Discover Ontario Cheese: Experience the Art of Local

You may never have thought about it, but climate, landscape and growing seasons have an effect on the richness and flavour of milk. Much like the origin and development of grapes used for wine, the terroir of milk further plays a role in the flavour and texture of cheese, butter and other dairy products. While we’re a long way away from bottling milk vintages, we already see unique milk varietals on grocery shelves, from Jersey to Guernsey milks, cheeses, ice cream and dairy products.

The chain of events that birthed Ontario’s rich history of cheesemaking all started with the lowly wheat midge. The mid-nineteenth century saw a population explosion of the fragile insect, which decimated the wheat crops. In response to failing crops, many Ontario farmers converted their operations to dairy, which led to a new abundance of local milk, kick-starting a cheesemaking tradition that started with Cheddar.

Well-paired cheeses and wines are a wonderful thing, and we’ve done the work for you with these all-Ontario pairings featuring mouth-watering chef created recipes, local one-of-a-kind artisanal cheeses and brilliant wines.

Say hello to this addictive 4 Cheese Pesto Pizza that features some of the best local cheeses.

This is not your average waffle! These Spicy Mac & Ontario Cheese Waffles are a new way to experience the wonders of mac n’ cheese and are destined to become a new favourite.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these Spring inspired recipes that feature Ontario Artisanal Cheese!