Quality Cheese at Your Doorstep

Like cheese? Really, really good cheese? Now you can get some of the best available with a few quick clicks. Chicago’s Pastoral Artisan Cheese has launched a new website offering nationwide shipping. And it’s been a hit: 70 percent of Pastoral’s online business comes from out-of-state and throughout the country. But if you’re in Chicago this year, it’s worth stopping in one of its three locations for in-store events and classes, such as the Blind Tasting Challenge, Cheese 101, Meet the Cheesemaker Dinner and Wines of the American West Coast.

What makes Pastoral special is that the owners have created relationships all over the world with renowned cheesemakers who share their goods—some made exclusively for Pastoral. The Pastoral team also offers wine and artisan-beer pairings for most cheese gifts through an easy pull-down menu. Here are a few of our favorite gift items:

The Pastoral Collection ($89.99)

Compiling some of Pastoral’s finest picks from around the world, this gift includes Hafod, buttery Welsh cheese from Neal’s Yard in London; Bel Canto, an ash-coated, goat’s milk pyramid made exclusively for Pastoral by Andante Dairy in Calif.; and Montasio Vino Rosso, an artisanally produced drunken cheese bathed in Cabernet and Merlot grape must. The collection is complemented by handmade Whitney’s Castleton Crackers and hand-harvested Savannah Bee Company’s Tupelo honey—as well as the option to pair the gift with wine or craft beer.

Perfect Pairing of the Month ($119)

For a gift that gives beyond a day, choose a 6- or 9-month membership for wine and cheese pairings. Sometimes you’ll get traditional combinations and other times more adventurous pairings of one bottle of wine, a half-pound of artisan cheese, either crackers or housemade crostini, and a booklet describing each item.

Midwestern Beer Lover ($69.99)

Drawing on the plethora of micro-breweries popping up in Illinois and neighboring states, such as Goose Island Brewery in Chicago, this pack comprises bottle-fermented craft beers paired with the Midwest’s best cheeses, crackers and preserves. Cheeses vary but include items such as Oakvale Farmstead Cheese Gouda and O’Banon’s Capriole.

Fromage a Trois ($79.99)

A great introduction to some of France’s finest cheeses, this selection includes Mimolette from Normandy, said to be Charles de Gaulle's favorite; Comte, a raw cow’s milk cheese from St. Antoine; Caprinelle from Pyrenees, a semi-hard Basque shepherd’s cheese; and Bleu d’Auvergne, a slightly sharp, creamy, raw-milk DOC cheese from South-Central France. Also includes Les Folies de Fromage Fruit Spread for Cheese, and Life in Provence Cocktail Toasts, offering a complete French experience.—Denise Shoukas

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