Types of Blue Cheese

How do we love thee?

Let us count the types of blue cheese

For the lovers of strong, pungent flavors, there simply can't be too many types of blue cheese in the world. We love every variety of this bold and moldy cheese. With warm dates and prosciutto, we'd like a soft blue cheese, please. Baked potatoes or seared venison – we'd love a dollop of creamy blue cheese on top. And any burger is always better when sprinkled with a blue cheese crumble.

While there are dozens of different types of blue-veined cheese made all over the world, you can fill a whole cheese counter with the types of blue cheese made right here in Wisconsin. We're true blue fans, and our cheesemakers are always working overtime to satisfy our craving for the blue funk.

A pairing for every type of blue

With so many types of blue cheese, it's easy to find the perfect pairing for every Wisconsin variety.

 

  • With our big, bold blues, you'll want a libation that can hold its own. Fruit beers, stouts, porters, and Belgian ales all get along great with blue. Bold cabs, zinfandels, chiantis, and rieslings will do just fine when pouring wine. And you can serve these flavor powerhouse cheeses with dates, honey, freshly cut fig halves, and prosciutto on a charcuterie board.
  • Wisconsin cheddar blue is mellower than most blues, but has a bolder personality than most chatters. Pair it with ciders or solid porters, Cabernets or Chiantis, and ports or madeiras. Cheddar blue is sublime when sandwiched between a classic blue and a farmstead cheddar on a cheeseboard.
  • Dunbarton blue has a mellow flavor that even the biggest blue skeptic in your life will love. Try it with a brown or amber ale, a Cabernet or Pinot Noir, or a barrel-strength bourbon or port.
  • Wisconsin's award-winning gorgonzola goes down great with Belgian ales and other heavyweight beers. A merlot, malbec, Riesling, or zinfandel will make gorgonzola proud. And if you want to sip of something stronger, we recommend scotch, mescal, or tequila anejo.
  • Full of distinctive marbling, Wisconsin marbled blue jack is a real head-turner and palate-pleaser. Pair it with bolder, punchier drinks like ciders, bocks, sour ales, and fruit beers. Fruit forward wines like beaujolais and rose will make the flavor of this cheese pop. And a brandy, bourbon, or classic old fashion all pair well with this deliciously creamy cheese.
  • The Blue Jay by Deer Creek is a quintuple cream blue cheese that pairs well with stronger off-dry beverages. Try a crisp hard cider, an amber ale, or a fruit beer. The bubbles in champagne or cava will complement this rich cheese well, and a nutty, bold sake is a surprisingly good pairing when you're itching for something stronger.

Videos: Discover Your Next Favorite Cheese

FAQs: How many types of blue cheese are there?

How many types of blue cheese are there?

There are dozens of varieties of blue cheese. The four classics are French roquefort, English stilton, Italian gorgonzola, and Spanish cabrales. But today, blue cheese is made in many countries and in a growing variety of styles.

How is a blue cheese made?

All blue cheeses are made by introducing a Penicillium mold into the milk during the cheesemaking process. Once the cheese is formed into wheels, cheesemakers use long needles to spike the cheese, creating veins where oxygen allows the blue cheese mold to grow. Beyond this basic process, different types of blue cheese are made by using different kinds of milk, temperature levels, amounts of salt, time for aging, and various other factors. Creamy blue cheeses have cream added to the curd during the cheesemaking process, while crumbly blue cheeses are created by aging the cheese to reduce the moisture content.

We're blue cheese types, through and through

Here in Wisconsin, our taste in cheese runs blue. Like anyone who's heavily into cheese, we're ecstatic whenever we come across new types of blue cheese. And trust us, you don't want to be in our way when the blue gets placed on the table.

That's why our cheesemakers are constantly dreaming up new ways to turn cheese blue – and to produce more than 600 additional varieties, styles, and types of cheese. That's more than any other state or country in the world. For the past 180 years, we've been working to produce the tastiest, highest-quality cheese in the universe. And we've won more than 5,500 awards for our Wisconsin-made beauties – so we must be doing something right.

So next time you're hankering for a hunk of blue flavor, make it a Wisconsin blue. Your taste buds will be forever grateful.

Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?

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