52 WINE SPECTATOR • SEPT. 30, 2019
a visit to the Taliesin Preservation, Frank Lloyd Wright’s sprawl-
ing estate along the Wisconsin River in Spring Green. Guided
tours cover Wright’s studio, farm and house, tracing the arc of his
seven-decade career and tapping into his love for this land. The
rotating seasonal menu at the Wright-designed Riverview Ter-
race Café features cheeses from Driftless producers such as Hook’s
and Uplands.
When in doubt, take a scenic detour: On the way south toward
Monroe, catch farmland vistas on County Road Z, a few miles east
of Route 23, with a possible drop-by at the Pleasant Ridge Store,
a vibrant joint good for burgers and beers where you might catch
a glimpse of a local rock star such as Andy Hatch, maker of Up-
lands’ Pleasant Ridge Reserve.
Before heading over to Monroe, consider a stop at the Hooks’
shop in nearby Mineral Point, a former mining town on the cusp
of gentrification. If you didn’t meet them at the farmers market in
Madison, you’ll encounter at least one member of the Hook fam-
ily here. A quick glance at their offerings raises the question: How
does one small family creamery produce so many excellent cheeses?
“A lot of hard work, passion for what we do and good-qualityDriftless, you suddenly find yourself in the midst of heartwarming
tableaus of farms and woodlands.
In geology, drift is the debris from glaciers, which steamrolled
much of the Midwest during the most recent ice age but halted
around Madison, allowing the Driftless to remain unglaciated. In-
stead, its limestone substrate was carved out by rivers and streams
into innumerable hills and valleys, which account for its mythical
rolling farm country.
Just under an hour’s drive from Madison, our first stop is Cedar
Grove Cheese, on the edge of the picturesque farm town of Plain
(population: roughly 770). Proprietor Bob Wills, an agricultural
economist who bought the small factory from his in-laws in 1989,
has been a pioneer of rBGH-free, organic and non-GMO cheeses,
of recycling whey and purifying wastewater. He opened one of the
nation’s few urban creameries, Clock Shadow, in Milwaukee in
- Both places specialize in curds and other fresh cheeses, in-
cluding German-style quark. To taste these delicacies on the prem-
ises is to savor Wisconsin terroir by way of the fresh, clean milk
from its family farms.
No trip to this part of the country would be complete without
1
Deer Creek The Robin (COW)
deercreekcheese.com This throwback-style
Colby, 100% cow’s milk, is buttery, toothsome
and inviting.2
Landmark Creamery Pipit (SHEEP)
landmarkcreamery.com A lovely semisoft
cheese, aged six months, offering a note of
bright acidity on the attack that’s balanced by
hints of bittersweetness and a rich, round, com-
plex finish.3
LaClare Family Creamery
Evalon (GOAT) laclarefamilycreamery
.com A Gouda-like farmstead standout, aged
five months, with emerging nutty, mildly goaty
and caramel notes. Attractive as a table cheese
or as an ingredient, standing in for Asiago or
Parmigiano-Reggiano.4
Widmer’s Aged Brick (COW)
widmerscheese.com A washed-rind clas-
sic, reminiscent of a French Munster AOC. Aged
six months, it stops short of the more obstreper-
ous Limburger but nevertheless delivers full fla-
vor, pleasant funk and a lip-smacking aftertaste.5
Hook’s Cheese Company Ewe
Calf to be Kidding (BLEND)
hookscheese.com America’s first and only
three-milk blue, aged eight months. Offers
creaminess (cow); nuttiness (sheep); some funky
tang (goat); a complex profile, with bittersweet
notes, to balance its blue bite; and a rich finish.5
4
3
2
1
Tasting Across
Wisconsin
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