”The cheese-pope” on the barricades
Rolf Beeler, known as the “cheese pope” in Switzerland, has been tirelessly working for over 30 years to raise awareness about quality and to spread the “praise of unpasteurized cheese.” Rolf belongs to an exclusive group of “Maître Fromager Affineur” who master and control the entire chain from cow to the final aged product. Rolf oversees everything from providing feedback to farmers on which herbs cows should eat, to the production in mostly small village dairies, and finally, the crucial aging process. The essence of his work, he often summarizes as “you should be able to taste what the cow has eaten,” something that is only possible with the finest, unpasteurized milk, and careful affinage.
When spending time with Rolf, there is always a relatively quick discourse on how the cheese industry often offers young and uninteresting cheese, for their own benefit and to the detriment of our taste buds. Rolf Beeler embodies the values that the Swiss stand for; individuality and stubbornness. And above all, passion.
Max McCalman, the first cheese sommelier in the USA and an old hand in the industry, sets up a rating list for cheeses from around the world every year. Out of the total 18 cheeses covered by Rolf Beeler’s Selection, 17 made it to the top third a few years ago. 5 of the top 11 came from Rolf Beeler Selection with, for example, 99 points (out of 100, no cheese achieved this) for Sbrinzen (shared first place with the English “The Spenwood”). Rolf’s cheeses regularly win prestigious awards; in 2018, his Toggenburger won a gold medal at The world cheese award.
We distribute Beeler Selection to the very best in restaurants and delicatessens. For us, it is crucial that there is care and knowledge about the assortment, thus ensuring that Rolf’s passion reaches connoisseurs and enthusiasts of fine cheese culture.
Rolf Beeler’s manifest
“Rohmilchchäs isch kei totä Gummiseich, da schmöckt mä no was d’Chuä gfrässe het!”
Translation from swiss german: “Raw milk cheese is not dead rubber shit; in it, you can still taste what the cow has eaten.”
Rolf Beeler selection
“It doesn’t get any better than this” according to renowned American cheese sommelier Max McCalman.
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Matured for 18 and 28 months
One of the first types of cheese that reached the Nordic countries, the classic “Swiss cheese.” Beeler’s Emmental is an unpasteurized, carefully matured variety with a tangy aroma, underlying sweetness, and a nutty base.
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Matured 18 months
“Old granddad” the undisputed king of hard cheeses. 600 liters of unpasteurized full-fat milk yield 40 kg of wonderfully floral, buttery cheese with deep coal tones
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Matured at least 36 months
“Tree Feller Cheese” from master cheesemaker Willy Schmid. Made from rich milk from Jersey cows and washed in white wine. The bark of the mountain spruce gives it its light bitterness and reddish hue. A wonderful cheese.
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Matured at least for 6 weeks
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Matured 8 months
Do you love Appenzell? Here’s an award-winning variation made from organic-certified, completely unpasteurized mountain milk where all flavors come to life, featuring delightful floral notes of fennel and star anise. The taste is creamy with a hint of salt.
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Matured 8 months
Washed soft cheese made from Jersey cow’s milk by Willi Schmid, a milder cheese in Italian style with white mold and a slightly tangy, yeasty-earthy taste. The cheese has a practical square shape.
Another taste sensation from Willi Schmid’s treasure chest.
Matured 3 weeks
Willi Schmid’s master cheese. The rich Jersey milk imparts a smooth, creamy taste that lingers on the tongue; without Roquefort’s sharp saltiness but with the complexity of unpasteurized cheese. An experience!
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Matured 2 months
Willi Schmid - the cheese whisperer
If one is to highlight a producer from the Rolf Beeler Selection, it would be Willi Schmid, known as “the cheese whisperer.” One of the very best in the world.
Take a look at the trailer here next to get an idea of what makes him special. Myriam Zumbühl has made an amazing documentary, Master of Cheese, about Willi’s journey to becoming one of the very best in his field.
Here’s an interview with him from the Swiss magazine:
Willi Schmid steps onto the meadow, takes off his socks, and walks barefoot across the grass. He visits Martin Senn, a farmer who supplies milk for his Jersey Blue cheese. Jersey cows snuggle around Willi, seeking his affection. They almost seem to sense that this is the man who transforms their milk into award-winning cheese.
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What cheese Willi will make each day is something he decides just before dawn when farmers deliver their cow, sheep, goat, and buffalo milk. He tastes each one like a sommelier. He talks about vanilla scents and alpine herbs. “There’s a nice toasted scent here: those cows must have had a lot of grass.”
Willi knows every farmer, every meadow, and even every cow that provides him with milk. A handful of farmers deliver their best milk to him every day. It’s a partnership of genuine friendship and respect. But every farmer also knows that they won’t deliver more if they fall below Willi’s high standards.
Unpasteurized milk is the gold in Willi Schmid’s world. It contains good fats and proteins, creating an excellent aroma. The milk goes directly from the farm to Willi’s cheese dairy. “Milk loses its character if it’s pumped through pipelines or transported too far,” says Willi. “It also damages the protein.” That’s why, just minutes after delivery, Willi tips each batch of raw milk into a large vat. Working with raw milk requires concentration and care. “Cheese making is primarily a sensory thing,” says Willi. You need a good sense of smell and a feel for how the flavors develop in a cheese. “It’s a natural product, and it won’t be the same every time.”
Monitoring the milk’s temperature is a constant challenge. Just like with a good wine, the temperature will affect its aroma and consistency. And now, because he’s talked to us a bit too much, Willi’s plan to turn this batch of Jersey milk into a soft Tuma cheese must be interrupted. “The lactic acid bacteria have multiplied too much, and the milk is too mature.”
From uncertainties comes variation. “In winter, the animals eat more hay, which has a toasted scent,” says Willi. “And it comes out in the milk as a caramel flavor.” He uses this milk for his Bergmatter, a cheese with a brioche-like aroma. “Tastes like foie gras, doesn’t it?” he asks. Even a small piece offers a bouquet of flavors. “A cheese must have a round taste,” says the expert, “and one that lingers in the mouth.”
Listen carefully to Willi, and one thing becomes clear: it takes a universal understanding of nature to become a genius of this kind. Willi Schmid combines everything: the cycles of life, the seasons of the meadows, the aromas, the animals, humility, and love. He is a natural cheese maker in every sense.