Tarentaise Reserve is made at Spring Brook Farm in Reading, Vermont, where the mission is not only to make amazing cheese (they’ve succeeded), but also to bring kids from urban areas to the farm. In the Farms For City Kids program, students 8-12 years old do farm chores, participate in maple sugaring, care for the cows, and learn about process of cheesemaking. And, the good people at Spring Brook offer this program for free! All the profits from Tarentaise Reserve go to supporting the program, so not only does this cheese taste like alpine heaven, but it also does good for the community, too. Thus, you’re not really buying the cheese for you, you’re doing it for the kids!

While most of the Tarentaise wheels Spring Brook Farm produces are aged to about nine months, a select few are aged for longer, creating the special flavor profile of Tarentaise Reserve. Since the Reserve stays in the cheese cellar for at least 18 months, it has quite a peppery, spicy bite by the time we receive it in the store. However, pepper is not the only flavor you’ll taste. This complex cheese is nutty, tangy, and satisfyingly salty, with the rich warmth of brown butter. Try it with a glass of caramelly bourbon for a simple dessert, or bright, sweet apple cider for a treat that is pure Vermont. This is what social responsibility tastes like, and isn’t it delicious?