The food lovers guide to cheese in Atlanta

How to build the cheese plate of dreams

Alpha Tolman
Jasper Hill Farm, Vermont
Find whiffs of caramelized onions in this dense cow’s milk cheese by one of America’s artisanal pioneers. Alon’s, $22.99/lb.

Bellamy Blue
Sequatchie Cove Creamery, Tennessee
A raw cow’s milk blue with a soft pungency and hint of smokiness. Spotted Trotter, $32/lb.

Bermuda Triangle
Cypress Grove Chevre, California
Swings from pungent to delicately aged (the fuzzy outside layer is also edible). Your DeKalb Farmers Market, $16.99/lb.

Bijou
Vermont Creamery, Vermont
A wedge of this gooey, fresh goat’s milk cheese spread over a baguette is one of spring’s special gifts. Star Provisions, $6.50/piece

Brillat Savarin
Lincet Fromagerie, Île-de-France, France
Appropriately named after a groundbreaking 18th-century French gastronome with a deep love for butter and cream. Star Provisions, $27/lb.

Cloud Cap
Cascadia Creamery, Washington
Closer to the rind, this mild-mannered cow’s milk cheese is all earth and mushrooms. Toward the center, it’s a refreshing pop of citrus and pineapple. Star Provisions, $35/lb.

Condor’s Ruin
Many Fold Farm, Georgia
A sweet and tangy sheep’s milk cheese inspired by the famous chèvre from France’s Loire Valley, but made just 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. Star Provisions, $20/6 oz.

Delice de Bourgogne
Fromagerie Lincet, Burgundy, France
A tremendous triple-cream that’s impossible to put down. Alon’s, $18.99/lb.

Dry Jack
Vella Cheese Company, California
Rubbed with olive oil and cocoa, this firm, nutty jack melts beautifully in a grilled cheese. Alon’s, $18/lb.

Epoisses
Fromagerie Germain, Bourgogne, France
Famous for its barnyard aroma and intense funk, this custardy fromage hints at butter and smoky bacon. Baguette required. Star Provisions, $24/round

Fontina Val d’Aosta
Caseificio Vallet Pietro e Figli, Valle d’Aosta, Italy
The milk of Alpine cows grazing 6,500 feet up yields this pungent and brothy hard cheese. Toscano & Sons, $16.99/lb.

Grayson
Meadow Creek Dairy, Virginia
Expect big, funky notes of mushrooms from this washed-rind stunner, encased in an edible orange rind. Star Provisions, $30/lb.

Green Hill
Sweet Grass Dairy, Georgia
This double-cream from Thomasville shines when drizzled with honey. Whole Foods, $13.99/8-oz. wheel

Il Nocciolo
Caseificio dell’Alta Langa, Piedmont, Italy
Is this cheese or the world’s fluffiest block of whipped butter? Built for a thin bread stick. Whole Foods, $19.99/lb.

Kentucky Bleu
Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Kentucky
Crumble this salty, intense blue over a salad. Star Provisions, $23/lb.

La Tur
Caseificio dell’Alta Langa, Piedmont, Italy
Three types of milk—cow, goat, and sheep—go into this runny, soft-ripened cheese with a bright and tangy finish. Buford Highway Farmers Market, $21.99/lb.

Lincolnshire Poacher
Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese, Lincolnshire, U.K.
Skip the bread and crackers. You’ll want this savory, nutty cheese all by itself. Star Provisions, $30.50/lb.

Melkbus 149 Truffle
Uniekaas, Gouda, The Netherlands
Try shredding this melty. truffle-flecked Gouda into scrambled eggs. It’s a game changer. Whole Foods, $28.99/lb.

Mimolette 12 Month
Isigny Sainte-mère, Basse-Normandie, France
One of the world’s most distinctive cheeses. Expect a deep orange, nutty center with a hint of caramel. Buford Highway Farmers Market, $20.99/lb.

Monte Enebro
Queseías del Tiétar, Ávila, Spain
Rich, creamy goat cheese that acts like a salty Roquefort. Alon’s, $30.99/lb.

Pecorino Pepato
Emma, Sicily, Italy
This crumbly sheep’s milk cheese is flecked with peppercorns. Toscano & Sons, $13.99/lb.

Quadrello di Bufala
Quattro Portoni Caseificio, Lombardy, Italy
A buttery, toasted baguette in cheese form. Star Provisions, $28/lb.

Reading
Spring Brook Farm, Vermont
Inspired by hard Alpine cheeses, this salty-spicy fromage melts beautifully over potatoes. Whole Foods, $17.99/lb.

Robusto
Uniekaas, Steenderen, The Netherlands
A Whole Foods exclusive, this semi-firm, aged Gouda and Parmesan hybrid leads with pineapple before mellowing into creamy nuttiness. Whole Foods, $15.99/lb.

Scharfe Maxx
Studer, Thurgau, Switzerland
Scharfe means “sharp” in German, and it’s a good name for this grassy, Alpine cheese. Star Provisions, $28/lb.

Shropshire Blue
Colston Bassett, Nottingham, U.K.
Expect a powerful tang from this gorgeous blue with cantaloupe-orange coloring and citrus undertones. Alon’s, $24/lb.

Ted
Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Kentucky
Rubbed with lard and studded with fine salt crystals, this white cheddar gets its extra funk from aging alongside blue cheeses. Spotted Trotter, $20/lb.

Valdeon
Leon, Spain
A famous blue that’s deceptively intense and electrifying. Star Provisions, $22/lb.

Wilde Weide
Fromagerie L’Amuse, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A firm Gouda with a minerally undertone. Star Provisions, $38/lb.

Yellow Branch Reserve
Yellow Branch Farm, North Carolina
Look for striking notes of lemon peel and pine nuts in this crunchy cheese. Star Provisions, $35.50/lb.

Up your board game
How to build the perfect spread

34 Degrees Crisps
Star Provisions
Thin wafers make a crunchy contrast to semi-soft cheeses. $6

Baguette
Star Provisions
Best for super-soft, spreadable cheese. If you need to store it overnight, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze; when you’re ready to eat, thaw completely before reheating at 350°F for 10 minutes. $2.50

Savannah Bee Company Honey
Star Provisions
Just a drizzle can brighten the nutty or grassy undertones in aged cheddar or a creamy goat cheese. $5.25

Apricot Preserves
Alon’s
Fruit can cut the richness of buttery triple-creams. Try the apricot preserves with Lincet’s Delice de Bourgogne. $9.99

Nuts
Whole Foods
Maple bourbon pecans ($17.99 per pound) and Marcona almonds ($15.99 per pound) offer a savory way to reset the senses.