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Heinen’s Top 7 Specialty Summer Cheeses

SPECIALTY SUMMER CHEESES

This summer is about to be cheesy thanks to our delicious assortment of seasonal specialty cheeses. With varieties made right here in Ohio to handmade, imported finds from famous global cheesemaking regions, we have everything you need to build your best summer cheese board or complete a fresh and flavorful summer meal!

Summer Cheese Board

Summer Cheese Board Essentials

Each of these cheeses is delicious in it’s own right, but when served together on a tasty summer cheese board, you’re in for a tasting experience unlike any other. The next time you entertain, grab them all and once you’ve found your favorites, check out our individual pairing suggestions for even more flavorful fun!

Heinen’s Hand-Selected Imported Provolone

Made in Italy, this aged and mildly-smoked table cheese is made from pasteurized cow milk and is perfect for summertime picnics and al fresco dining.  Each bite delivers buttery flavor with a hint of spice and sharpness.

  • Food Pairing: Antipasto Plate | Grilled Burger
  • Drink Pairing: Chilled Light Red Wine | Sparkling Lambrusco
Heinen's Hand Selected Provolone

Mackenzie Fresh Goat Cheeses

Made locally in Hiram, Ohio, these pasteurized goat milk cheeses are rich, smooth and velvety with a mild flavor profile. Named “Best in Class” at the 2018 World Champion Cheese Contest, you’ll definitely want to try the Cognac Fig Chèvre, but you cannot go wrong with any of their delicious artisanal cheeses in the summer.

  • Food Pairing:  Mixed Baby Greens Salad with Fresh Seasonal Berries | Melted in a Phyllo Cup
  • Drink Pairing: Sparkling Rosé | Sauvignon Blanc | Godello | IPA Beer
Mackenzie Creamery Goat Cheeses

Mayfield Road Creamery Gouda and Havarti Cheeses

This cheese may be made in Orwell, Ohio, but it’s the Danish and Dutch cheesemaking practices that make it so delicious! Made with raw milk from cows raised on the Mayfield Road Creamery family dairy farm, these farmstead cheeses are semi-soft and buttery with a mild flavor.

  • Food Pairing (For the Dill or Pepper Havarti): Cubed and tossed into potato salad
  • Drink Pairing: Fruity Rosé | Wheat Beer
Mayfield Road Creamery Dill Havarti

Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. 

Aged to perfection, these local, handmade cheeses have their own distinct personalities. With unique flavors like Pickle-in-the-Middle, you can create your own delicious Old Brooklyn-themed cheese board for your next summer gathering. It is sure to be the talk of the party!

  • Food Pairing (For Pickle-in-the-Middle): Grilled Burger with Caramelized Onions on a Brioche Bun
  • Drink Pairing: Fruity & Floral Rosé | White Wines | Wheat Beer | Pilsners
Old Brooklyn Cheese Co

Other Cheesy Summer Favorites

Although not designed for a cheeseboard, these three specialty selections are the missing ingredient you’ve been looking for to complete your favorite summer meals, sides and desserts!

Beillevaire Fresh Chèvre Cheeses

Treat yourself to a taste of Europe with our assortment of fresh, imported and handmade goat cheeses from various regions in France. Made with pasteurized goat milk, these cheeses have a wonderfully fresh with mild acidity, smooth texture and a taste of “terroir.”

  • Food Pairing: Fresh seasonal fruit such as berries and melon with a drizzle of honey.
  • Drink Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc | IPA Beer

Fresh Mozzarella and Mozzarella Burrata

Refreshing on the palate, nothing says summer like fresh mozzarella cheese! Subtly sweet with a mild and milky flavor profile, our Mozzarella and Mozzarella Burrata is a true crowd-pleaser.

  • Food Pairing: Traditional Caprese Salad | Grilled Pizza | Sweet Dessert Pizza with Fruit
  • Drink Pairing: Pilsners | Fruity Red Wine

Feta Cheese

Pressed and brined to perfection, our feta cheeses come with textures ranging from crumbly to smooth. No matter where they originate, they all have a deliciously tangy taste that makes the perfect fresh and salty counterpart to light produce-packed summer dishes.

  • Food Pairings: Crumbled with Roasted and Marinated Beets | Mixed into Seasonal Melon Salads
  • Drink Pairing: Beaujolais | Gewurztraminer | Pale Ale
Anne Somoroff, Heinens' Specialty Cheese Buyer & Merchandiser
By Anne Somoroff
Anne Somoroff is the Specialty Cheese Buyer and Merchandiser at Heinen’s and has been with the team for 13 years. Anne has an extensive background in the cultural arts, visual arts and merchandising, including a degree in Archaeology/Anthropology, with a Fine Arts emphasis. With interests deeply rooted in global and edible culture as they pertain to specialty cheese, wine and the culinary arts, Anne is a passionate, life-long student and a seeker of the connections between people, culture, food and drink. Anne enjoys people, travel, food, and the arts, and incorporates these interests into her everyday life.

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