Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/111460
food&wine they're at their best. It's no understatement to say these are happy goats – more like pets, really – and the product of these contented animals is stunning. As Alla Wolf-Tasker, co-owner of Lake House in Daylesford and a champion of regional dining in Australia, says of Carla and Ann-Marie's cheeses: "Amazing product from two women determined not to destroy the artisan quality of their product by becoming a larger operation. Their La Luna is probably the best cheese in Australia." Also in Victoria is Milawa Cheese Company, established in 1988 as the result of one couple's desire for a tree change and their love of Italian gorgonzola dolce, which was piqued on a trip to Europe. Their plan to make one of Australia's best blue cheeses was hatched at a time when Australian consumers were accustomed only to the overwhelmingly strong Danish blue. The result is Milawa Blue, a blue cheese that has great flavour yet is creamy and refined. Having worked in the cheese industry in the UK for five years, Ceridwen Brown, second-generation cheesemaker at Milawa Cheese Company, is buoyed by the advances in cheesemaking in Australia: "I think the main difference is the culture. Cheesemakers in Europe generally make one cheese for many generations, with limited scientific knowledge of what is happening in the vat. We are lucky in Australia to come to cheesemaking with no tradition to bind us. We can take inspiration from Europe, blend it with our technical advantage and produce very high-quality cheese. "I can see a lot of similarities to the wine industry; in fact, we've already had French cheesemaking students come and learn with us!" When I ask Ceridwen if there is a natural harmony between wine and cheese, it's an unequivocal yes. "They are both fermented products that scream out to be had together," she says. "Although, I do think the old idea of a big red with a cheese platter can be a disaster. There are some cheeses that Top: Australian cheesemakers (L-R) Justin Telfer of Bangalow Cheese Co.,Jon Healey of Pyengana Dairy Company, and Ceridwen Brown of Milawa Cheese Company. 31