Rogue River Blue

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Rogue River Blue is made by David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery in Southern Oregon's Rogue River Valley. The Creamery has a long history: it started in 1933 as an artisan creamery cooperative who supported struggling dairy farmers in the Great Depression. Like many of Britain’s dairy farms, it then produced vast quantities of cheddar to supply troops fighting in World War 2 across the world. The Creamery started producing blue cheese in the 1950s after the owner Getano Vella visited Roquefort producers in France. In 1998, the Creamery was inherited by Vella’s son Ignazio “Ig” Vella who continued its tradition of handmade cheeses. David Gremmels bought the business in 2002 and has since carried on the Vella’s work whilst developing new cheeses such as Rogue River Blue. 

The Creamery is committed to sustainable dairy farming and use solar panels to offset energy use, follow organic practices to build soil health and encourage biodiversity, and are even establishing a protected wetland area for wildlife. The herd are grass-based for nearly 10 months of the year, with their best grazing occurring in the autumn when the Rogue River Blue is produced from their milk. The Rogue River runs through the pastures and irrigates the land that the herd graze on.

our work with this cheese

Neal's Yard Dairy met David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery at a Slow Food event in Italy in the early 2000s and set about selling his Rogue River Blue cheese. In the early 2000s there was no precedent for importing a raw milk cheese from the US to Europe and it was not possible under EU regulations. A few years later, Neal's Yard Dairy managed to successfully import a raw milk cheese from the states into the EU and paved the way for all future imports of raw milk cheese into the European Union from America.

pairing suggestion

Rogue River Blue pairs nicely with sliced pear and a drizzle of floral honey. To enjoy with a drink, we would recommend choosing a sweeter wine such as a fruit-forward Syrah or jammy Pinot Noir. It would also work well with a dark beer such as a porter or stout.