Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine May 2014 | Page 34

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Wisconsin Cheese Originals
By Holly Whittlef

There are few—if any—things more
synonymous with Wisconsin than
cheese. Semi-soft or hard, wickedly
creamy or crumbly, fresh or cave-aged,
cheese is our state’s most beloved food.
And Wisconsin Cheese Originals is
determined to spread that love. Lead
by enthusiastic cheesemonger Jeanne
Carpenter, Wisconsin Cheese Originals
is dedicated to sharing information
about artisan cheeses through special
events, classes, and tours.
With more than 200 members,
Wisconsin Cheese Originals is quickly
transforming area cheese lovers into
cheese connoisseurs. With an intentional
focus on artisan cheese—small-batch
cheeses produced by hand—one of
Jeanne’s goals is to push consumers
beyond cheddar into a wider variety of
more unique, complex tastes.
Membership is not required to attend
events or classes, but 90% of events are
never announced because they sell out
so quickly to members. Special events
include cheese tours, tasting classes, and
chef-catered dinners with cheesemakers.
“I think of stuff I would want to do, then
I organize it. It seems to work really well,
and I have a lot of fun doing it,” Jeanne
says. Her passion for cheese is infectious,
and local foodies will find the roster of
classes impossible to resist. Past offerings
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include tastings crafted around fondue
and Swiss cheese, gourmet grilled
cheese, and world champion cheeses.
They are reflective of Wisconsin Cheese
Originals’ motto: “Have fun. Do good.
Eat cheese.”
As the organization’s owner, Jeanne is
well versed in the world of cheese. She
will take the American Cheese Society
Certified Cheese Professional exam this
year, a distinction requiring more than
4,000 hours of experience working
directly with cheese. It does not make her
a cheesemaker, but rather a sommelier
for cheese—an expert professional
knowledgeable about the nuances of
taste, production, and industry. In
addition to Wisconsin Cheese Originals,
Jeanne works as the full-time manager
of the specialty cheese department at
Metcalfe’s Market in Madison. She is
also a member of Rotary Club, and in
2012 was elected to the Village Board
in Oregon, where she lives with her
husband and daughter. “I don’t relax
well. When you’re doing something you
love, it’s not work,” she says.
Most people are familiar with Wisconsin
Cheese Originals for its annual festival—
two days of eating and educational
seminars on artisan cheeses from across the
United States. After five years of hosting
the festival, Jeanne decided to retire it this

year. Instead, she is ramping up Wisconsin
Cheese Originals in new ways, including
offering domestic and international smallgroup cheese tours. “I want the consumer
to meet the cheesemaker and shake
their hand—you just cannot do that at a
festival,” Jeanne explains.
Tours will run two to three times a year
and offer a backstage pass into the lesserknown cheese plants of Wisconsin’s and
the world’s top cheesemakers. Jeanne is
eying several international destinations,
including the Lombardy and Piedmont
areas of Italy and Switzerland. She
advises “super foodies” are perhaps the
best fit for tours—people who not only
love food, but are eager to learn more
about where it came from. Because when
your primary food group consists of
cheese for up to a week, she laughs, “You
REALLY have to love cheese.”
Wisconsin Cheese Originals is also
shifting their focus to more smallgroup cheesemaker dinners. Dinners
will feature a gourmet three-course
meal for an intimate group of about
40 people. Each course incorporates a
different artisan cheese from up to three
different cheesemakers, who are all in
attendance. “You get to sit at the table,
enjoy each course and have that personal
conversation with them,” Jeanne
says. She works with local chefs who