By Gordon Edgar—
Sometimes we get such a great deal on a great cheese that, when I see a regular coming up to the counter, I just say to them, “Buy this.”
Pleasant Ridge Reserve comes from Uplands Creamery in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Uplands makes two cheeses: the seasonal Rush Creek, a raw milk, bark-wrapped masterpiece available only in November and December, and Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Rush Creek is exciting because it is limited, unusual, and heralds the coming of the food holidays. Pleasant Ridge, on the other hand, is just quietly the best alpine-style cheese made in the U.S., with the awards to prove it.
What does a cheesemonger mean when we say alpine or Alp-style? I could describe it in technical terms that mean little to most cheese eaters, but, generally speaking, it just means made in the style of firm, aged cheese traditionally made in The Alps regions of Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, and Austria where borders mean little in terms of traditional cheesemaking processes. After all, the borders have moved over the years, but the mountains haven’t.
Gruyère is the easiest alpine-style comparison because that is what Americans are the most familiar with, but Pleasant Ridge’s best comparison is Beaufort, sometimes referred to as the “King of the Alps.” Both are very special cheeses, less onion-y and spicy, and instead more grassy, nutty, and buttery than a well-aged Swiss Gruyere. Beaufort is pretty rare in the U.S.—we only bring it in once or twice a year when we can bring in the “Alpage” from the highest elevation in The Alps. But Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a great closer-to-home alternative. We often have Pleasant Ridge Reserve, but you know what we don’t usually have? Pleasant Ridge Reserve at 19.99/lb (regularly 38.99/lb).
At that price, it’s an everyday cheese. Put it on a baked potato! I did that the first day we had it at this price. Make a panini! Heck, put it in a mac and cheese! Take advantage of it while you can.
We got a deal from a cheese distributor that had bought too many and wanted to sell them before their end-of-March expiration date. To be real with you all, this kind of cheese doesn’t really have a specific expiration date, but we were happy to help out and pass the deal onto you. This price will not last all month though. Once we sell out the wheels we have, the sale will end.
Uplands Creamery, by the way, is a seasonally-operated, grass-based cheese plant that only makes Pleasant Ridge Reserve when the cows are grazing in the summer. The last time I stopped by on my way through the Driftless region of Wisconsin, actor
Tony Shalhoub happened to be there filming for his food show on CNN, Breaking Bread. I didn’t make it on film, but it was a great episode. Internationally known, Pleasant Ridge Reserve has won the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition Best in Show award three times. No other cheese has been able to achieve that. It is truly a wonder of good grass, great cows, and exceptional cheesemaking.
Gordon Edgar loves cheese and worker co-ops and has been combining these infatuations as the cheese buyer for Rainbow Grocery Cooperative since 1994. He serves on the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition Committee and is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Edgar has written two books on cheese—”Cheesemonger” (2010) and “Cheddar” (2015)—and lives in San Francisco with his adorable white mini schnauzer named Fillmore Grumble. He writes about grief, and sometimes cheese, at https://bit.ly/42IwYf0
Over the Rainbow Cheese Counter
Published on March 12, 2026
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