Wisconsin Cheese Takes Starring Role in Netflix Show

Earlier this week, a disheveled homing pigeon arrived at the Drink Wisconsinbly Week in Review newsroom’s window. The note tied to its leg was dated August 18th, and it touted a new show premiering on Netflix called “On the Road,” which features an episode called “Wisconsin Cheesemakers and Artisans.”

We’re not sure what happened to this normally reliable messenger over the past few weeks. Still, he had a chipped beak, a black eye, and a fresh tattoo of a broken heart with the name Lynette written across it, so it didn’t feel right to give him a hard time about his unexplained disappearance.

The important thing is that we got word about a show highlighting our state’s cheesemaking prowess, so we immediately checked that our ex’s Netflix password still worked, popped open an Old Fashioned, and settled in for a screening.

The show stars chef and food writer Bryan Roof from the America’s Test Kitchen Cinematic Universe. He previously appeared on the series “Cook’s Country.” In this show, he travels around the nation and takes a close-up look at unique cuisines and food cultures.

His first stop in Wisconsin was Marieke Gouda in Thorp, where proprietor Marieke Penterman tells of how a hunger for the gouda from her native Netherlands and some late-night inspiration led to her becoming one of only four female master cheesemakers in the world, and creating several award-winning cheeses.

Next up, he hit the Puempel’s Olde Tavern in New Glarus. There he learned about the Swiss cheesemaking tradition, sampled some landjäger, and enjoyed the dulcet tones of the New Glarus Yodel Club.

Finally, he visited the Chalet Cheese Cooperative in Monroe, the last Limburger manufacturer in the United States. He was schooled on the process of making the notorious cheese there, and then went to Baumgartner’s Tavern to sample their famous Limburger sandwich.

Overall, the Drink Wisconsinbly Week in Review found the show to be enjoyable. It was a nice showcase of our people, landscape, and dairy industry. And while it could have a car chase, gratuitous love scene, or a high-stakes game of cat and mouse to really get our attention, it’s still worth your time.

You can find Episode 4 of “On the Road” on Netflix. And you can find cheese at your neighborhood supermarket.