Fromage-a-Trois

Think of the world’s best cheese-producing regions and Italy, France and Switzerland spring to mind. Spain and the British Isles get a look in. Possibly the Netherlands. They’re all well-beaten paths for fromage-o-philes seeking the holy grail of cheese experiences. But what you might not know is that there’s a cheese-producing revolution of sorts taking place in a little-known Western Australian region and it’s a game-changer you won’t want to miss. Call it what you like—a micro-revolution, a quiet transformation. But the outcome is this: small rural communities in Western Australia’s southern regions are reaping the rewards of global-standard cheese making enterprises and the secret is all theirs. So small and boutique are these operations that few, if any, cheese lovers outside the rural hamlets where they are based get a look in. Production capacity is so limited that in many instances the cheese being produced goes no further than the farm gate. And that’s where this story begins.

The genuine paddock-to-plate experience can be a difficult but rewarding journey. Arrive at a much hyped boutique cheese making operation and you might find three tourist buses ahead of you and a middling encounter with ordinary fromage. Not so in Western Australia’s southern regions, fast becoming the destination of choice for those looking to spend a lazy afternoon or three at a few secluded farm gates tasting cheese produced on the very properties that the animals are raised.

Excerpt from the October issue of epicure.