The Best Cheese of the Month Subscriptions

This holiday season, may we recommend the gift of spreadable cheese? No, not one of those nut-studded, Worcestershire-spiked party balls! Instead, we suggest spreading your celebratory spirit—and gift-giving generosity—well into 2021 with a cheese subscription. As our collective hunker-down continues into a new year, fromageophile family and friends will surely appreciate extra excuses to celebrate during the dark winter months ahead. And that’s just what you can provide with a multi-month gift from a reputable mail-order monger.

Whether you’re ready to make a full-year commitment for your own household or just want to keep Aunt Lula in lactose ‘til springtime, whether you want to send reliable classics or more esoteric edibles, there are cheese subscriptions that will suit everyone. Here is some general advice on online subscription shopping along with some of our favorite options from trustworthy services. Most of the vendors mentioned below offer multiple subscription formats and one-time gifts on their websites.

Subscription Shopping Tips

Know your recipients

Are you giving to a granny or a gourmet? A houseful or a singleton? Some subscriptions distinguish themselves by including in-depth background literature with each shipment, full of tasting notes and pairing tips. Some deliver honking blocks of cheese, while others feature lots of cheese-adjacent nibbles. Think about which will please your significant snackers.

Mind your timing

Shipping timetables vary among subscription services, so be sure to read websites carefully. For example, while Zingerman’s Mail Order, the online division of Ann Arbor, Michigan’s famed deli and gourmet empire will aim to deliver your first gift box on a specific date of your choice and subsequent installments at four week intervals, Curdbox—based outside of Boston—delivers on the third Thursday or Friday of each month, depending on the recipient’s location.

This holiday season in particular, the U.S. mail and other shipping services are anticipating some delays, so place your orders as early as possible. That said, part of the fun of a subscription gift lies in delayed—and repeated—gratification, so consider taking the pressure off of yourself altogether by offering season’s greetings on the holidays but giving subscriptions that don’t even start arriving until January. (Who really needs more treats in the house during the last week of December?).

Factor in fees

While some clubs promote prices that already include shipping charges, others don’t tally up a total until you’re on their website’s checkout page. That’s not necessarily nefarious. Many clubs’ shipping prices vary based on recipients’ locations. Non-included shipping charges can add $10 or more per month of the subscription.

All of the cheese clubs we’ve surveyed offer gift subscriptions of varying lengths with the per-shipment price sometimes decreasing modestly with longer durations (Generally, there are 3, 6 and 12 month options). If you are subscribing for yourself, some clubs offer month-to-month pay-as-you-go options, but they tend to be less cost effective if you plan on partaking for 3 months or more. Most clubs are happy to arrange to pause shipments or skip months when members have planned vacations.

For the purpose of comparison, the prices cited below are all for 3 months of pre-paid shipments. We have also calculated and incorporated total shipping charges when not automatically included by the vendor.

Without further ado, here are our picks for holiday cheese subscriptions:

The straightforward favorite

Zingerman’s Artisan Cheese Club

3 months/$200

What’s in each box

· 3 half-pound cuts (1.5 lb. total) of small production cheeses, from a single country each month: Month 1, Italy; Month 2, France; Month 3, Spain. (6-month subscriptions move on to Switzerland, the U.S. and the Netherlands).

· Extensive, highly readable background notes (8-10 pages) highlighting Zingerman’s personal relationships with the farms and dairies that make their cheeses, including first-hand accounts of the cheesemaking processes, historical information, serving/pairing suggestions and a recipe. The first shipment includes a three-ring binder for saving these notes.

Why we like it

The distinctive yet unintimidating cheeses will please both aficionados and general interest eaters. There’s nothing not to like about selections including origin-controlled Parmigiano Reggiano, Mimolette and Manchego; they’re superlative iterations of deservedly popular cheeses, provided in ample portions. The three cheeses selected to represent each country are listed online, so you can check them out before you decide to subscribe: no surprises here. Zingerman’s distinctly unfancy brown paper packaging conveys authenticity rather than pretension.

