Uplands Cheese Company - Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese, an artisanal farmstead cheese, Dodgeville, Wisconsin

The original development of hard cheeses was motivated by a need to preserve summer's bounty for winter survival. Cows calved in spring and produced milk until winter ended the grazing season. Excess summer milk was turned into cheese, stored in caves and brought to the table during winter. Every small farmstead developed their own techniques and soon certain farms became known for the excellent flavor of their cheese. Duplication of favored techniques produced various regional cheeses, some of which are still made today in limited amounts. We have adapted these old world techniques to produce a unique hand-crafted American cheese with an outstandingly delicious flavor profile.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese

The unique flavor of Pleasant Ridge Reserve is due to the combination of pasture-produced milk, the adoption of time-proven methods of cheese production, and a hand-crafted "old world" aging technique. We only use a portion of the milk we produce to make cheese, so we select milk for cheesemaking based on quality and variety of flavor. We begin producing cheese in late spring when the cows are fully adapted to a diet of pasture forages and we stop production in the fall as soon as the pastures start to go dormant for winter. During the grazing season we only make Pleasant Ridge Reserve when the pastures are at their best. Selecting our carefully controlled "designer milk" is the first step in developing the outstanding flavor of Pleasant Ridge Reserve.

turning and testing cheese wheels

We make our cheese right on the farm starting within minutes after the last cow has been milked. Using such fresh milk eliminates the possibility of the milk developing any off flavors. Meticulous attention to production details and use of traditional cultures and enzymes assures that this fresh designer milk will yield a cheese that responds to the affinage process with a deep and complex flavor profile.

The third and final stage of the process is the daily washing and turning of each wheel of cheese while in a cave environment. After about 4 months in the aging room, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is ready to please your palate. It will continue to change and develop variations in its flavor as it ages further. Try it at various stages and see if you don't find it a rare flavor experience at every age.

You can view a short video about how we make our Pleasant Ridge Reserve HERE.