12 Days of Cheese are back! And just in time to celebrate the holidays, too. From creamy to crumbly, we searched the world to find 12 unique and delicious cheeses we think you’ll love this holiday season, many of which you can only find at Whole Foods Market. Plus, discover their perfect pairings — then visit your store to stock up. Your cheese wishes are about to come true.
Here’s a tip for even better cheese: Unwrap your cheese about an hour before serving to bring out flavors and aromatics.
December 12: Klare Melk Truffle Gouda
Rich, flavorful, semifirm cheese. Velvety notes of sweet cream and butter, generously laced with earthy truffles. Exclusive to Whole Foods Market.
Wine: Monterustico Rosso Piemonte
Beer: Chimay Blue Quadrupel
Accoutrement: Savannah Bee Co. Honeycomb
Cracker: 34 Degrees Natural Crisps
Charcuterie: Creminelli Prosciutto
December 13: Uplands Cheese Company Pleasant Ridge Reserve
A seasonally produced cow’s milk Alpine-style cheese modeled after favorites like Le Gruyère and Beaufort. Flavors range from milky to nutty and grassy. The only cheese in the history of the American Cheese Society’s annual competition to win the top prize — “Best in Show” — three times.
Wine: Andover Estate Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco
Beer: Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Accoutrement: Bonnie’s Jams Cranberry Cherry Cabernet Jam
Cracker: Rustic Bakery Black Sesame Flatbreads
Charcuterie: Vincenza’s Uncured Genoa Salami
December 14: Mitica Cordobes
Made with Castellana and Merino sheep milk from Spain. Rich and buttery flavors balanced by bright acidity and nutty undertones. Exclusive to Whole Foods Market.
Wine: Globerati Tempranillo
Beer: Strainge Beast Hard Kombucha
Accoutrement: Mitica Membrillo
Cracker: La Panzanella Mini Rosemary Croccantini
Charcuterie: Naturalissima Jamon Serrano
December 15: Cowgirl Creamery Organic Hop Along
Rich, bright notes of buttered toast with a lasting savory finish.
Wine: Loren Crossing Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Cider: Samuel Smith Organic Hard Cider
Accoutrement: Dalmatia Organic Sour Cherry Jam
Cracker: Rustic Bakery Organic Sel Gris Flatbreads
Charcuterie: Applegate Farms Organic Genoa Salami
December 16: Caseificio dell'Alta Langa La Tur
Soft-ripened perfection from a balanced mixture of cow, sheep and goat milk. Sweetness of fresh, grassy cream and bright butter notes with a rich, acidic and yeasty finish.
Wine: Jacques Bardelot Brut Champagne
Beer: Scrimshaw Pilsner
Accoutrement: Casa Forcello Pear Rosemary Compote
Cracker: Mitica Taralli Classic
Charcuterie: Principe Prosciutto di San Daniele
December 17: Sweet Grass Dairy Thomasville Tomme
Semifirm raw cow’s milk cheese that’s made entirely by hand. Rich and earthy with a finish of light salt, fresh grass and tangy cream.
Wine: Field Recordings Fiction Red Blend
Beer: Duvel Belgian Ale
Accoutrement: Mitica Caramelized Walnuts
Cracker: 34 Degrees Natural Crisps
Charcuterie: Gusto Toscano Salami
December 18: MonS Gabietou
Decadent blend of sheep and cow’s milks, washed with water and rock salt from local warm springs. Dense flavor with rich tones of fruit and balanced earthy mushroom.
Wine: Les Luthines Chinon Cabernet Franc
Beer: Chimay Red Dubbel
Accoutrement: Divina Cornichons
Cracker: Rustic Bakery Onion Crème Fraîche Flatbreads
Charcuterie: Les Trois Petits Cochons Pâté de Campagne
December 19: The Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm Harbison, Prosecco Washed
Soft-ripened, buttery, woodsy and sweet with balanced tones of mustard. A wash in Presto Prosecco brings out bright citrus flavors. Exclusive to Whole Foods Market.
Wine: Presto Prosecco
Beer: Brasserie Saison Dupont
Accoutrement: Mediterranean Market Caramelized Onion Jam
Cracker: La Panzanella Mini Original Croccantini
Charcuterie: La Quercia Prosciutto Americano
December 20: Emmi Kaltbach Cave-Aged Le Gruyère
Raw, grass-fed cow’s milk cheese with rich minerality from aging in Kaltbach’s sandstone caves. Classic nuttiness with tangy fruit notes. Smooth texture with pronounced crystal crunch.
Wine: La Coulée Sancerre
Beer: Founders Porter
Accoutrement: Beyond Good 70% Dark Chocolate Discs
Cracker: Lesley Stowe Hazelnut Cocoa Raincoast Crisps
Charcuterie: Creminelli Varzi Italian Salami
December 21: Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog
A true American Original conceived in a dream — a goat’s milk soft-ripened goat cheese with a beautiful ribbon of edible ash through the center. Floral, herbaceous overtones, buttermilk, fresh cream flavors.
Wine: Criterion Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Beer: Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale
Accoutrement: Dalmatia Organic Fig Spread
Cracker: Lesley Stowe Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps
Charcuterie: Principe Prosciutto di Parma
December 22: Neal’s Yard Dairy Sparkenhoe Red Leicester
Complex and balanced with bright acidity and lasting savory notes. From the only producer making traditional, farmstead Red Leicester with raw milk from heritage cows.
Wine: Château Hoclet Côtes de Bordeaux
Cider: Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider
Accoutrement: Mitica Marcona Almonds
Cracker: Lesley Stowe Gingerbread Raincoast Cris
December 23: Rogue Creamery Organic Enraptured Blanc
Young organic blue washed in white wine. Tangy with bright fruit notes and a soft, buttery texture. Exclusive to Whole Foods Market.
Wine: Decoy Chardonnay
Beer: New Belgium Sour IPA
Accoutrement: Mitica Orange Blossom Honey
Cracker: Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes
Charcuterie: Gusto Genoa Salami
