Affidelice Berthaut (France)
priced by the piece
Affidelice is Epoisses' better-mannered twin. The former's aroma is less potent, more mushroom-like than barnyard, but the production method and appearance are similar for both. Its name, Affidelice, comes from the marriage of two words: affinT (ripe) and delice (delight). Affidelice is soft, with a moist, terracotta-colored rind, and is contained in a small, wooden box. The resulting cheese has a soft, pungent, spoonable paste and a satiny texture. This cheese from Burgundy is a versatile pairing partner for many wines. One piece weighs approximately 7 ounces.

Affine au Chablis (France)
priced by the piece
In many ways Affidelice au Chablis (Chalancey), through its birth-place and production method, is similar to Epoisses. Its origin is Burgundy. This cheese is washed once a week with Chablis, which gives it a wine taste and an easily recognizable smell. It is usually presented in a wooden box. Like Epoisses, the taste is strong but at the same time savoury. It tends to melt in your mouth.

Aragones (Spain)
priced by the pound
This aptly named washer (Aragones = Awesome!) from Aragon, Spain is a welcome break from the more common sheep and goat varieties. The richness of the pasteurized cow's milk, boosted by its supple rind translates to an exceedingly creamy paste with a fluffy mouth feel. Look for a very mild pungency and tropical fruit finish.

Neal's Yard Ardrahan Washed Rind (Ireland)
priced by the pound
In the 1970s, Eugene Burns came to the conclusion that his family wasn't eating quality dairy products, so he decided to make his own yogurt, cheese, and sour cream. In 1983, Eugene and his wife, Mary, founded Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese at their farm in the idyllic Irish countryside in Duhallow, County Cork. Today, with the help of their son, Gerald, they continue to produce this wonderful farmstead cheese in true artisan fashion. Ardrahan is a cow milk cheese with a washed rind that takes on a golden hue as it ages. Under the burnished rind, the buttery yellow cheese turns amber at the center and has a firm and mildly chalky texture. The flavor of this cheese is earthy and pungent with a delicate saltiness. Neals Yard Dairy.

Bierdeckel 'Beermat (Rolf Beeler) (Switzerland)
priced by the pound
Beermat, a.k.a. Aarauer Bierdeckel, is a washed-rind artisanal cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. Beermat is bathed in wheat beer, giving it a slightly toasty yet pungent aroma. Its texture is like that of a ripe Taleggio, its flavor reminiscent of Epoisses. Beermat will stand up beautifully to any hearty dark ale or Alsatian white wine.

Chimay Grand Reserve Trappist Cheese (Belgium )
priced by the pound
Chimay Grand Reserve û The art of beer and cheese. Trappist monks created this beer as far back as 1850, one of the most recognized Belgian ales. It is bright red amber in color, moderately full-bodied with moderate bitterness this beer pours with a big creamy off-white head and has fruity, floral hop aromas. Sweetish dark caramel malt flavors expand on the palate with a hint of hoppy bite on the finish and some warmth.

Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk (California)
priced by the pound
Red Hawk is one of the best examples of American cheese, original, delicious, and mouthwatering. Made with organic milk and cream from the Straus Family Dairy and washed with a brine solution to develop the signature red rind, Red Hawk is a dense buttery triple-cream that has just the right amount of funk. Not as aggressive as most washed-rind cheeses, it still delivers complexity and depth; it just brings it in an amazingly smooth little bundle of joy. Red Hawk won Best-In-Show at the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference in 2003 and a Gold Ribbon and 2nd Best-in-Show in 2009

Cowgirl Creamery SF Drake (California)
priced by the pound
The official story is that itÆs a very limited special cheese û not a regular production cheese û and itÆs a treat! ItÆs not mentioned on the Cowgirl Creamery website and usually available only in CowgirlÆs own San Francisco Retail Store.á It was available recently and we happened to get some û the next batch? YouÆll just have to keep and eye out for it. A triple-crFme pasteurized cowÆs milk cheese washed in Beaumes de Venise and topped with macerated currants. Made from organic whole milk from the Straus Family dairy, this washed rind cheese does have a bite to it, but it is addictively good!á It has a medium soft creamy paste with a buttery consistency and a subtle, earthy slightly nutty flavor.

Durras (England)
priced by the pound
Durrus is made by Jeffa Gill at her dairy in Coomkeen, in the far southwest corner of Ireland, from the raw milk of two local herds of cattle. Mild and creamy with strong notes of butter, this semi-soft, washed-rind Saint-Nectaire-style cheese develops stronger, headier, fruitier flavors as it matures. Durrus' rind is coral-colored, developing gray, yellow, and pink molds with age; and its creamy paste contains over 55% butterfat!

Epoisses Berthaut AOC (France)
priced by the piece
Soft cow's milk fromage from the Cote-d'Or and Burgundy regions of France. Covered with a beautiful orange rind (thanks to the Marc de Bourgogne), it is superbly creamy with a very intense aroma but a sweet and subtle flavor. From Fromagerie Berthaut.

