Take A Wisconsin Cheese Tour Road Trip

With hundreds of different cheese varieties, it may not come as a surprise that Wisconsin produces 25 percent of all cheese manufactured in America, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. This equates to 2.8 billion pounds being produced in a year, so if cheese is your foodie passion, taking a road trip in this region is the ideal vacation option. While we all want to eat healthy while traveling, expanding your palate following a foodie trail is likely to inspire you further and allow you to see the local sights at the same time, so here are some highlights to help you decide where to go. 

Choosing Your Itinerary

Depending on the amount of time you have for your road trip, you can drive in a Southwestern direction taking in Madison, Green Country and Spring Green. Alternatively, take an Eastern direction and follow the trail through Milwaukee, the Kettle Moraine and Appleton areas. Whether you’re intending to hire a car or take your own, ensure your vehicle is safe and reliable for long distance driving, and if you’re planning a long journey, make it a comfortable one. Whichever direction you take, you’re likely to visit farmer’s markets, breweries, wineries and some fantastic regional restaurants. 

Cheese Around Milwaukee

Drop by the Wisconsin Cheese Mart on your visit to Milwaukee. It’s been open since 1938, and it’s a place where you can sample and buy artisan products, such as their Chocolate Fudge Cheese. If you have time, the Uber Tap Room is next door, where your waiter will pair up one of the craft beers with local varieties of cheese. When you have an interest in the production of fresh cheese curds, visit the Clock Shadow Creamery, where you can learn how to make cheese, or simply taste anything from Mexican styles or Aged Cedar Grove Cheese. 

Top Wisconsin Cheese Stops 

The century-old Beechwood Cheese Factory in Adell is where you can taste their famous Beechwood Cheese, and if you time it right for the first Saturday of the month, you can also sample the jalapeno curds straight out of the vat. Alternatively, Wisconsin’s oldest cheese store is Baumgartner’s which opened in 1932, and trying their Limburger with mustard is a must. For travelers driving through Madison, check out Fromagination, offering up international artisan cheeses, along with cooking classes, gourmet lunches and other culinary events. 

A foodie road trip through the Wisconsin cheese region will not only afford you amazing cheese stops, but also wonderful scenic views, which will inspire you to keep returning to this dining destination, both for the farm-to-table products and the landscapes that they’re nestled in.