considers Door Artisan, a brand new facility with a market, restaurant, and underground cheese caves, to be the culmination of his career. But every Wisconsin cheesemaker is an innovator as well, which is why we have so many Wisconsin originals, like colby and muenster. The caves had been used for years as office and storage space. “Every night before I leave here, I come down to the caves, say goodnight to the cheese, and turn off the lights,” Mike says. The Apostle Islands Ice Caves are one of the most popular attractions near Cornucopia, WI. Join Our Email List. The shots I included are absolutely awesome, and I cannot wait to take pictures of my own when I go explore them this summer! Do Good. The ice formations change from chamber to chamber and from day to day. We recommend the NewAir AWR-460DB as a cheese cave for the home cheese maker. Crystal Cave (280) 4.1 mi. Cave Aged Cardona Goat’s Milk Master-made in Sauk County. What are artisan cheeses? Episode 862: Big Government Cheese : Planet Money That time we accidentally created a cheese surplus so large it had to be stored in a ginormous cave. I live in perfectly flat country. Stay at our warm lodging and then visit the ice caves by hiking trail above, or if the National Lakeshore opens the shoreline you may be able explore the caves on foot! says Mike, "I just found the name for my cheese. Awesome cheese and Wisconsin honey. Introducing Door County's Exciting New Culinary Destination It all comes together at Door Artisan Cheese. “I thought, bingo!" So she knows she was the inspiration.”. According to the National Park Service, the caves are a “fairyland of needle-like icicles.”. Try … #1 of 5 Nature & Parks in Bayfield. Eau Galle Lake & Recreational Area (14) 3 mi. Embracing the manufacturing techniques which have been handed down through generations of European and Wisconsin cheese makers, Widmer’s Cheese Cellars carefully produces some of the finest Brick, Cheddar and Colby cheeses in the world. And I am so glad I did. You will be amazed by the colorful crystal formations inside the cave. Description. About The Cheese Cave The Cheese Cave is an artisan cheese shop featuring the world's greatest cheeses along with imported and domestic cured meats, assorted olives, roasted tomatoes, fruit preserves, chutneys, honey, crackers, brick oven breads and confections. Just a few years into being open, Door Artisan has already started sweeping cheese competitions – their Top Hat Cheddar even took home a gold medal at the 2018 World Championship of Cheese. If you live in the mountains and are fortunate enough to have a real cave on your property, you are ahead of the rest of us. It was not a bad way at all to be spending the day. We believe in tradition, producing everything from Italian classics, like parmesan and ricotta, to swiss cheese and cheddar varieties. Soup is definitely a perfect way to warm up from being outside and exploring in colder weather! When she was 10, Cave Aged Marisa was finally perfect. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Ice Caves. Especially when you consider the wonderful things they contain and the wonderful things we get out of them. Be the first to know about new items, tips, recipes and more! We believe in tradition, producing everything from Italian classics, like parmesan and ricotta, to swiss cheese and cheddar varieties. Cave of the Mounds has been a Wisconsin attraction for 75 years, bringing tourists from across the country. Eat Cheese. The beautiful rock formations hanging above you and jutting up from the ground below you are covered by ice. I had no idea that Wisconsin had caves--and especially these many--before I decided to research whether there were caves in Wisconsin. Click a photo of a cave to see its location on the map and find out more information. As more and more home cheese makers move from making fresh cheese to making aged cheese, one problem keeps popping up; finding the best mini fridge for a cheese cave. Cave-aged, artisan cheese, to be exact. When the Master Cheese-maker’s daughter was born she was named Marisa and he started to develop a cheese to name for her. From his Trappist stout-washed Valmy gouda made in honor of Wisconsin’s Belgian immigrant community to his BelaSardo made in the classic Italian shape his family used at their Wisconsin factory, each of Mike’s wheels is like a really, really delicious history book. Earthy, sweet and tangy it has the deep, full body that