little falls farm cheese cave

There’s a terrific article in the NYT food section today defining and discussing the advantages of affinage for the cheese retailers (some of whom are becoming affineurs), as well as for the customer. It includes a loud and strident argument against the benefits of affinage by cheesemonger and author Steve Jenkins, claiming it’s “a total crock” and “all it does is drastically inflate the cost of cheeses that have benefited zero from this faux-alchemical nonsense.” The story has many quotes from the best known practitioners of affinage (Murray’s, Jasper Hill, Artisanal) as well as many cheese makers (Cowgirl Creamery, Vermont Butter and Cheese) who also speak to it’s critical nature in the production of high quality cheeses. The payoff comes at the end of the article when three NYT food writers critique a blind tasting of the same cheeses from Murray’s, Artisanal, and Fairway (where Jenkins is the cheese buyer).