Australia: A Visit To The Yarra Valley Dairy

For the rest of the month of January, Contributing Editor Matt Rodbard will be filing reports from Australia. You can also follow along via Twitter (@FoodRepublic), on Instagram and on our Facebook page.

An hour outside of Melbourne the landscape starts to transition from concrete to clay and sandstone as I enter the Yarra Valley—a wine region featuring over 120 producers and cellar doors (local parlance for “tasting rooms”). My first trip to the region led me to Yerring Station, Domaine de Chandon and the remarkable bakery/coffee roaster/restaurant/winery Giant Steps.

I’ll spill more about those places later, but right now I have cheese on the mind, specifically the world-class soft cheeses being produced “farmhouse style” at Yarra Valley Dairy. You may be familiar with the products, sold at Whole Foods and specialty stores across the United States like Murray’s, Andronico or Cowgirl Creamery. I was given a tour by Yarra Valley Dairy General Manager Ben Mooney and Senior Cheesemaker Jack Holman.

Australia: A Visit To The Yarra Valley Dairy

Australian cheese, by way of France

The day of my visit to Yarra Valley Dairy, Jack Holman had risen at the crack of 3:30 to begin work on his artisanal cheeses. Raised on a farm, Holman earned a scholarship through the Australian government to spend time in France to learn the intricacies of crafting chèvre. “It’s an exciting time to be a cheesemaker in Australia,” he says of the country’s booming interest in small-herd producers over the past five years.

Not the usual feta

The dairy makes over 15 varieties of cheese, which isn’t dictated as much by season but consumer demand and the cheesemaker’s whims. Of the cheeses I sampled, I was most struck with the Persian feta (left), which is most certainly not the chalky, overly salted crumbles last seen on your mediocre Greek salad. The creamy cow’s milk spread is marinated in olive oil and blended with thyme and garlic. The dairy also produce two types of “Savourine”-styled goat cheese, a semi-aged pyramid of wonderful gaminess.

General Manager Ben Mooney

In 1995, Mary and Leo Mooney—Ben’s parents—opened the dairy on their family farm to take advantage of the growing wine region. Today, the operation includes over 500 Friesian and Jersey cows, a herringbone milking shed and on-site cheese shop and restaurant. The philosophy is simple: “Relaxed cows make relaxed cheese.”

Entering the cheese room

There’s a strict dress code to enter the cheese production room. Booties for shoes and hairnets all around. Holman says this is to prevent errant bacteria from contaminating.

Hot in here

A blast of steamy, humid air greets me, as if entering an enclosed hotel whirlpool. Here Holman assists a cheese maker in pouring curds into the large molds, which in a day will shrink down to a third of its size.

Le Jack waits its turn

Once on the rack, cheese can age between 10-15 days. Here’s a product called Le Jack, a Camembert-styled semi-aged goat cheese that Holman learned to make in the South of France. With time, white mold grows on the outer layer, giving the product an earthy flavor.

Racks on racks on racks

More cheese takes its turn in the aging room. Another variety I enjoyed was Juno, a fresh (un-aged) goat cheese marinated with with juniper berries, green olive, rosemary, red capsicum (pepper) and garlic. Pairs well with a gin and tonic.

Cheese counter

The cheese counter at Yarra Valley Dairy, where they sell not only their own product but cheeses from around Australia and the world.

More Galleries

Check Out These 8 Realistic-Looking Photos Of Food Chopped In Half

25 Killer Side Dishes For Memorial Day Weekend

17 Burger Recipes For This Big Grilling Weekend

11 Extreme Diets That Will Help You Lose Weight, Possibly Kill You

5 Epic Steaks You Should Be Grilling This Weekend

10 Cocktails For Drinking Outside This Memorial Day Weekend