A vertical cheese tasting is a sampling of the same kind of cheese at different ages. It’s a delicious way to experience the subtle ways the seasons can affect a cheese’s flavor. It will also help you become acquainted with the many particular flavors that a specific cheese has to offer and help you learn how to talk about them, too.

To set up a vertical tasting, you just need to choose one specific cheese and buy a wedge at a few different ages. Ideally, it should be the same cheese from the same creamery, so you can see how dramatic or subtle the differences are, but since this is not always possible a good alternative is the same cheese. For example, get yourself a Comté at 6 months, 12 months, and 16 months. Some of these wedges will be made with summer milk when the cows are at pasture and eating a fresh diet of herbs, grass, and flowers, while the other will be made with winter milk when the cows are eating dry hay.

Here’s how to set up a vertical tasting for all your friends:

1. Choose your cheese, and buy several different ages. Give everyone just under an ounce of each cheese, so they have plenty to taste.
2. Gather your friends for a round-table style discussion. We recommend keeping it to fewer than ten people.
3. Print out some facts about the cheese so you can learn all about it together. You’ll also want to provide each guest with paper and a pencil so they can take notes.
4. Serve something bubbly,  like sparkling wine or seltzer, to cleanse your palate between bites.
5. Begin with the youngest cheese, and move towards the oldest.
6. Once the tasting is over, be sure to wrap any leftovers in Formaticum to keep them fresh.

If you host a vertical cheese tasting at home, post a picture on Instagram and tag us! We’d love to see how it goes.

Here at Formaticum, we are all about cheese storage. We know there are lots of other storage products out there, including plastic or silicon tubs and other fancy boxes, but there’s a reason why we stick with sheets and bags. The truth is we don’t recommend using these for storing your cheese. Why? Well, we’re glad you asked!

There’s a lot of confusion about how to properly store cheese. You may get swept up in romantic images of cheeses aging on wood shelves in caves, but that has nothing to do with preserving the 1/4 lb piece of cheese you just bought from the store. When cheese is maturing in a cave, the full wheel is intact and the rind has not been broken. That rind functions as the “packaging" protecting the interior paste of the cheese as it develops its flavor and texture. The rind allows the paste to breathe while regulating its humidity.

Once the cheese is ready for sale, it is removed from the aging cellar and stored in refrigeration. The cold temperature stops the maturation process and preserves the cheese for sale. The rind continues to act as the protective packaging. When the cheese is ready to be eaten, the wheel is cut and the rind is broken. At this point, the clock starts ticking. Different cheeses have different longevities, but once a wheel is cut open there is a limited time period when it will taste as the cheesemaker intended.

At this point, the goal of proper storage is to protect the paste of the cheese that has never before seen the light of day or taken a breath of fresh air. To protect the paste and keep it fresh, professional cheese packaging is required. Carefully wrapping cut wedges in cheese packaging can help prolong the life of the cheese better than any other storage option, because it tightly protects the delicate paste while regulating humidity and allowing the cheese to breathe. Placing an unwrapped wedge of cheese in a box might make for a beautiful presentation, but it will likely lead to poor tasting cheese with an off-texture.  Leaving cut wedges of cheese in a box exposed to the air might look good but it will not do you cheese any favors.

Think of professional cheese packaging as a synthetic rind. Use it to protect the paste so you taste what the cheesemaker intended.

There are a lot of factors that go into the perfect cheese plate, but one of the most important and often overlooked details is how to properly cut each wedge or wheel. Of course, you don’t need to cut up every cheese completely, but making the first incision will help guide your guests. Plus, it helps with the intimidation of being the first to cut into that perfectly pristine wedge.

The shape of the cheese will determine the best way to cut it, while the texture and type will inform which knife to use. When serving, we recommend having a separate knife for each cheese to avoid cross-contaminating the flavors. Here's a helpful little guide on how to cut each cheese the right way, depending on its shape.

Round, like Camembert

Use our Professional Soft Cheese Knife to slice it into wedges, like you would a pie or cake. This ensures an even rind-to-paste ratio.

Square, like Cottonbell from Boxcarr Handmade Cheese

Use our Professional Soft Cheese Knife to slice into triangles, like you would a grilled cheese. Cut it in half diagonally, corner to corner. Then bisect that so it’s in quarters. Bisect each triangle again.

Log, like Aged Chelsea from Zingerman's

Use our wires cutters to slice into coins, about 1/2 “ thick. If it has a large diameter, like bucheron, you can then cut into pie-like wedges for a perfect portion.

Rectangle (think Comte)

Use our Professional Cheese Knife to slice off the rind then cut into thin strips, vertically. When it comes to flavorful, aged cheeses, the thinner slice, the better.

Firm Wedge, like Mimolette

Use our Professional Cheese Knife to cut off the rind so there are no inedible bits on your cheese platter, then slice into thin triangles.

Crumbly Wedge, like blue cheese

These ones are the hardest to slice cleanly, so we recommend crumbling off a few large pieces and leaving the rest whole. Or, you can use our Professional Blue Cheese Knife to get a clean slice every time!

Holiday parties are in full swing, and you’re going to need a perfect, no-fail hostess gift to tote along with you. Enter cheese, the gift that keeps on giving. There are two ways of gifting wedges and wheels: you can either bring it plated and ready-to-serve, or discreetly hand it over to your host for them to enjoy later.

We’ve rounded up a list of our top 5 cheeses that make perfect hostess gifts. Just pair them with one of our trusty cheese storage products to keep it fresh even after the party’s over.

1. Rush Creek Reserve from Uplands Cheese

This bark-wrapped wheel from Wisconsin only comes around once a year, so stock up before it’s gone for the season. It’s as soft as frosting and tastes like bacon and pine. Pair with a Belgian bomber and our reusable cheese storage bags.

2. Truffle Tremor from Cypress Grove

Nothing screams holiday indulgence like black truffles. We love how the tart, lemony flavors in this dense cheese really bring out the best of those aromatic flavors. Pair with a bottle of bubbles and a box of our cheese storage paper.

3. Aged Gouda

Who can resist those crunchy crystals and notes of salted toffee? An aged gouda is always a total crowd-pleaser, and it’s sturdy enough to travel long distances. Add a bag of candied pecans and our cheese storage bags, which also make for a perfect travel companion.

4. A Mini Wheel of Brie

Brie is a familiar, approachable cheese that goes with a variety of sweet and savory flavors. We especially like triple creams this time of year, like Mt Tam from Cowgirl Creamery. Splurge on a nice jar of preserves to go with the wheel and add a box of cheese storage papers to complete the set.

5. Rogue River Blue from Rogue Creamery

This Oregon classic is another one of our seasonal favorites. It's a creamy blue that's wrapped in pear brandy-soaked Syrah leaves, imbuing the wheel with a delightful boozy character. Gift this one with our transparent biodegradable cheese storage sheets, so you can still see that pretty cheese even when it’s all wrapped up.