Published June 22, 2015
Old-World Cheese in the Rose City
Oregon’s Ancient Heritage Dairy has been churning out award-winning sheep and cow’s milk cheeses inspired by European traditions for over a decade. The Elephant’s herd was invited to visit their new urban creamery that recently opened on SE 7th and Main (the first urban creamery in the city!) and see how some of our staff favorites are made. Chris Remy, our head cheesemonger, is especially excited about a couple new cheeses: a sheep’s milk ricotta as well as the up-and-coming crème fraiche.
Sheep tend to be very finicky animals which is why most American creameries shy away from the animals; however Ancient Heritage has two pure sheep’s milk cheeses selections which give their cheeses flavors of fresh cut grass, butter and citrus.
Hannah and Adelle (two cow-sheep milk blends) have been winning hearts in PDX for years now. Another crowd pleaser and staff favorite is Opal Springs, a washed-rind raw cow and sheep’s milk cheese. This particular cheese is perfect for any occasion and will please the palates of both discerning cheese lovers and novices at any picnic or dinner party.
Ancient Heritage’s father-son cheesemakers, Paul and Hank Obringer, invite Portlanders to come shop the new retail location and peer into the cheese caves (www.ancientheritagedairy.com) or visit Elephants NW 22nd location for a cheese cheese board with a custom wine/beer pairing.
Thank you to the whole Ancient Heritage Dairy team for inviting our herd into the cheese caves. We look forward to continuing to share these amazing local products with our customers.
