Cheese Shops We Love: Cheese & Wine Traders
Location
186 Williston Road
South Burlington, VT 05403
Editor’s note: Cheese & Wine Traders closed in March, 2024.
Vermont selections photo courtesy of Cheese & Wine Traders
Vermont Pride
Since Nick Savasta and his husband John Howard bought Cheese & Wine Traders in 2015, their mission has stayed the same: to provide the best customer service while highlighting Vermont’s community. “We're passionate about what's made in Vermont and its makers, and always prioritize shelf space for local products first,” says Savasta. “The people and our community value small businesses that feature local makers on their shelves.”
The shop first opened back in 1991 under Nancy Wright and Steve Lidle. As the third set of owners, Savasta and Howard have helped the shop grow over the years. “We’ve expanded our cheese offerings by about 25%,” says Savasta. “We also renovated The Cheese Shop to better serve customers and started offering custom cuts in 2016.”
Located on Williston Road makes a difference, too, as it’s one of the busiest in South Burlington and brings in people from all over. “It’s halfway between downtown Burlington and Burlington International Airport,” says Savasta. "Making it the perfect spot for us.”
Cheese counter photo courtesy of Cheese & Wine Traders
The Store
Cheese & Wine Traders is located in South Burlington, Vermont. The spacious two-level shop holds over 300 hundred different types of cheeses on the top floor with a wide selection of more than 2000 wines on the bottom floor. The cheese counter offers custom cuts while the refrigerated shelves provide self-serve pre-packaged cheese and meats. Other items are found throughout the shop too, including spices, jams, and syrups, with many made locally. Gift baskets can be customized and shipped just about anywhere.
Top Selling Cheeses
This raw cow milk cheese is made locally on a farm in Greensboro, Vermont. Aged 3-4 months, the texture is both thick and creamy with a nutty flavor. It is one of the most popular types of cheese in the shop because of its accessibility. “It goes well on a cheese board, on top of a salad, or is perfect for a snack,” says Savasta. “It’s a great starter blue cheese for folks who may be hesitant to try a blue,” Savasta says. He also explains it pairs well with anything from a cabernet, riesling, or a stout.
Plymouth_Waxed_Original_Cheddar photo courtesy of Cheese & Wine Traders
Original Plymouth 1 Year Cheddar Waxed Block
This raw cheddar is made from a local cheese factory in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. It’s an old-world recipe from the Coolidge family who started its factory in the 1800s, topping it as one of the oldest in the nation. The cheese has been aged for a year and offers a sharp flavor that lasts. As a top choice for the store’s gift baskets, Savasta says this cheese is “perfect anytime, anywhere, with anything,” including being “super delicious with an ale, sour, or IPA."
Von trapp photo courtesy of Cheese & Wine Traders
von Trapp Mt. Alice
This cow milk cheese is one of the shop’s “absolute favorite soft cheeses,” says Savasta. It’s made locally on a third-generation family farm an hour from the shop and is named after the Mt. Alice peak that hovers over the farm. It is “soft-ripened,” says Savasta, and has a “bloomy fluffy rind with a creamy texture” and an earthy mushroom flavor making it ideal with a hard cider.