The 14 Types Of Cheese That Are Best To Splurge On

According to Wisconsin Cheese, estimates put the number of cheeses worldwide at over 1,800. Across that span, you can encounter varying quality and price points, and trying to discern a good cheese can be difficult (though there are some unique cheeses out there you should try at least once). We consulted Matthew McClure, Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director at Vermont's Woodstock Inn & Resort. McClure's reputation for championing local ingredients makes his compunction for Vermont's cheese industry a natural fit.

While regions have reputations for good cheese, McClure worries more about milk quality, "The better the milk, the better the cheese." This declaration isn't to disqualify the microclimate of an area before and after the cheese is made, however. "Where the cheese gets aged can dramatically affect the cheese just like the quality of the milk," he continues. We'll find along the way that notable regions and styles from them have significant contributing factors to the milk's quality, be it sheep's milk, goat's milk, or cow's milk. Using those two factors as a starting point, we can dub the cheeses below among those worth some extra dollars. The list isn't exhaustive, and remember that "splurge" can mean different things to different people.

Depending on where you're from, you might take issue with this recommendation. (We see you, Wisconsin.) In an interview with Vermont Public Radio, cheesemonger Gordon Edgar notes what makes Vermont cheddar stand out, focusing on its bitter, sharp, and more sulfury tones than those of other cheddars. McClure cites Vermont's milk's " [higher] butterfat and protein content" in creating the texture and distinctive flavor. Edgar takes the credit a step further, addressing the mineral content in the water and soil quality that helps contribute to the milk's quality. There's no standard for pasteurizing cheddar, so the environment likely contributes to its distinctive flavor.

With more than 45 cheesemakers in the state, techniques vary, as there is no standard of what makes cheddar other than cow's milk, the cheese contains less than 39% moisture, and it undergoes cheddaring. Cheddaring is a process of cutting curds into blocks, stacking them, and rotating and re-stacking them, which acidifies the curd and gives it its distinctive texture before aging for a minimum of two to three months, with longer aging producing a sharper cheese. Looking at the milk's physical properties and the nuances of terroir, Vermont cheddar might be worth the extra dollars.

Taleggio isn't for the faint of heart. This Italian semi-soft cow's milk cheese, named after the caves of Val Taleggio where it was first aged, gets its pungent aroma and surprisingly mild flavor from smear-ripening. In "Cheese (Fourth edition)," the effects of smear-ripening are described as a gooey, red-orange smear that develops on the surface of the cheese. Sounds good. Should we continue? Smear ripening is covering the surface of the cheese with a culture of yeast and bacteria to kickstart the ripening process.

Process aside, Taleggio has a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, contains 48% milk fat, possesses a mild, fruity flavor, despite the sulfury aroma, and is made with pasteurized or non-pasteurized milk. "Raw milk gives you more terroir of the flavors but pasteurized gives you more consistency," McClure says. In many Taleggios, the fruity, floral notes are a testimonial to that terroir in addition to the aging process. Taleggio stands strong alone on a cheese board, in a grilled cheese, or ramps up mac and cheese.

There are very few occasions where the unique comté cheese isn't appropriate. In its younger forms, it's perfect for sandwiches, melting, baking, or fondue, while an aged comté will hold court on a cheese plate just fine. Comté is a PDO product originating from the mountainous Jura Massif region of France, where cows get to dine on alpine grasses before their raw milk (there's that terroir again) is transformed into cheese. It's a cooked cheese, where after the milk coagulates from the addition of rennet, the cheesemaker heats the curds to make them pliable before shaping them into wheels and pressing them to remove the whey. The wheels get a treatment of sea salt and yeast before heading into a cave in the Alps for aging.

Young comté is after four months, while older, more refined wheels sit for two years before making their debut. Cheese.com claims there are approximately 83 flavors associated with a mature version, the most consistent being the nuttiness associated with brown butter, while others note nutmeg or celery leaves. Younger versions skew towards the nutty flavors already described. Because of its nuanced flavor and versatility, comté is not a cheese to pass up lightly.

