Menuet- the cheese not the dance

Menuet is reminiscent of small batch, farmhouse cheeses found in the countryside of Normandy. Its texture is deliciously creamy with a great balance of grass and herb undertones. The long, lingering finish is sure to please. Menuet is completely handmade and seasonally available. The name comes from a French dance of the baroque period that was described as a dance of many small steps, not unlike the many small steps in the making of this cheese. Pair with Pinot Grigio or if you prefer red, try a Merlot or Zin.

This cheese is made at the end of a Vermont country lane, the farm sits with a few red barns and a small white house. It's centered in the middle of 243 acres of organic pasture and hay fields. With views of the Green Mountains to the East and the Adirondacks to the West, this is home to a herd of blissful bovines. This is home to Dancing Cow Farms.

The farm is a pasture-based dairy with seasonal milk production and cows outside. They use no pesticides, herbicides or petroleum based fertilizers on their fields. They make their own hay, milk their own cows and spread the manure as rich, dark compost. The cows graze on sweet clover, dandelion, trefoil and a variety of grasses from May thru November. During the grazing season the cows spend their days and nights outside, on pasture, and occasionally take a break on hot and humid summers days in the cool shade of the barn.

The cows are mostly Jerseys and Guernseys, with a bit of Shorthorn, Normandy, Holstein and Dutch Belt in the mix. They calve in the spring, provide sweet creamy milk through November then take a break over the winter. Dancing Cow milks them once-a-day, in the morning, so the cows are less stressed and can spend more time on pasture. The calves are hand-fed fresh milk and lavished with attention.

The cheese is hand crafted, seven days a week, from fresh un-cooled milk that flows directly from the cows in the milking parlor into the cheese vat. This age old, classic European technique allows Dancing Cow to capture the freshest flavors of the current pasture. They hand salt then age the cheese in a temperature and humidty controlled ripening room. During it's time in the "cave" the cheese is washed, brushed and turned to nurture its development. After sixty days or more it emerges from the "cave" when its creamy texture and depth of flavor are at their peak.

This cheese is priced at $21.50/lbs and can be bought thru our website shop.lafayettecheese.com.