is characteristic of truly cave aged cheeses. “There's a story behind every cheese that I make,” says Mike, a Master Cheesemaker and owner of Door Artisan Cheese in Door County, Wisconsin. Today, Hoard’s Dairyman, established in 1885, is a still a national dairy farm magazine based in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Speciality & Gift Shops. Have Fun. My Cheese Cave By Bob Albers* Cheese caves are wonderful things. Artisan, or artisanal, cheeses are those made by skilled craftsmen (artisans) using traditional methods that result in more quality and flavor than mass-produced cheeses. Mike grew up in a cheesemaking family: “I was forced into the business by birth!” he laughs. In Wisconsin, we make more flavors, varieties, and styles of cheese than anywhere else in the world. MALONE: Dan Callahan worked here in the 1970s and says one day, the U.S. government rented a ton of cave space, and a ton of cheddar cheese started to … Roseate’s flavors are global, but its name came from a little closer to home. Although he’s made cheese around the world, Wisconsin has always had a special place in his heart – which is why he chose Door County to build his dream cheese operation. Crave Brothers makes Fresh Mozzarella, sweet cream Mascarpone, Chocolate Mascarpone, fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds, Farmers Rope String Cheese, and other varieties of Mozzarella. Take, for example, Roseate – a gloriously pungent asiago soaked in a deep red South African wine and set in a unique Sardo wheel mold that Mike special-orders from Italy. Cave Aged Mellage is made with a blend of sheep, goat and cow milk. The Caves at Murray's Cheese. “I couldn't be prouder to be a Master Cheesemaker,” he says. He does it for the love of cheese. Cheese Wedding Cakes: When Wine Met Wheels. You'll know it's one of ours when you see the badge. “Over the course of my 47 years I've worked for seven different major cheese companies and in many different capacities," He says, "But I always had this dream to be able to make artisan cheeses.”. There are reds, browns, blues and greys. Join us and get started Over 200,000 members in 208 countries. All of our Farmstead Classics are made with our farm fresh milk and is produced with renewable energy. While eating this award winning cave aged cheddar, you’ll notice an ever present earthiness that pops with notes of … Bayfield. Our family-owned cheese store has been in Milwaukee for more than 80 years, and our mission today is the same as it was back then: To celebrate the cheesemakers' craft, showcase their hard work and innovation, and serve cheese fanatics everywhere the best of what Wisconsin has to offer. Cured in specially designed aging caves, it develops the flavor complexity of sheep milk cheese with a slight goat finish. 4 thoughts on “Apostle Islands Ice Caves…and Wisconsin Cheese and Beer Soup” phoenixraay said: January 7, 2018 at 5:38 pm. The Glorious Cave. He has his Master Cheesemaker certifications in blue cheese and gorgonzola to prove it. Mike's wife has an affection for dragonflies, and one night, while pacing around their house trying to come up with a name for his newest cheese creation, he spotted her picture of a striking red dragonfly called Roseate on the wall. Cheese is sold from a large beer aging cave, with another cave awaiting remodeling if needed. We have photos of all 960 tourist attractions around Wisconsin or add your own (Click here to browse them). Outside the cave, in the bright sun and crisp autumn temperature, we sampled some of the exquisite bandaged wrapped Cheddar and a luscious new cheese called Alpine Renegade made from Uplands Cheese Company’s milk. What a delight. Burrowed into the stunning rolling hills of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, a region untouched by glaciers when they moved through the Midwest hundreds of thousands of years ago, are caves in which Bleu Mont ages its raw-milk, bandaged Cheddar. And everything we do is based around telling the story of Wisconsin cheesemaking, not just ours.”. This Wisconsin cheddar is aged and developed in an open-air cave. Home cheese maker, producing everything from Italian classics, like colby and muenster to it. Tourist attractions around Wisconsin or add your own ( click here to browse )... Italian classics, like parmesan and ricotta, to swiss cheese and cheddar varieties be spending the day, and... 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