Yes! We make our cheese at our partner farm in Kewaunee county; the heart of Wisconsin's dairyland. We use raw milk of the highest quality that comes straight from their healthy heard of holstein and jersey cows directly into the make room. After a long and fun day of cheesemaking, we transport the wheels back to our aging cellar in Oak Creek where the affinage happens for a minimum of two months.

Each cheesemaking day begins at the crack of dawn by bringing in raw milk straight from the parlor to the bulk tank in the make room in less than 2 minutes. Still warm from the cows, we fill the vat with milk as it slowly heats up. Next, we add helpful bacteria known as starter culture, and rennet which coagulates the milk. The milk is gently stirred and almost like magic, curds begin to appear and seperate from the whey. We cook the curds, drain the whey, and press the cheese into molds where they form into wheels. After many hours of rotating and pressing, they are put into a salt bath called a brine tank. This vital step helps aid in flavor production as well as preservation. Finally, the next day, we are ready to bring back our new babies to the "nursery" where we tend to them each day with love and care. Each day we flip, rotate and brush the wheels in our cellar with a brine solution to add to the unique flavor profile that makes each bite of Mount Raclette as delicious as the next.

Alpinage is the combination of two words: [Alpi]ne + Affi[nage]. Alpine represents the mountain region shared by France and Switzerland where the Raclette cheese originally comes from. Affinage is the art and science of aging cheese. We pride ourselves on producing excellent cheese in all senses of the word, and we've found that the aging process is just as important as the making.

Cheese is an excellent way to preserve fresh milk, which quickly spoils. Like milk, cheese contains many nutrients, including protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. Consumed in moderation and as part of a healthy diet, cheese can boost bone and muscle health, lower inflamation and blood pressure in the body, and improve gut health. Most importantly, it's DELICIOUS!

Our main focus is to perfect one recipe for now: Mount Raclette, although it is part of our futures plans to make a variety of Alpine style cheeses to share with the world. We currently offers two versions of Mount Raclette: - Mild: sweet, buttery. a true crowd pleaser. Confident melted or simply offered on your favorite cheese plate. - Classic: rich nutty, earthy notes, melting like a champion. You will feel like you are in the mountain.

At Alpinage, we age our cheese resting on rustic wood boards for a few main reasons. First, wood is naturally porous and acts as a reservoir: holding and returning moisture to the cheese as needed. Second, wood has the unique ability to allow unique microbes to flourish, positively boosting the desirable surface molds. Last but not least, the wood we use has the ability to successfully fend off harmful bacteria that can sometimes grow on certain types of cheese.

Our cheese is a natural product that will keep well for several weeks if properly wrapped and refrigerated. We have found that the best way to store it is by first wrapping it in wax or parchment paper, then loosely with plastic wrap or a baggie. Press n' Seal works wonders as well. The key is to let the cheese breathe without drying it out. Air may allow mold to form on the surface- don't panic, just shave it off as needed. If, after some time, Mount Raclette does become dry, don't hesitate to shred or shave it onto a salad or pasta.

Of course! Our Raclette has a natural, washed rind that contains tons of flavor. There is nothing harmful on the rind, so it comes down to personal preference.

It is absolutely safe to eat raw milk cheese when aged properly for a minimum of 60 days. At Alpinage, we are aging our cheese for over 90 days and we strictly follow all Wisconsin and FDA rules and regulations in our Wisconsin licensed dairy plant in order to give to you the safest possible food products. For more information, check out chapter ATCP 65 for dairy product regulation in the State of Wisconsin here

We'd be happy to give you a tour of our cave-like aging facility! Please contact us to set up an appointment.

Because of the perishability of our product, we ship our cheese using priority mail for a quick delivery. All shipments leave our plant on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so they arrive to your doorstep within 2-3 business days, avoiding week-ends. Any order submitted after noon cst on Wednesday will be shipped the following week, on Monday. Please reach out to us with any special shipping request or concerns at info@alpinagecheese.com

Your cheese will be vacuum sealed, labled and shipped in a box with ice packs accordingly to keep it as cool as possible until it arrives at your front door within 2-3 days. We only ship to the lower 48 states and we can ship it as a gift upon request during check-out.

We do not accept any returns for our products. However, if you are unhappy with our cheese, please contact us immediately by sending an email to info@alpinagecheese.com to explain the issue. Refunds of our cheese are handled directly with you, on a case by case basis and under reasonable circumstances. Once you are approved, your refund will be processed and a credit will be issued to your original method of payment within 5 business days. Please note that we can’t be held responsible for any compromised product if there is any delay in shipment due to unforeseen circumstances, carrier mishandling and/or if the package is not immediately opened upon delivery.