Epoisses Chalancey (France)
priced by the piece
Soft cow's milk fromage from the Cote-d'Or and Burgundy regions of France. Covered with a beautiful orange rind (thanks to the Marc de Bourgogne), it is superbly creamy with a very intense aroma but a sweet and subtle flavor. From Fromagerie Chalancey

Meadow Creek Farms Grayson (Virginia)
priced by the pound
Grayson hails from Meadow Creek Farms in the hills of southwestern Virginia. An outstanding washed-rind, cow's milk cheese, Grayson takes its cues from the old world with a square form like Taleggio and a pGte akin to Chimay. Grayson has the pungent savoriness of both - it starts off tangy, fresh, and sweet, and finishes as warm and smooth as butter. 25th Annual Conference, American Cheese Society's, Best in show Second Runner Up, and winner.

Neal's Yard Gubbeen (Ireland)
priced by the pound
Tom and Giana Ferguson are the fifth-generation producers of Gubbeen, a rosy washed-rind cheese from West Cork, Ireland. The name of the cheese is Gaelic for "gobin", meaning small mouthful. Made from morning milk, the cheese is curdled, cut, and molded into forms about the size of a dinner plate. Each cheese is washed delicately with a culture-infused brine. Every wheel develops differently, with some gaining an orange sheen and others exhibiting a light, fluffy bloom. Gubbeen pairs well with a semi-dry Riesling or English porter beer.

Langres Chalancey (France)
priced by the piece
Langres û Champagne Cheese An artisanal washed-rind cow's milk cheese with a dense texture and rich, creamy flavor that is milder and more delicate than most washed rind cheeses. Shaped like a squat cylinder with a concave top, the cheese is traditionally served with Champagne poured over the top. And pairs naturally with a French Bubbly!

Merlemont Rebouchon (France)
priced by the piece
A cross between a Brie, a Camembert and very similar to the original Reblochon (now unavailable in the United States), Merlemont is a soft, unpressed cheese with a thin bloomy rind washed with brine. Made by the Cooperative of Paturages Comtois, this small disc-shaped cheese is made of cow's milk (55% fat content makes it creamy) and comes wrapped (very much like Brie in that sense). From the region of Franche-ComtT, pair Le Merlemont with light, fruity red wines and serve at room temperature. 7oz

Livarot (France)
priced by the piece
Livarot hails from the Normandy and is easily distinguished by its strong, aromatic pungency and the five bright orange strips of raffia that bind its edge and help keep its form during ripening. This is a soft, washed-rind beauty that can be challenging, mouth-watering, and absolutely delicious.

Pont L'eveque (France)
priced by the piece
Pont l'Eveque û This soft washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Normandy pairs wonderfully with a hearty ale. It has warm, buttery, savory flavors and tangy, fruity undercurrents. Legend has it that Pont l'Eveque was introduced by monks in the Pays d'Auge during the Middle Ages; it was known by its current place-name by the seventeenth century.

Prefere de montagnes (France)
priced by the pound
If you like Reblochon, you will like this cowÆs milk cheese from the Jura region of France. It is a half-pressed beauty with a rustic country look and taste, and it will leave you feeling just as relaxed as it looks. PrTfTrT de Nos Montagnes comes from the Jura mountain area of eastern France. It is creamy and slightly tart with floral aromas. The rind has been washed to a faint stinkiness, and it even gives off a hint of hazelnuts. This style of cheese is great for those who want the impact of washed rind cheese, but without being overpowering.

Quadrello Buffalo Milk Taleggio (Italy)
priced by the pound
Buffalo were originally brought to Italy in the 7th Century and references to cheese made from their milk appeared in the 1300's. Today, Quattro Portoni makes over 25 different types of cheese from buffalo milk. This cheese is essentially a buffalo milk taleggio, it has a soft, ivory pink rind with a deliciously creamy paste. The flavor is rich and slightly sweet and tangy.

Talaggio (Italy)
priced by the pound
Warning: you must be a fan of stinky cheese to enjoy Italy's famous Taleggio cheese! Although the taste is distinctive it is relatively mild compared to the pungent aroma. Hailing from Italy's Lombardy region, this rich (48 percent fat), semisoft cheese is made from whole cow's milk. Its flavor can range from mild to pungent, depending on its age. When young, Taleggio's color is pale yellow and its texture semisoft. As it ages it darkens to deep yellow and becomes rather runny. The flavor of the Taleggio cheese goes well with a robust wine. This cheese was first made in the area of Val Taleggio as early as the tenth century, but the name, Taleggioá (pronounced tahl-EH-zhee-oh), has only been used since the early 20th century. You are about to enjoy one of the worldÆs most magnificent cheeses!

Vacharin Mont d'Or (Switzerland)
priced by the piece
A heavenly runny and incredibly delightful cheesethat it is un-be-liev-ably good. áThe V-M-O is made of unpasteurized cow milk and produced during the cold fall and first winter months in the Jura hills only. Each small wheel is held together by a fine bark strip and then put into a light wood box. It makes for a great appetizer - spooned straight out of the box, as a shared plate or for a very special dessert if you drizzle it with some good grappa or kirsch, put it under the broiler shortly and serve it warm like fondue. It has a soft and creamy texture with a barnyard aroma; it is pungent, but not off-putting. This cheese might be considered a fuller-flavored Swiss version of Epoisses. Vacherin Mont d'or is social dish that will make for one very happy table! Give it a try.