Cheese Plate Picks From Murray's Cheese

We asked Kay Michaels, manager of New York's emporium for all things cheese, Murray's Cheese, to pick some of her favorite of-the-moment wedges for holiday entertaining.

Our tasting notes are below; mix and match for your ideal cheese plate.

Bloomy Rind

Coupole, Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery (Websterville, Vermont): Pasteurized goat's milk. Chalkier; penicillin geotrichum gives it a wrinkly texture. Small format cheese. Sweet, velvety.

Kunik, Nettle Meadow (Thuman, New York): Pasteurized goat's milk with New Jersey cow cream. Lemony, mushroom, minerally.

Little Big Apple, Murray's Cave Master Reserve (New York, NY): Pasteurized cow's milk. Triple cream wrapped in local apple leaves soaked in apple brandy and aged at Murray's (their exclusive). Tree fruit, mushrooms.

Washed Rind ("Stinky Cheese")

Oma, Von Trapp Farmstead (Wattfield, Vermont): Raw cow's milk. From Von Trapp family and aged by Jasper Hills. Salty, runny, meaty, buttery.

Quadrello (Cologno Al Serio, Lombardia, Italy): Pasteurized water buffalo's milk. Gamy, silky interior.

Alpine

Pecorino Ginepro (Lazio, Italy): Raw sheep's milk. Washed with balsamic vinegar and juniper berries then aged for 4 months. Flaky, ginny, rich.

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Jasper Hill (Greensboro, VT): Pasteurized cow's milk. Produced by a single herd and aged in a cave. Brothy, robust, salted caramel finish.

Sandy Relief Comté, Murray's Cave Master Reserve (Franche-Comté, France): Unpasteurized cow's milk. Salvaged from the shop's flooded caves after Sandy, so this Comté Saint Antoine sat for another year in the caves. Proceeds benefit the Rockaway Rescue Alliance Shore Soup Project. Nutty flavor.

Blues

Rogue River Blue, Rogue Creamery (Central Point, OR): Raw cow's milk. Made with pastured cow milk and wrapped in pear brand-soaked grape leaves. Creamy, fruity, dense, smoky.

Smokey Blue, Rogue Creamery (Central Point, OR): Raw cow's milk. Takes their Oregon Blue Vein and cold smokes for 16 hours over Northwest hazelnut shells. Sweet, caramel notes with sharp blue cheese flavor.