As with any work of travel literature, this blog is a snapshot that captures a particular place at a particular time. And of course, through a particular set of eyes (ours). All opinions in the post below are our own and we only recommend places and products we love! Also, while we do our best to keep blog posts up to date with current prices, locations, and hours of operation we suggest double-checking when planning a trip. This post does not contain affiliate links. No content is AI-generated.
Cheese is our love language. Which probably doesn’t surprise most considering we live in Wisconsin, one of the leading dairy producing states in the U.S. Likely the second you read the word “Wisconsin” your mind conjured up images of cheese curds, charcuterie boards loaded with cheese chunks or Culver’s Butter Burgers with thick slices of American cheese – all wildly popular in the Dairy State, world-renowned for its cheese. To be fair, when we think of our home state the first thing that comes to mind is cheese. But just not any cheese: Gouda. Marieke Gouda to be exact. It’s quality, its rich flavor, its creamy texture is unbeatable. While this is strictly our opinion and we understand that everyone has different palettes/taste, we will mention that several of Marieke Gouda cheese varieties are award winners – having taken top prizes at national and international competitions including the World Cheese Championship, U.S. Cheese Championship, and the American Cheese Society Competition. According to this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, Marieke Gouda brought home the most awards for any U.S. competitor from the 2023 World Cheese Awards held in Norway.
About the Cheese
What makes Marieke Gouda so special? We think it’s all about how the cheese is made. Marieke Gouda is produced in an authentic Dutch way with fresh milk being piped directly from the cows into the large processing vat after the first milking of the day. The cheese vats here can hold 8,000 pounds of milk. On the Marieke Gouda farmstead the cheese is made within just five hours of the cows being milked on the farm! A 20-pound wheel of gouda is pressed for two hours and then placed in a salt-brine for 60 hours. The brining process is the only salt added to the cheese and it helps to create a firmer shape to the cheese wheels. From there each wheel is transitioned into the aging process. Each wheel is aged for at least 60 days and undergoes several quality checks. The plain Gouda can spend anywhere from 2 months to 2+ years aging, resulting in vastly different outcomes. Over 25 different flavors of handcrafted artisan cheese are made here including our favorite flavored Gouda: Summer Fields. Cold pack spread cheese in Gouda Spread, Honey Clover and Hatch Pepper are also made and packaged on site.
Visit Marieke Gouda
While you can find Marieke Gouda cheeses in cheese and specialty shops all around Wisconsin, there’s no better place to fall in love with Marieke Gouda and learn about dairy farming than at the place the cheese is made: the Marieke Gouda farmstead in Thorp, Wisconsin. Located about 45 minutes east of Eau Claire and two hours from Minneapolis, this female-owned farmstead is open year-round and offers visitors an incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with the art of cheesemaking. On the farmstead you will find Penterman Farm, Cafe Dutchess and the Cheese Shop. Keep reading to learn about each of these sites and why you should pay them a visit one day soon.
Penterman Farm
Penterman Farm is one of nearly 10,000 dairy farms in Wisconsin. A visit to Penterman farm offers you the opportunity to get an up-close glimpse of the cheesemaking process and the well-cared for dairy cows who make it all possible. The main barn is two-stories. On the main level you will enter and see the cows being milked in real-time behind a glass window. On average each cow produces 80 pounds of milk each day.
On your way upstairs be sure to wrap your hand around the pipe/tube coming out of the wall. When the cows are milked the actual milk flows through the pipe/tube on its way to the cheese vat or refrigerated storage. When you are holding this pipe/tube the milk will feel warm. That is because milk from a healthy cow’s body is nearly 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit!
You can also view the cows from the second-level viewing platform. On the Penterman Farm the cows receive 5-star care. They get pedicures twice a year and their stalls are groomed several times a day. The cows are provided with lots of sand to lay down on and can enjoy the fresh Wisconsin air in the warmer months and cozy sheltering in the colder months. The cows also get to enjoy fresh water and a balanced diet free from r-BST. They can return to the feed buffet whenever they want – it’s filled and available 24/7 (same with the water supply). Most of what they eat is things like corn silage, alfalfa hay, corn gluten pellets and a premix of vitamins and minerals. While on the farm we learned that the cows eat about 120 pounds of feed each day. Can you believe that?
While you can visit Penterman Farm year-round and go on a self-guided tour, guided tours are only available during the summer months (June – August). Be sure to check online for tour options and information if you plan to experience a tour during your visit to Penterman. It is recommended you book guided tours in advance and there is a fee for guided tours.
Cheese Shop (or the Marieke Gouda Store)
Across from Penterman Farm – within 1-2 minutes walking distance – you will find the Cheese Shop and Cafe Dutchess. You will find the absolute best prices for Marieke Gouda at the Cheese shop also called the Marieke Gouda Store. We paid half of what we do at a specialty Cheese Shop in Milwaukee for the same product – so be sure to stock up! While you peruse the Goudas, other cheeses and other merch including Gouda sweatshirts and all kinds of drinks including alcoholic beverages, be sure to sample delicious Gouda varieties and other specialty snacks like gourmet chocolate covered nuts and sweet trail mixes. What is available to sample each day varies. You will also find information about special discounts offered over by the samples located towards the back of the shop by the entrance to Cafe Dutchess.
Cafe Dutchess
A Gouda inspired and infused breakfast and lunch menu, does it get any better than that? Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. and the menu includes a mix of sweet and savory dishes all or nearly all made with GOUDA. Check out the menu here. We enjoyed lunch at the café and highly recommend a basket of the Gouda cheese curds. In fact, since we both ordered an entrée our cheese curds were free! Prices are reasonable and it is a great way to end (or start) your experience at Marieke Gouda.
In case you couldn’t tell from this post, we are crazy about Marieke Gouda. We think it is the best cheese made in Wisconsin and would love to hear what types of cheese you can’t get enough of – especially those local to where your home or country. Share in the comments below!
~ Justin + Alyssa
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Interesting to see the process and must have been fun to taste.
It’s incredible how quickly the cheese is made on this farmstead and the samples were some of the freshest we’ve ever had!