Roaring Forties

Every week here at the Cheese of the week blog, we will highlight one cheese. The goal is to have you find this cheese in your area and then buy, taste and comment on it. Provide information like what type of wine you think goes well with the selection, what cheese you prefer instead of this selection, how much per lb. you paid for the cheese and any other information you would like to provide for the group.

I am a sucker for a good story and a good cheesemonger always has a story about every cheese they have in their shop.

This weeks selection "Roaring Forties" Blue Cheese story goes like this.

This cheese is made on the 40th parell in Australia and it is considered one of the windiest places in the world. Hince the name "Roaring Forties"

or from www.variety.com

Roaring Forties
(Kings Island Dairy)
The story: Produced on the tiny, pollution-free Kings Island near Tasmania, Australia, this cheese is named for the island's brutal Roaring Forties winds, which have wrecked many ships on the island's rocky coast. Cows feast on lush grass that supposedly germinated from the stuffing of shipwrecked mattresses.
The cheese: A creamy blue that's pungent, sweet and nutty. Should convert anyone who's had an experience with too-strong Roquefort.
Pairings: An earthy flavored honey (lavender, thyme or truffle-infused) and a Shiraz or Zinfandel.

or www.amazon.com

Roaring Forties Blue Cheese is made by the Kings Island Dairy. Kings Island is situated south of Melbourne, Australia at the western end of Bass Strait. Dairying is the largest primary industry among this islands 1,500 inhabitants. According to local legend, grass seeds found in King Islands soil are believed to have been washed ashore in straw mattresses from some 60 eighteenth-century French and English shipwrecks that are strewn along the King Island coast. For almost a century now dairy herds have grazed on these unique pastures. The quality of these pastures, combined with a pristine environment, combined with a year round growing season, enables the dairy farmers on Kind Island to practice traditional feeding methods. The cows are reputed to produce the sweetest milk in the land and from this milk comes a range of dairy products acknowledged throughout Australia and rapidly earning the same sort of reputation in the international marketplace. Roaring Forties Blues is a full-flavored blue with a sweet, nutty character. The cheese is matured in blue wax thus retaining its moisture and creating a smooth and creamy texture.

OK there your cheese go get it and lets discuss.