Oregon Blue

In the spirit of transparency: David Gremmels has been one of my biggest supporters since I started slinging cheese in Portland, Oregon and with my dear Spaulding Gray began writing the blog that became this website. To say I am partial to Rogue Creamery Cheeses would be an understatement. However, there is no quid pro quo (unlike our esteemed politicians) in the writing of this overview of Oregon Blue. David was Spaulding Gray’s first interview for the website.

In my last post on Cheddar, I took a shot at JL Kraft for creating Kraft Singles so… let me start with some rehabilitation. Back in the 1930s  Tom Vella and investors acquired Rogue Creamery and naming it Sonoma Valley Cheese Factory No. 3 (he would later rename it Rouge River Valley Creamery). One of his silent financial backers was JL Kraft. While Kraft was creating processed food, he was also helping Vella and other Artisan Cheesemakers keep alive quality cheese. (I can’t blame Kraft for creating Kraft Singles, he had a need and he found a way to help his bottom line… which in turn helped other Cheesemakers.)

Ig Vella inherited Rogue Creamery from his father while running Vella Cheese in California. As years went by he wanted to “retire” or at least cut his workload and decided Rogue Creamery should be sold. His one caveat was it must be sold to someone who would keep it alive and striving. David Gremmels and Cary Bryant fit the bill and after a year of “interning” under Ig, they became the owners of Rogue Creamery. Today, David Gremmels continues as President. (He recently formed a partnership with Savencia Fromage and Dairy, but Rogue Creamery remains autonomous.)

In 2019, Rogue River Blue won the Grand Championship at the World Cheese Awards in Italy. Quite a time for Rogue and American Artisan Cheesemakers.  RRB was the first American Cheese to win the Grand Prize. I was lucky enough to snag two wheels in 2019 and a lot of happy NE Georgia Cheese Lovers had the opportunity to taste “The World’s Best Cheese”. It still reigns today… maybe one of the few “silver linings” to come out of the pandemic (there was no 2020 World Cheese Awards).

Oregon Blue is Rogue Creamery’s classic, signature blue cheese. First created in 1954, it was the first cave-aged, Roquefort-style blue cheese made on the West Coast.*

Oregon Blue is a staple at The Manse. I always have at least one wedge in my Cheese Fridge. The Man and I love to snack on it but it makes a decadent blue cheese dressing for salads and as a dip on our frequent Crudités plates.

Oregon Blue is a Vegetarian-Suitable Cheese, as are all Rogue Creamery Cheeses. You can find my index of more than 1000

Vegetarian-Suitable Cheeses here.

Liz Thorpe might consider OB a “gateway” blue; its creamy texture and approachable tang make it perfect for those who think they don’t like blue cheese. I would call it  a “Let’s Get to Know Each Other” Blue Cheese.

You can find Oregon Blue at my cheese shop in Sweet Combs of Honey and at my Amazon Influencer Store along with a selection of other Rogue Creamery cheeses.

*Taken from the Rogue Creamery website.

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission from any purchases you make through those links. I thank you for patronizing my amazon influencer store front. 

Cheese events at Sweet Combs of Honey will begin again in the next several weeks. Enjoy your summer vacation!!

 

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