Cheese Club Picks: September 2023

80's Film Characters' Soul Cheeses!

We send out a themed Cheese Box across the nation each month with the Antonelli's Cheese Club and we're jumping with joy to share September's theme and cheeses to y'all! If you would like to join in on the fun each month, click here to become a member!

No matter which generation claims you, the realm of ‘80s Movies’ has intrinsically captured your imagination and stimulated your spirit. In an unlikely timewarp to a world where inspirations ran unfettered, and movie studio budgets were a true embarrassment of riches, the effect of 80s movies on our collective consciousness still runs deep. And though Julia Roberts famously said that a certain 1980s summer flick taught her everything she ‘never wants to experience again’ in her career – we aren’t about to throw the curds out with the whey! So whether your birthright designates you as a Boomer, a Millennial, or something in-between, these select icons of 1980s film forever hold a place in our hearts and, we wonder – what would each of their “soul cheeses” be? Join us for this rollicking ride, as we take inspiration for this month’s Antonelli’s Cheese Club from the imagined, satiny boudoirs of Joan Wilder; the calculative, indefatigable mind of Data; Falkor, and his centered inner-knowing; Inigo Motoya’s sense of mission & destiny; and finally, the selfless leadership of Lando Calrissian. Are you with us?! In the eternal words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try!”

1. Herbs de Humboldt from Cypress Grove of Arcata, Ca. (Fresh, Goat)

An existence rich in success, but bereft of true love, indicates for some a life without actualization. This bittersweet line of irony ran thick for Romancing the Stone’s Joan Wilder, for despite her reign as America’s top romance novelist, she had no romance of her own (that is, until Cartagena and the swashbuckling love of her life came calling!). Whether pining for her very own love story over a typewriter, or living it out in pursuit of the most mesmerizing emerald the world has known, we imagine a soul cheese for Joan that is soft, silky, romantic…and firmly French-spirited. From Arcata, California’s Cypress Grove, we present Ms. Wilder with Herbs de Humboldt, featuring a delicate blend of thyme, basil, rosemary, lavender, tarragon & savory fennel seed, all in a foundation of fresh chevre that signals its brightest homage to France.

Pairing: Though Herbs de Humboldt is a perfect pairing on its own, Joan’s soul cheese beckons for a comfortably exhilarating companion – and bubbly-crisp Texas Keeper No. 1 cider enlivens a ‘festejo’ across the palate!

2. Quadrello di Bufala from Quattro Portoni of Lombardy, Italy (Washed Rind, Water Buffalo)

Data is the thinker, the quick-on-the-draw strategist of The Goonies crew. With his gadget-laden chestplate & belt, he is a Swiss Army Knife personified. So, come school Science Fair time – and after everyone's fate has been secured across the Goondocks – Data is looking for a project he can really sink his teeth into. If Data were to wander into Antonelli’s Cheese Shop looking for inspiration, he’d find it in Quattro Portoni’s Quadrello, made from rich Italian Water Buffalo milk, and ripened with a microbial brine-wash that instills sublimely crowd pleasing flavor sensations. A ‘farmstead cheese’ (made on-site, just a stone’s throw from where the happy animals graze), B. Linens contribute citric-pink sunrise colors at the rind, while imparting savory, aromatic hints of 'funk.' In the spirit of “Goonies Never Say Die!,” and like the centuries of monastic trial and error that lead to something as exceptional as Quadrello, Data perceives failure as feedback – until he finds a winner!

Pairing: Take a bubbly hydration break with your favorite sparkling water or Summer-lite brew, while letting Quadrello shine over delicate 2s Company wafers from Australia!

3. Swiss Raclette from Le Superbe of Switzerland (Semi-soft, Cow)

Luckdragon Falkor, with his iridescent scales trimmed in downy fur, and a face not unlike the Great Pyrenees canines that assist around many of our favorite creameries, is considered to be a loving creature of air, requiring no wings to take flight. And akin to the toasty firesides where the raclette tradition was birthed centuries ago, Falkor can handily spew forth a blue flame when needed! A true taste of traditional Switzerland, Le Superbe Raclette is hand-selected to reflect the rich flora of the Swiss countryside. A sweetly savory aroma joins forces with a comforting flavor profile that feels as buttery as an affectionate scratch behind Falkor’s ears. Whether melting this gorgeous cheese over a plate of charcuterie & potatoes, or appreciating the way its qualities stand alone, the words of Falkor ring true across your tastebuds: “Never give up, and good luck will find you.”

Pairing: The ruby-red color of Falkor’s eyes, Ruminat Primitivo generates a lively call-and-response here, bringing warm, jammy, red fruit tones. And whether melting or not, Olympia Provisions’ fragrant Chorizo Rioja is a perfect match.

4. 1605 Manchego from Essex St. Cheese of La Mancha, Spain (Firm, Sheep)

Much has been said of the ‘quixotic’ nature of The Princess Bride's Inigo Montoya, and he and Don Quixote might share the reality: the only way forward is to live a life transcendent of tragedy. Ask us, and we’ll surely suggest that a perfect soul cheese is certain to lift the spirits – for Montoya we suggest nothing less exact than Essex St. Cheese’s 1605 Manchego. Take for example the cross-hatch pattern on this natural rind (an homage to the imprint of woven grass baskets that Manchego was historically aged in) – which resemble slashes from Montoya’s sword. Farmstead-made since 1878 in the heart of La Mancha, Spain, this certified artisan Manchego has the Spanish seal of authenticity: this is the same great cheese that Don Quixote enjoyed centuries ago. So set a place for Montoya, and share in the clean aromas of hay and almonds that give way to flavors encompassing lush pineapple & toasty brioche.

Pairing: Ruminat Primitivo is the ideal supporting player to 1605 Manchego; and hear the call of the New World with chunks of Mayana’s Mayan Spice Bar.

5. Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm of Vermont (Blue, Cow)

In May of 2014, the fun-loving Kehler brothers of Vermont’s Jasper Hill Farm made an improbable vision come to fruition: they launched a wheel of their Bayley Hazen Blue into the stratosphere (and consumed it in celebration upon retrieval). This seems to us like an earthly happening that Lando Calrissian of The Empire Strikes Back would love to crash! With Lando’s delightfully crass way of disarming friends old and new, the lovable smuggler touching down in his Lady Luck might steal the show from this intergalactic cheese – almost. However, this natural-rinded blue, inspired by tried & true British recipes, is likely to keep firmly in the limelight with its fudge-like texture, toasted-nut sweetness, and hint of anise spice character. In any case – like Lando – Bayley Hazen Blue is complex and revealing, yet light-hearted and approachable.

Pairing: Make your Bayley Hazen experience an otherworldly dessert-bite, accentuated with pours of fizzy Texas Keeper No.1, and dot the cheese with The Casa Market’s Guava Paste, made with the finest from Mexico’s Aguascalientes.

Each month, Standard Members receive 4-5 wedges each month, while our Deluxe Members get specialty pairings too! Our Cheese Club is available for local pickup or delivery and national shipping. Don't miss out on next month's box!

Checkout our Cheese Club information page to learn more about memberships or watch our tasting videos we make for each box to get a better visual!