Where to Find the Best Cheese in Central Wisconsin
Finding a cheese shop in Marshfield and surrounding Central Wisconsin is akin to finding a sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Choices are everywhere and creating a definitive list is an impossible and likely pointless exercise. There is an abundance of options, and some of the finest cheese in the country (if not the world – sorry, France!) is widely available at a fraction of national average prices.
In the greater Marshfield area, there are two prominent dairy farms that were historically family-owned and independent businesses: Nasonville Dairy, established in 1885, and Weber’s Farm Store, the “new kid in town,” established in 1904. Today, the two dairies continue to retain their own identities, although they are owned and operated by the same family and are considered to be “sister companies” since their 1995 merger.
Nasonville produces nearly every conceivable variety of world cheese: Mediterranean-style
feta, packed in brine, which retains a salty and slightly tart flavor, mozzarellas (in its fresh form and in reduced moisture “pizza-style” varieties), the rich and buttery Gouda and Danish-style fontina, known for its traditional packaging in red wax. At the same time, the company has also made its own unique contribution to the world of cheese: the technique of blue marbling, which, according to Nasonville’s own description, creates “a semi-soft texture, marbled with Blue veins laced throughout the curd, creating a distinct mild Blue flavor in a form that is unlike traditional Blue cheese.”
Also on the innovate side, Nasonville is well-known for its use of extremely hot peppers, such as the Bhut Jolokia (commonly known as the “ghost pepper”), which was once considered to be the hottest pepper in the world. Nasonville’s hottest offering is the aptly-named Scorpion Cheese, which, even in delicate wafer-thin servings, rivals molten lava and will satisfy even the most leather-tongued pepper aficionado.
Most cheeses are available for purchase on Nasonville’s website, although it is always a good idea to stop into the store on Highway 10, or to Weber’s, on the corner of Lincoln and County Road H in Marshfield. At both locations, you’ll find a wide variety of local sausages, handmade pies, soft-serve ice cream, salsas, beautiful locally produced cutting boards, fresh milk, and always a few surprises.
On the somewhat more upscale side, the Market on Sixth, located in the heart of Marshfield just off Central Avenue, offers a variety of fine Wisconsin and world cheeses, along with a stunning selection of American and European wines, kitchen goods, and a small but unique selection of American and European craft beer. The Market on Sixth also regularly hosts culinary events that are open to the public. Upcoming, on Friday, November 11, is a bourbon tasting from 3 to 6pm (reservations not required).
And in any direction out of Marshfield, the cheese options immediately multiply. The most unique of these, on Highway 10 (East Division St.) in Neillsville, is Pavilion Cheese and Gifts, whose unmistakable and historic structure represented the State of Wisconsin at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. Today the shop has a wide selection of fine cheeses and gourmet victuals, souvenirs and wine, and would be worth the visit even were it not filled with local delicacies.
Where’s your favorite place for cheese shopping in Marshfield and the surrounding area?
