Uncle Joe's (revisited)

"Uncle Joe's" is a dense white-wine-washed cheese from Clover Creek Cheese Cellar of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania. This batch, which was prepared over a year ago in May of 2015, has a particularly delightful "cheesey" aroma - it smells sweet, salty and tangy - and it's paste is equally delectable.

While "Uncle Joe's" is made with the same cultures as "Royer Mountain" the two are not to be confused! "Uncle Joe's" is a sweeter, saltier - and in this case, crunchier - version with an extra special washed-rind finish. According Clover Creek patriarch and matriarch Dave and Terry, the first time this cheese was attempted, "our children’s Uncle Joe offered us a bottle of vintage homemade wine for a special finish, so we named this cheese after him."

The namesake lived on, but wheels of "Uncle Joe's" now basted with a sweet white wine from by The Vinyard at Grandview of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.

In tasting this batch, I've found my new favorite grating cheese. Not to say that "Uncle Joe's" isn't a perfect standalone for enjoying on a cheese platter or with a glass of White Zinfandel, but it's truly everything you'd want in a grating cheese: bold, salty, sweet and firm.

Here, you can see the impact that both wine and age have had on this cheese's beautiful natural rind:

For more information on Clover Creek Cheese Cellar's current offerings, check out the July edition of their monthly newsletter: http://www.clovercreekcheese.com/cheddar-by-any-other-name/.