In the 2011 movie “Bridesmaids,” Kristen Wiig’s character refers to “buying cheese from the nice part of the store” as a means of creating a sophisticated French spread for her best friend’s bridal shower. If you’ve ever been to a Whole Foods Market, you’ll know that the whole place qualifies as the “nice part of the store,” and that distinction very much extends to its cheese collection. In areas where there is no dedicated retail outfit for cheese, Whole Foods Market often functions as an artisan cheese shop for its community.
And it’s no wonder, as Whole Foods employs an expert, global cheese buyer to curate its cheese collection. Cathy Strange is the Vice President of Specialty Product and has been with Whole Foods since 1990. She brings a wealth of cheese credentials to the operation: as a member of several professional cheese and culinary societies, she has been a judge at domestic and international cheese competitions such as the U.S. Cheese Championship and the World Cheese Awards.
Let it be a testament to Strange’s cheese program at Whole Foods that paring this list down to a manageable number of selections was an effort unto itself. (The semi-affectionate nickname “Whole Paycheck” can easily apply to just the cheese case for aficionados.) Whole Foods works directly with farmers and cheesemakers to stock their cases, and each Whole Foods includes local and seasonal selections, so not every cheese on this list may be available nationwide. Let it stand as a benchmark, however, for the level of quality represented overall. Besides reliable stalwart cheeses such as manchego, gruyere, and gouda, here are 9 cheeses you’ll want to buy at Whole Foods.
Cypress Grove Midnight Moon
Admittedly, Cypress Grove cheeses aren’t especially hard to come by, but Midnight Moon was the first “nice part of the market” cheese I ever tried, and it blew my mind open. Made in a gouda style with goat cheese and aged a minimum of 6 months, Midnight Moon has an off-white, dense paste that tastes of nuts, brown butter, and sea-salt caramel, with just the slightest tang from the goat’s milk, and the occasional crystalline crunch. If you’re also a fan of Cypress Grove generally, as of my recent NYC Whole Foods shopping experience, they also carry Lamb Chopper and Humboldt Fog.
Luigi Guffanti Robiola, 2 Milks
Robiola is Italy’s solution if your cheese plates are experiencing French brie fatigue. A square, soft-ripened cheese from the Piedmont region of northern Italy, robiolas are typically made with flavorful spring and summer milk from any grazing animal. Guffanti’s due latti, or “2 milks,” is made with both cow’s and sheep’s milk, and aged for just a handful of weeks, resulting in a full-flavored, but approachable and supple, bloomy-rind cheese. Also available at Whole Foods from the Piedmont/robiola family is the mottled little cheesecake called La Tur.
Roth Buttermilk Blue
I say this about a lot of blue cheeses, (because I really want everyone to love them,) but Roth Buttermilk Blue is an excellent conversion blue: creamy and mellow enough to convince the blue-averse of its worth, tangy and interesting for die-hard blue fans. Made by the Roth dairy in Wisconsin, Roth Buttermilk Blue is a raw cow’s milk, young blue cheese with only 2 months of aging before it hits the shelves. Other blues that caught my eye at Whole Foods were Point Reyes Original Blue and Cambozola.
Brebirousse D’Argental
Tinted with annatto, brebirousse literally means “red sheep,” and tells you a lot of what you need to know about this cheese. The red-stained, bloomy rind hints at something earthier, like a washed-rind taleggio, but this cheese behaves more like a stronger, sheep’s milk brie. Sheep’s milk is both richer and fuller-flavored than cow’s milk, so that orange rind isn’t entirely false advertising: the resulting cheese is not only buttery, but savory and complex.
Uplands Cheese Pleasant Ridge Reserve
Pleasant Ridge Reserve has the notable distinction of being the most-awarded American cheese. If that’s not reason enough to buy, consider the tasting notes from the Uplands website: “rich and salty, with a long fruity finish.” Yes. I want all of those things. This cheese is the United States’ most successful answer to Alpine-style cheeses, and it is made only in the summer like the finest selections from that category—taking its nuance and complexity from the grasses and legumes that cows are able to graze on in the summer. The “fruity” finish comes through with flavors of tropical fruit, even more, apparent in the sometimes available Extra-Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve, where the protein crystals can taste like pineapple candy.
The Cellars at Jasper Hill Harbison
Jasper Hill’s spruce-wrapped, soft-ripened Harbison is a reason unto itself to have a party. When the top rind is cut away, what remains is a natural, scoopable fondue: a sweet, creamy paste balanced with flavors like citrus, mustard, and mushrooms. People I’ve gifted Harbison to have described it as the best cheese they’ve ever had, should you be shopping at Whole Foods and similarly in need of a gift.
Mitica Capricho de Cabra with Fine Herbs
Fresh goat cheese, or chêvre, is a safe bet from most supermarkets, but Capricho de Cabra is a step above most selections in the category. Jumilla, Spain’s murciana goats produce milk that is higher in both protein and fat content, making for an exceptionally rich, creamy, robust fresh cheese. The coating of fine herbs —parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon—is also a terrific, continental touch.
Vermont Creamery St. Albans
St. Albans is an American cheese by Vermont Creamery modelled after France’s St. Marcellin—a bloomy rind cheese so delicate and oozy in texture it requires a crock to hold it together. Hand-shaped and aged for a mere 11 days, Vermont Creamery also employs the necessary crock for St. Albans, which makes its immediate transfer from the fridge to the oven all the easier.
Columbia Cheese Alp Blossom
While alpine-style Pleasant Ridge Reserve is the most awarded of American cheeses, the actually alpine Alp Blossom is the most decorated. Literally. This Austrian selection is labelled as “alpage,” which refers to the opportunity for cows to graze on high-elevation wildflowers during the summer season, to produce the most flavorful milk from which Alp Blossom is made. To echo the bovine diet, the cheese is also decorated with a fetching coat of organic flowers and herbs.
For other curated lists of supermarket cheeses, see The 7 Best Cheeses You’ll Want to Buy from Aldi, and the 9 Best Cheeses You’ll Want to Buy from Trader Joe’s.