Yes, even cheese is seasonal. Some bolder, rich cheeses are perfect to warm you in winter while other lighter, milder cheeses are ideal on a sunny spring day in the park. A few delicious spring cheeses paired with a nice bottle of refreshingly crisp wine along with a tasty selection of cured meats and marinated olives give you a fun weekend treat that you’ll want to take to the park or sit on the patio to eat. Here are the best in-season spring cheeses.
Top 5 Spring Cheeses
1. Charollais Affine
A goat cheese from the Burgundy region in France, this cheese is in season from April through October. It is a fresh, creamy cheese with definite tang and a crumbly texture. It is very aromatic and best eaten young; if you let it age, you will find the taste more aggressive and the texture drier. A dry white wine pairs best with this cheese.
2. Bucheron
Another goat cheese with French origin, this is a bloomy cheese from the Poitou region. It has a buttery, rich texture and milder taste. If you are new to goat cheeses, this is a good starter cheese because of its mild flavor. Try it young because as it ages, the flavor becomes more intense. This spring cheese is best eaten with crackers or overtop a salad and an acidic white wine.
3. Coulommiers
A cow’s milk cheese from the Coulommiers region in France, this cheese is in the same family as brie but is thicker, nuttier and more aromatic with the scent of fresh herbs, especially chives. This savory cheese pairs best with a spring Cabernet Sauvignon or even a slightly sweet Sauvignon Blanc.
4. Cowgirl Creamery St Pat
An American cheese, hailing from Marin County, California, this is one of the best springtime cow’s milk spring cheeses available. Creamy with a mild earthy flavor, it is aged for three weeks in stinging nettle leaves which impart a mellow smoky artichoke flavor and give a bright green spring color to the outside of the cheese. Sparkling wines and dry whites are your best match for this unique cheese.
5. Pyrenees Brebis
A firm cheese from the Aquitaine region of France, this sheep’s milk cheese has a grassy flavor with floral undertones in the spring. It is smooth and buttery and even has a sweet taste. Best eaten after at least three months, pairs it with full bodied reds and sweeter white wines.
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