When Jan and Roos van Schie visited the United States for the first time in 2019, they spoke to a group of cheesemongers about the process of making Wilde Weide, their one-year old gouda. Roos told us that she likes to sing as she makes the cheese and then she sang for us. There was not a dry eye in the room because we felt the care, love, and incredible amount of hard work Roos and Jan put into their cheese.

They are farmstead cheesemakers, which means they use milk from their own cows for Wilde Weide. They have a small herd of Montbeliards and Fresians on the lake island of Zwanburgerpolder, about an hour southwest of Amsterdam, where the van Schie family has farmed since 1849. Jan uses the milk to make just thirty-five wheels a week, so we are always happy when a wheel makes it to our shop.

While much of the Netherland’s gouda production has moved into factories, Jan and Roos are focused on organic milk, small production, and traditional cheesemaking methods. This translates to a more complex and savory cheese than anything mass-produced. Wilde Weide is sharp with the fruitiness of red wine, smooth textured, and has plenty of crunchy crystals throughout the paste. It is an excellent pairing with whiskey or grated over a bowl of chili to brighten the rich flavors of the stew.