· By Daylon Gardner
Shop Local: The Best Wisconsin Cheese Stores to Visit
There is nothing like walking into a Wisconsin cheese shop. The smell is heavenly. The samples are generous. The energy is chaotically dairy and deeply wholesome. And when you shop local, every wedge, curd, or block you buy supports the artisans who keep the tradition alive.
Wisconsin is full of iconic cheese counters, but let us add some Gardner’s flavor to this list. After all, if you want authentic Wisconsin products, Gardner’s is right at home with the greats.
Union Star Cheese Factory
Known for port wine cheddar and a whopping 41 cheese varieties, Union Star offers factory tours where you can see cheese being born. They have great curds, but Gardner’s squeaky fresh Cheese Curds give them a run for their money.
Weyauwega Star Dairy
Home of world record string cheese. Fun, nostalgic, and always busy. If you love their string cheese, try Gardner’s Draw-String Cheese Whips. They snap like a dream and taste even better.
Renard’s Artisan Cheese
Small town charm, great Italian staples, and a bistro where you can sit and contemplate life over melted cheese. A lovely stop.
Brunkow Cheese
They focus on small batch aging and traditional methods. Their oven-baked cheeses are beloved. Gardner’s offers Oven-Baked Cheese in flavors like Bacon, Italiano, and Buffalo Wing that complement Brunkow’s style perfectly.
Cedar Valley Cheese
Fifty million pounds of cheese a year. Three hundred varieties in store. A cheese superstore by every definition.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery
Known as the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin. If you want squeak, this is where you go. Unless you are ordering Gardner’s Cheese Curds to your door, which is even easier.
Local shops keep traditions alive. Gardner’s keeps those traditions delicious.
Buy Wisconsin Cheese Online
If you cannot swing by Wisconsin, do not worry. You can shop online and have cheese delivered to your door while wearing pajamas.
Gardner’s Wisconsin Cheese specializes in cold-packed nationwide shipping, delivering everything from Aged Gouda to Buffalo Wing Cheese to Oven-Baked Cheese fresh and chilled.
What Makes Online Ordering Amazing
- You do not have to put on shoes.
- You get Wisconsin cheese without traveling.
- Your order arrives cold packed and gorgeous.
- You can build your own custom box if you want to go wild.
Online ordering also gives you access to Gardner’s biggest bundles like the Wisconsin Party Pack or the Gardner’s Gift Special, things you will not find sitting on a shelf anywhere else.
Iconic Wisconsin Cheese Brands (with Gardner’s in the Spotlight)
Wisconsin produces iconic brands, each with its own history. But if we are talking modern favorites with bold flavors and cult followings, Gardner’s belongs right in that lineup.
Carr Valley Cheese
Famous for the Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cheese Log and Juusto Baked Cheese.
Sartori
Creators of BellaVitano. Italian meets Wisconsin. Always impressive.
Uplands Cheese
Makers of Pleasant Ridge Reserve, one of the most decorated cheeses in America.
Pine River
Masters of cold pack spreads.
Chalet Cheese Co-op
Home of Limburger, the legendary stink star of Wisconsin cheese.
Gardner’s Wisconsin Cheese (That’s us!)
The modern classic. Known for our:
- Buffalo Wing Cheese
- 8-Year, 13-Year, 17-Year, and 20-Year Super Sharp Cheddars
- Aged Gouda and Aged Parmesan
- Smokin' Hot Pepper Jack
- Smokey Bacon Cheddar
- Hot Pepper Bacon Jam
- Raspberry Honey Mustard
- Wild Berry Drizzle
- Jalapeno Poblano Drizzle
- Signature Oven-Baked Cheeses
And of course, the massive cheese bundles Wisconsin fans cannot stop talking about: the Customer Favorites Package, the Literally Everything Package, and the Just Because Package.
These brands show why Wisconsin is the dairy capital of the universe, but Gardner’s is the perfect place to experience those flavors without hunting them down one by one.
Specialty Cheese Shops Worth the Drive
Some shops in Wisconsin offer experiences every cheese lover should have at least once.
Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet
If you love aged cheeses, this place has cheddar older than some houseplants. They once sold a nineteen year cheddar that people still talk about.
Weyauwega Star Dairy
Famous for the world’s longest string cheese and solid Italian options.
Simon’s Specialty Cheese
Over one hundred varieties. Enough cheese to confuse and excite you at the same time.
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars
Home of traditional brick cheese made the old fashioned way.
Cedar Grove Cheese
Organic options, sustainable practices, and educational tours. Bring your inner student.
Ellsworth Creamery
If you want to try cheese curds still warm from production, this is your place.
Fromagination in Madison
Part cheese shop, part classroom, part museum. Thoughtful tasting classes and artisanal vibes.