In sheep's milk cheese, McClure recommends looking for "lanolin [flavors] but not too wooly. A dense structure with higher fat and protein, not crumbly." With a subtle lanolin flavor and smoky notes that honor the tradition of drying the cheeses by the fire, Idiazábal hits those marks. It brings nutty flavors when it's young that develop into flavors of roasted meat and caramel as it ages. It's worth noting that not all are smoked, so ask your cheesemonger if you're in doubt.

The richness of the milk from the particular sheep breeds used in making Idiazábal lends a buttery texture that compliments the gaminess the lanolin provides. Its PDO designation dictates that milk used comes from Latxa or Carranza sheep from the northern Spanish Basque or Navarra regions. The sheep dine on high-pasture grass in the summer, with their raw milk processed during those months before the cheese undergoes light pressing and aging for a minimum of two months. The limited production timespan and breed restrictions add some rarity to Idiazábal, which is reflected in its price more so than its cousin, Manchego.

Parmigiano Reggiano and grocery store "Parmesan" share little in common, save that they're pale and sometimes grated. Parmigiano Reggiano is an Italian POD cheese produced within a triangular area roughly bounded by Mantua, Bologna, and Parma, which also encompasses Modena and Reggio Emilia. The first record of Parmigiano Reggiano dates to 1254 with monks, and trade in the cheese increased across the Italian peninsula to a point where stakeholders felt the need to protect their product from imitation or manufacture elsewhere. To provide this, the Duke of Parma create the first PDO in 1612 (codified by the EU in 1996) to regulate it.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a cooked-curd cheese comprised of three ingredients, milk, rennet, and salt. After molding, the cheese gets bathed in a salt brine before the aging process starts. During the minimum of 12 months the cheese ages; it takes on flavors of cashew, stone fruit, and citrus, which become more intense as the cheese ages. Some Reggiano ages for 96 months, at which point the flavors evolve to dried fruit and tobacco. Though it doesn't have the historical longevity of Pecorino, the complexity of flavors and historical prominence earns it a spot on this list.

In its short lifespan, kefalograviera has gained the title The Macedonian Prince. It's a hybrid of Kefalotyri and Graviera, combining the salty, intense, piquantness of the former and the more mellow qualities of the latter. With such a lofty moniker, one would expect kefalograviera to have an equal lineage, but it is a relative newcomer to the Greek cheese world, originating in the 1960s.

It's a natural rind, pasteurized goat and sheep's milk cheese, aged for a minimum of three months, that is firm enough to grate but well suited for frying in traditional dishes like saganaki, a Greek dish you need to try at least once. Kefalograviera is another POD cheese, with production limited to the western Macedonia and Epirus areas. Priced similarly to Jarlsberg, in the mid-$20s, this isn't an exorbitantly expensive cheese, but it is one worth experiencing for its balance of aggressive and mellow flavors that can stand on a cheese board or fit into your dinner plans.

Americans ate 12.28 pounds of mozzarella per capita in 2021, according to Statista. Most of that consumption was low-moisture, part-skim, as one would find on pizza or mozzarella sticks, but another report from Dataessential in 2020 showed 28% growth in fresh mozzarella sales at restaurants. Like shredded mozzarella is not like fresh mozzarella or burrata, mozzarella di bufala is not like any other fresh mozzarella.

Strange as it may seem, water buffalo have lived in southern Italy, mainly around Campania, for 1,000 years, give or take. Referring back to McClure's statement about butterfat making better cheese, a water buffalo's milk has twice as much fat as a cow's. Buffalo milk makes the resulting cheese richer, creamier, and more acidic due to its fat content. Since water buffalo milk isn't the commodity that cows are, you'll more often than not find mozzarella di bufala brined and sometimes vacuum-packed. The brine sets a thin skin around the outside of the ball or other small shapes, like bocconcini, giving the mozzarella a slight bite on the exterior. When buying your buffalo mozzarella, check for the DOC or DOP labels, especially if you want the authentic Neapolitan pizza experience.