In our new series of cheese profiles, we further examine those cheeses that have been called out as best sellers from places in our “Cheese Shops We Love” series. Up next, the superlative American Alpine-style: Uplands Cheese Pleasant Ridge Reserve.
Pleasant Ridge Reserve is so named for Uplands Cheese Pleasant Ridge location in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. “Pleasant,” however, is a bit of an undersell in describing this cheese, as superlatives tend to follow it wherever it goes, and for good reason: it is the most awarded cheese in the American cheese canon, both domestically and worldwide. “I get EMOTIONAL talking about this cheese,” says Sarah Simms of Santa Monica’s Lady & Larder. “It is the true gold standard for American-made, Alpine-style cheese.” Here we get to know the ins and outs of what makes Pleasant Ridge Reserve a great deal more than merely pleasant.
What is Pleasant Ridge Reserve?
Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a raw cow’s milk, washed rind, Alpine-style cheese modeled after classic Alpine cheeses made in a similar way such as Gruyère or Beaufort. As one of only two cheeses produced by Uplands, it is made with great care by Uplands’ head cheesemaker, Andy Hatch, one of the legends of American cheese making that, in my experience, cheesemongers tend to speak about only in hushed, revered tones.
History of Pleasant Ridge Reserve
Classic Alpine cheeses have a history going back over 1000 years, and even by comparatively young, American standards, these styles still have a bit of history in the U.S., as Swiss immigrants to Wisconsin have been making Alpine-inspired cheeses in the region for a couple of centuries.
The story of Pleasant Ridge Reserve begins in the late 1990s, with the purchase of farmland by Uplands founders Mike Gingrich and Dan Patenaude. The rotational grazing practices they followed with their herd led to such high quality milk that they endeavored to create their own cheese from it, rather than sell it as part of a dairy cooperative. Looking to the firm, seasonally-inspired Alpine styles that also rely upon pasture-fed cows, Pleasant Ridge Reserve was born around the year 2000, quickly making its mark on the American dairy scene as a cheese of exceptional quality.
Former Uplands apprentices Andy Hatch and Scott Mericka, along with their wives, bought Uplands in 2014 to continue the practice of making Pleasant Ridge Reserve, as well as Uplands other dairy treasure, Rush Creek Reserve.
How Pleasant Ridge Reserve is Made
Like the top Alpine style cheeses, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is largely made in the pasture. Alpage is a practice where cows are free to roam and graze from all that is available: not only grasses, but wildflowers, alliums, legumes, etc., all of which lend an extremely flavorful quality to the milk, and the Uplands herd follows this practice. Wheels of Pleasant Ridge Reserve are only produced from May-October while cows are grazing in open pasture. (Rush Creek Reserve, on the other hand, follows the style of Vacherin Mont d’Or, where cheese is produced from rich and fatty winter milk while the herd is fed mostly on hay.) Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made from raw milk, with cooked and pressed curds that contribute to its exceptional meltability, washed in brine, and aged for a minimum of 9 months, and up to 2 years for its Pleasant Ridge Reserve Extra Aged selection.
Pleasant Ridge Reserve Tasting Notes
Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a sweet and savory explosion: a pronounced fruitiness coming from its minimum 9 months of aging, with an almost umami quality coming from its grass fed raw milk and brine-washed treatment. Fromagination notes its “lush, sweet fruity notes,” while Di Bruno Bros. points out its flavor redolent of “smoked meat and hazelnuts,” adding “the most complex cheese you’ll ever accidentally eat a pound of.” Simms of Lady & Larder also suggests that “the texture and crystals alone bring you to your knees.”
Pleasant Ridge Reserve Pairings
Despite its complexity, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is potentially one of the easiest cheeses to pair, as any accoutrement or beverage is bound to find a flavor echo in the cheese. Try Pleasant Ridge Reserve melted over a crock of deeply caramelized, French onion soup, or Murray’s suggests a fruity pairing with sea salt crackers and strawberry rhubarb preserves.
Deeply aged cheeses such as Pleasant Ridge Reserve are the cheeses best poised to take on full-flavored beverages such as robust reds or rich, oaked whites, as well as fruity Belgian style beers. A few to try include Ivory & Burt 2019 Zinfandel (New York International Wine Competition 2022 Double Gold Medal Winner,) Longhorn Cellars Estate Viognier, (New York International Wine Competition 2022 Gold Medal Winner,) or Brewery Ardennes Grand Cru Dubbel (New York International Beer Competition 2022 Silver Medal Winner.