Rogue River blue cheese

At the 2019 World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy, the prize-winning blue cheese was voted Best in the World and the Grand Champion Best Cheese in the World (via P.R. Newswire). The Best Organic Cheese Outside of the U.K. was awarded to The Medford Mail Tribune last year, adding two more accolades to its collection. and the International Cheese & Dairy Awards' Best U.S.A. Blue Cheese. The reason is obvious - Rogue River Blue is magnificent. The cheese is only made in the fall when the milk is at its best-using cows from the creamery's organic dairy farm near Grant's Pass, Oregon.

In order to achieve its sweet-salty flavor, the seasonal cheese is then matured for nine months in the creamery's caves. Each wheel is then manually wrapped in syrah grape leaves produced in Southern Oregon and then dipped in pear liqueur. It has a powerful flavor that combines a gentle fruit-filled sweetness with an earthy, truffle-like funkiness. It has a distinct taste that is unmatched by other blue cheeses. The consistency is nearly fudgy and melts in your mouth creamy. The cheese costs around $80 per pound, but it is totally worth it.