54 WINE SPECTATOR • SEPT. 30, 2019
GREEN^ COUNTY^ TOURISMIn 2010, Roth sold to the Swiss conglomerate
Emmi and the business was rechristened Emmi
Roth. With four plants and nearly 300 employees
in Wisconsin, it is a major player in U.S. specialty
cheese, continuing to grow at a rate of about 10%
annually in recent years even as the rest of the
sector has remained flat. Adjacent to Roth’s
creamery is the full-service Alp & Dell cheese
shop, whose owner, Tony Zgraggen, a native of
the canton of Uri near Lake Lucerne, is an ac-
complished yodeler. Feel free to ask for a demo.
Monroe’s other main attraction is the National
Historic Cheesemaking Center (NHCC), a com-
pact yet informative museum about the history
of cheesemaking in America, with a focus on
traditional methods and Wisconsin’s contribu-
tions, housed in a relocated, restored railroad
depot with an outbuilding that’s a small antique
cheese factory.
New Glarus, nicknamed America’s Little Swit-
zerland, with its quaint downtown shopping area featuring chalet-
style architecture and low-key charm, is worth a visit. The Glarner
Stube is a cozy family-style establishment; along with good, hearty
traditional Swiss German dishes, it offers a wide selection of beers
from the New Glarus Brewing Company. Just a mile outside of
town, New Glarus offers self-guided tours and tastings. It’s the
state’s most widely acclaimed craft brewery; typically, however,
none of its suds exit state lines. For lodging, the Chalet Landhaus
on the edge of town is a comfortable option.
On the way back to Madison, consider a stop at either Landmark
Creamery Provisions in Paoli, where one of its two personable own-
ers named Anna (last names Landmark and Thomas Bates) can
arrange a tasting flight of their fresh sheep’s milk delicacies—among
them the bright and balanced Pipit, and Petit Nuage, a lovely little
citrusy button—or Firefly Coffeehouse and Artisan Cheese in Or-
egon, where the proprietor is Jeanne Carpenter, Wisconsin’s best-
known cheese blogger.milk from local farms,” is patriarch Tony’s answer. To observe
cheesemaking, arrive between 6 and 11 a.m., Monday through
Wednesday and Friday. Hook’s roster of about 50 cheeses encom-
passes standards like a range of cheddars aged up to 12 years; a
few intriguing curveballs, such as the three-milk Triple Play; and
several standout blues, including the goat’s milk Barneveld.
Next stop is Monroe, the hub of cheese country. The Roth fam-
ily—Swiss immigrants—built one of the most successful cheese-
importation businesses in the United States, beginning in the early
20th century. It wasn’t until 1990 that they settled on this area to
launch production of Swiss-style cheeses maintaining artisanal stan-
dards. Roth’s first big hit was its line of Grand Cru cheeses, which
can credibly be termed American gruyères, as they’re made in the
style of that French/Swiss giant but with a sweeter, fruitier flavor
profile targeting the heartland audience. In 2018, Roth made an-
other splash with a double-cream washed-rind cheese called Mon-
roe, which is fudgy and delectably tart, with notes of toasted bread.
Where to Visit
(^2) Carr Valley
Cheese Company
S3797 County G, La Valle Telephone
(800) 462-7258; (608) 986-2781
Website carrvalleycheese.com
(^3) Cedar Grove Cheese
E5904 Mill Road, Plain
Telephone (608) 546-5284
Website cedargrovecheese.com
(^4) Emmi Roth/
Alp & Dell
657 2nd St., Monroe Telephone
(608) 328-3355 Websites roth
cheese.com; alpanddellcheese.com
(^5) Firefly Coffeehouse
& Artisan Cheese
114 N. Main St., Oregon
Telephone (608) 835-6238 Website
fireflycoffeehouse.com
(^6) Hook’s Cheese Company
320 Commerce St., Mineral Point
Telephone (608) 987-3259 Website
hookscheese.com
(^7) Landmark Creamery
& Provisions
6895 Paoli Road, Paoli
Telephone (608) 848-1162
Website landmarkcreamery.com
(^8) National Historic
Cheesemaking Center
2108 6th Ave., Monroe
Telephone (608) 325-4636 Website
nationalhistoriccheesemakingcenter.org
New Glarus Brewing
2400 State Highway 69, New Glarus
Telephone 608 527-5850
Website newglarusbrewing.com
(^9) Roelli Cheese Haus
15982 State Highway 11, Shullsburg
Telephone (608) 965-3779
Website roellicheese.com
Taliesin Preservation
Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center,
5607 County Road C, Spring Green
Telephone (608) 588-7900
Website taliesinpreservation.org
(^10) Widmer’s Cheese
Cellars
214 W. Henni St., Theresa Telephone
(888) 878-1107; (920) 488-2503
Website widmerscheese.com
Where to
Eat & Stay
Glarner Stube
518 1st St., New Glarus
Telephone (608) 527-2216
Chalet Landhaus Inn
801 Highway 69, New Glarus
Telephone (608) 527-5234
Website chaletlandhaus.com
DRIFTLESS DESTINATIONS
Chalet Landhaus Inn