For many of them, it was home. Wisconsin is the only U.S. state where cheesemakers can become Masters of their craft; the only other comparable certification program is in Switzerland. With or without official mastery, though, the state of Wisconsin produces more than 600 distinct flavors, styles, and varieties of cheese. And no one—no state, no nation—has won more awards than Wisconsin cheesemakers. As self-identified cheese obsessives, there could be no better place for the SAVEUR crew to ring in their new issue.

Stuffed between the colorful bookcases of Leopold’s and the cozy booths of Fabiola’s Spaghetti House, editor-in-chief Kat Craddock and the rest of the SAVEUR crew mingled with cheesemakers, cheesemongers, media, and more. “This whole part of Madison is a historic Italian district, the Greenbush Italian district,” says Destination Madison’s Rob Gard. “With Fabiola’s, it’s come full circle.” 

Italian notes did pepper the night—buffet tables were piled high with antipasto, sausage and peppers, and Fabiola’s gooey arancini stuffed with pork and veal ragù—but the true VIP was, as always, Wisconsin Cheese. In pride of place at the center of the table were three absolute icons: Roelli Red Rock, a visually striking cave-aged cheddar blue; Hill Valley Dairy Luna, a gouda-Alpine hybrid that “tastes like the moon”; and Sartori Black Pepper BellaVitano, a hand-rubbed parmesan-style cheese that hints at cheddar.

All three would be familiar to any SAVEUR reader: The magazine commissioned an original oil painting of the towering stack for the latest issue’s back cover. The original, by artist Mike Geno, was sold at a live auction during the event to benefit the Sand County Foundation, a nonprofit helping farmers invest in conservation practices.

Before the auction kicked off, Kat took the mic: “I cannot think of a more perfect place to be celebrating our next issue,” she said to the crowd. “The warmth and kindness I experience whenever I’m here does not compare to anywhere else.” After several chants of “cheese, cheese, cheese!,” she raised a glass. “Let’s give it up for our hosts—I hope you’re ready for an evening of exquisite food.”

As the crowd mixed and mingled, these expert cheesemakers, mongers, dairy-lovers, and aficionados shared their professional insights for making the most of a party with Wisconsin Cheese. Here’s what they had to say.

Don’t be fooled by the shades of beige at your local grocery store; cheese comes in every color and texture imaginable. Your spread can—and should!—venture from whites to yellows, oranges to blues. Be sure to play with the whole spectrum of textures, too, as well as shapes, for visual interest: Every cheese should be cut or crumbled differently, giving it its own distinct identity on your board. “Cheese is visual,” says Marilyn Olk, class coordinator at Fromagination, Madison’s premier cheesemonger. “As my Italian mother used to say: ‘We eat with our eyes first.’”

Your board should read like a summer garden in bloom: color, texture, and, most importantly, abundance. Include labels for helpful information and organization, but also for attention. Olk suggests writing a short description, with milk type for allergies if room allows, which can help invite tentative cheese-eaters to try something new.

Behind each spread, place the rest of your cheeses on display. This provides aesthetic appeal and makes it easy to replenish. A picked-over cheeseboard isn’t nearly as inviting; keep the temptation ripe with an overflowing board and your back-up supplies right at hand. (Bonus: It’s an easy job to delegate to a trusted guest.)

Another way to mix up texture and taste? Toss it in the oven. “We’re all afraid of time-intensive prep before hosting,” says Andy Hatch, owner and Master Cheesemaker at Uplands Cheese, the brand behind Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the most-awarded cheese in American history. “Gougères or cheese crisps, just put something in the oven—then you can then push a button and have it ready.” Anything hot, fresh, and salty pairs well with wine, beer, and cocktails, the cheesemaker adds, leaving room for flexible, wide-ranging drink preferences. Melty crescenza (aka stracchino) works great on toasted baguette slices topped with crunchy hazelnuts.

And while standard etiquette says to put fabulous cheeses such as Pleasant Ridge Reserve on a board for sampling, rules are made to be broken. Hatch has no qualms with his award-winning cheese being transformed—in his house, that’s de rigueur. “I don’t care how anyone prepares my cheese, as long as they enjoy it.”

Lining your table with mixed milk cheeses isn’t just about offering a smorgasbord of taste, says Sid Cook, a fourth-generation Master Cheesemaker for Carr Valley Cheese. “Sure, cow is mild, goat is tangy, and sheep is high-fat—but you taste it all in different parts of the mouth.” Mixed-milk cheeses can also be a fun realm to explore, typically arriving on the palate with a unique, hard-to-pin-down feel; Carr Valley’s Shepherd's Blend, a cow, sheep, and goat’s milk blend, is a prime example. “It’s like a melody,” says Cook. “It’s music.”

For the evening, Fabiola’s staff whipped up two signature cocktails: A Whey with Words, featuring TenHead vodka distilled from whey, along with fresh lime juice, sage simple syrup, and Bittercube’s Bolivar Bitters; and a clarified Wisconsin milk punch, featuring J Henry & Sons bourbon. You might expect a dairy-based drink to be cloying and heavy, but when clarified in a citrusy punch, the result is a clean and clear flavor with a silky smooth texture.

As the night wore on, the Harvey House—Top Chef darling and one of the New York Times’ 50 Favorite Restaurants of 2022—introduced the final course: pain d'epice eclairs filled with St. Saviour, a Camembert-style cheese from Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery. The pastry perfectly embodied the above principles for a varied and dynamic flavor experience (that was simple enough to prepare in advance).

Some cheese just isn’t for sharing, says Olk. Take Hook’s Cheese famous cheddars, for example. “The eight-year, 10-year, 12-year, I tell my customers to serve those with wine and crackers—most anything will do,” the cheesemonger says. “For the 15-year, savor it with a good red. One you know you enjoy.” 

She leans in, hand to her chest. “For the 20-year,” which retails at Fromagination for roughly $210 per pound, “turn your lights off, go to your basement, and lock your doors. Tell no one you’ve got your hands on it—that’s for you. That’s Wisconsin white gold.” Go ahead and treat yourself. We won’t tell. 

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