If you are road tripping through Wisconsin, these stops are mandatory. If you are at home in another state, Gardner’s online selection brings the specialty shop straight to your front door.
Farmers Markets and Local Cheese Artisans
Wisconsin farmers markets are an experience. You can wander from booth to booth sampling curds, Gouda, cheddar, havarti, spreads, and smoked cheeses made by hand.
Meeting the cheesemakers feels special. So does buying cheese from the people who milked the cows and stirred the vats.
Farmers markets pair perfectly with Gardner’s fresh items like Squeaky Curds, Draw-String Whips, and Oven-Baked Cheese, offering that farm fresh feel right at home.
Wisconsin Cheese Subscription Boxes
Subscription boxes give you a monthly cheese adventure. Curated selections. Fun surprises. Pairing notes. Something new to try every time.
While many Wisconsin companies offer subscription clubs, the Gardner’s solution is even simpler. Order a big bundle like the Literally Everything Package or the Customer Favorites Package, and you will have enough variety to create your own tasting flights for months.
Open the box, taste something new every week, and congratulate yourself on being both frugal and brilliant.
Gift Ideas for Cheese Lovers
Looking for the perfect present? Cheese is always the answer.
Here are some Gardner’s gift picks that beat any generic cheese basket:
The Gardner’s Gift Special
Perfect for anniversaries, big celebrations, holidays, and world domination through dairy.
The Wisconsin Party Pack
Ideal for birthdays, housewarming parties, football season, and people who treat snacking as a competitive sport.
The Just Because Package
Send it to say congratulations, feel better, sorry about your week, or I simply love you.
The Hot Stuff Package
Gift it to the spice lover in your life. They will thank you while sweating.
The Charcuterie Essentials Bundle
The perfect gift for wine lovers, entertainers, and anyone who owns a wooden serving board.
You can also build your own custom gift basket at Gardner’s by choosing themed combinations like:
- Aged cheddar tasting flights
- Oven-Baked Cheese sampler
- Spicy cheese collection
- Drizzle and jam pairing set
- Curds and sausage survival kit
Add a card and you have a gift that people will talk about for months.
Customer Favorites: Highly Rated Wisconsin Cheeses
When in doubt, go with what people love.
Here are Gardner’s top customer favorite items:
8-Year Super Sharp Cheddar
Sharp enough to make a statement. But in a good way.
Buffalo Wing Cheese
Spicy, flavorful, addictive. Once people try it, they become evangelists.
Aged Gouda
Smooth, caramel notes, rich flavor. A universal crowd pleaser.
Bacon Oven-Baked Cheese
People buy this once and then reorder forever.
Sweet, smoky, and snackable. Very snackable.
Raspberry Honey Mustard
The sleeper hit condiment that works with basically everything.
If you want to make someone fall in love with Wisconsin dairy, start here.
The Tradition of Wisconsin Cheese
Wisconsin’s cheese story began in 1837 and has grown into a full blown dairy dynasty. Immigrant cheesemakers brought European traditions. The state embraced them with open arms and open pastures.
Historical highlights include:
- By the 1920s, Wisconsin had over 2,800 cheese factories.
- In 1921, Wisconsin became the first state to grade cheese professionally.
- Swiss immigrants introduced the earliest Wisconsin Swiss styles.
- Farmers markets still offer direct connections to producers.
Today, brands like Gardner’s are carrying that tradition forward with small batch classics and modern flavor twists.
Visiting Wisconsin? Don’t Miss These Dairy Destinations
If you make the pilgrimage to America’s Dairyland, here are some essential stops:
Emmi Roth Factory Tour
See real cheesemaking in action.
Carr Valley
Award winning and endlessly creative.
Union Star Factory
One of the oldest in the state with fantastic tours.
Baumgartner Cheese Store and Tavern
The oldest cheese store in Wisconsin, complete with iconic sandwiches.
Mars Cheese Castle
Cheese. Gifts. Snacks. A literal castle. Enough said.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery
Home of the Cheese Curd Festival.
Get a bag of warm curds and experience transcendence.
And while you are road tripping through Wisconsin, remember that Gardner’s ships nationwide, so you can bring home the entire state in a cold packed box.
The Cheesy Summary
Wisconsin cheese is a culture, a tradition, and a lifestyle. From local shops and farmers markets to major cheese brands and online stores, there are countless ways to enjoy the flavors of America’s Dairyland. Gardner’s Wisconsin Cheese brings the best of those flavors straight to your door with iconic items like Buffalo Wing Cheese, Aged Cheddars up to twenty years, Oven-Baked Cheese, and curated gift packages for every occasion.
Whether you are trying Wisconsin cheese for the first time or stocking up like a seasoned pro, exploring Gardner’s selection is the easiest and most delicious way to experience real Wisconsin flavor.
