The Age Of Cheese

Age is everything when it comes to cheese. Time is what gives cheese its' flavor. It can also make or break a good wheel, turning into a dream or a nightmare.The ripening process is just as important to cheese as any other. However it is this process that's causing a price war among cheese makers.

This was the topic of Jeff Gordinier's article in today's New York Times Dining section. The process , also called affinage is the art of maturing or ripening cheese. This is done in a variety of ways, from being brushed to help the rind breathe properly to being flipped to evenly distribute the minerals. Sometimes affinage calls for the process of bathing in wine or brandy.Without it comes trouble. Cheddar can produce a sulphuric rotten egg smell if it's not aged accordingly. If there's too much humidity, then the rind can be overly thick.

There is another problem with affinage. Over pricing. It seems the longer a cheese ages the more expensive it will be on the market. some feel that a fancier approach to affinage is nothing more than a gimmick. Cheese can be ripened in a simple walk in freezer as opposed to the on site 'caves' that some cheesemakers have built. This last could just be simple cave like caverns in the basement of a fromagerie. Some such as Wisconsin cheese makers Mary and David Falk, have created their own warren in the Dairy State's hills. According to them this vastly improves the flavor. Water from artesian wells has trickled over it alogn with fresh country air wafting in. Others such as brothers Mateo and Andy Kehler have created "rent a cave" areas in Vermont, for local dairies to process homemade cheeses. Of course this means higher pricing for these cheeses. The question is are we paying for the taste or th e money that went into creating the perfect affinage environment.

All in all, a good cheese is one that has been fully ripened and without any blemish. How it's matured really doesn't matter. What matters is that cheese makers don't drive up the price with any unnecessary over the top aging techniques. Thats what will drive cheese lovers away and to the cheaper , less polished brands.