Weekly Wedge - Carr Valley Mobay

Carr Valley Mobay

up close & personal

This week I have selected Carr Valley Mobay from La Valle, Wisconsin. This cheese is made with both goat milk as well as sheep milk, separated by a layer of grape vine ash, and pressed together to complete this Morbier-style beauty.

Carr Valley has been making consistently outstanding (and award-winning) cheese for over one-hundred years. The current owner, Sid Cook, is one of the few certified Master Cheesemakers in the United States. To hold this title you must be a Wisconsin cheese veteran and have competed an extensive fifteen-year cheese artistry program. No wonder Carr Valley has won hundreds of awards under his supervision!

This was a selection in our cheese program while I was working at Canoe Bay. I would place it on cheese boards very frequently due to how satisfied the guests were upon trying this particular cheese. I would typically snack on the scraps with some heavily-peppered crackers. When explaining the mobay to a guest I'd suggest that they try both sides separately, then fold the cheese in half, right at the seam, and enjoy both the sheep milk and goat milk styles together.

Appearance: The goat milk side is a crisp white, while the sheep milk portion is slightly yellow-tinged. The grape vine ash showing through as a thin gray strip dividing the two.

Taste: There is a balance within the two sides of this cheese that acts to create the perfect blend of tang and mellow grassy notes. The flavor profile serves as a great cheese board selection since it offers variety within one selection.

Texture: This cheese is soft enough that it can easily be folded in half as I mentioned earlier. Very smooth texture, but firm enough that I would not describe it as creamy. Even at room temperature this cheese will hold it's shape and remain semi-firm.

How I'm Enjoying It: I'm all about fresh berries and goat cheese, the acidity of the cheese amongst strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries is a simple pairing. That being said, I enjoyed this Mobay with some strawberries and it was equally as pleasing. About a year ago, I made a béchamel sauce entirely out of Carr Valley Mobay and it will go down in the books as one of my top 5 without a doubt.

I'd Be Up For Trying: A sandwich with Carr Valley Mobay and some beet slices, maybe topped with arugula and a berry vinaigrette. I also believe this cheese would pair well with an off-dry riesling or even a sweeter white wine.

Overall: Carr Valley Mobay can be enjoyed at room-temperature on it's own, melted into a béchamel, or enhanced when accompanied by fresh berries. This is an excellent choice if you intend on creating a cheese board and do not know the palate of your guests all too well. The versatility within this selection makes it a must try cheese regardless of the occasion.