Also notable from Zingerman’s:

Cheese pairing club

.5 lb. of a single cheese + 1 accompaniment (e.g., Manchester cheese + a jar of Violet Mustard)

3 months/$130

The giftiest

Curdbox

3 months/$172 - $187 (varies based on shipping address)

What’s in each box

· 3 quarter-pound cuts (.75 lb. total) of artisanal cheeses

· 3 mix-and-match miniature pairing snacks

Enjoyed in one sitting, the comestibles in each Curdbox could serve as a playful no-cook dinner or picnic lunch for two, or a terrific array of noshes for a gathering of your 4-6 person pandemic pod. Each selection of cheeses and companion items is curated around an often-whimsical theme by Jenn Mason, a graphic designer (adorbs packaging!) and proprietor of a slowly growing cheese fiefdom in Brookline, Massachusetts, which also includes a retail shop and a restaurant. A recent month’s delivery, themed “Fruitful”, matched a Mimolette, Fourmage (a buffalo/sheep/cow/goat mixed milk cheese) and a smoked Idiazabal with passion fruit jellies, dried pomegranate seeds, and chocolate covered raisins.

·A chatty and informative pairing chart, well-designed by Mason herself along with links to deeper-dive info and amusement, including Spotify playlists paired with the cheeses, URLs for each dairy and snackmakers own website, and wine and beer pairing tips.

Why we like it

With its cute, casual vibe, Curdbox has developed a significant subscriber base of non-gift recipients. It’s an edible info-rich, multimedia magazine of sorts that even has an accompanying cheese chat podcast to discuss each month’s selections.

The conciergiest

Fromagination “Mini” Cheese of the Month Club

3 months/$125

What’s in each box

· 3 quarter pound cuts (.75 lb. total) of artisanal American-made cheeses (with rare exceptions), curated around themes that encourage nuanced appreciation of the cheesemaking craft. 2021 shipments will include compare-and-contrast trios of aged Wisconsin cheddars, sheep milk cheeses, and grass-fed raw milk cheeses. Bespoke variations are made to accommodate members’ tastes. (A subscription is also available with twice as much of each cheese per month, at exactly twice the price).

· 1 accompaniment such as preserves or flatbreads

· Tasting/comparison notes and background information on each cheese.

Why we like it

Rare cheeses and a rare level of commitment to customer service mark the subscription service of this renowned Madison, Wisconsin cheese shop. Once a gift recipient has received a card letting them know they’ve been given a club membership, a cheesemonger will arrange a phone call to discuss their personal preferences. Don’t like blue cheese? You’ll never get any. Prefer soft cheese to hard cheese. Done! Monthly selections sometimes include small batch cheeses that club members get a chance to taste—and provide input on—before anyone else in the country. Members can also look forward to the occasional extra surprise or personal touch based on their intake interview.

The California dreamiest

Cowgirl Creamery Club

3 months/$270 (includes shipping)

What’s in each box

· 3-4 cuts/small cheeses (minimum 20 oz. total) from the famed namesake cheesemaker and sister organic creameries. A recent selection included Fog Lights goat cheese from Cypress Grove Creamery, Syrah-washed Paso Vino from Stepladder Creamery and Cowgirl’s own Wagon Wheel, originally created for the Zuni Café in San Francisco.

• Beautifully written notes on each cheese and the people who make it, along with

suggested beverage and accompaniment pairings and evocative flavor descriptions:

“Buttermilk. Citrus. Slate.”; “Browned Butter. Roasted Nuts. Sautéed Leeks.

Members also receive discounts on additional online orders and occasional invitations to online video guided tastings of the month’s selections.

Why we like it

Almost all of the cheeses included in Cowgirl subscriptions are made in the heart of California wine country, so, armed with the specific detail provided in each box, you can relatively easily pair them with wines grown nearby, for an utterly—and udderly—unique terroir tasting experience. Cowgirl Creamery has a longstanding commitment to organic and sustainable farming and production.

The monger’s mouthful

Di Bruno Brothers’ Cheese Pairing 101 Club

4 months (minimum)/$200

What’s in each box?

· 1 wedge (approx. .5 lb) of singularly flavor-forward cheese

· 2 monger-selected accompaniments (Full-size packages)

· Background notes on the creation of this killer combination

Founded in the Italian Market section of Philadelphia, Di Bruno Brothers has become one of the East Coast’s most acclaimed purveyors of cheese, salumi and other gourmet foods, sourced from around the world. Their brick and mortar locations are Valhalla for free sample fiends and this club aims to replicate some of the stacked, drizzled and texturally juxtaposed bites their mongers are famous for. The contents of the upcoming 2021 monthly shipments are posted online. One example: Cabot clothbound cheddar with onion cabernet preserves and Abbruze sausage.

Why we like it

While other clubs stock your larder, this one’s a monthly party starter. Everything that’s included is meant to be combined in marvelous multi-sensory mouthfuls. The perfect excuse to throw boredom-busting house parties for the folks you live with and cocktail soirees, post-pandemic.

The Foreign Affair

Fromages.com Monthly Cheeseboard

3 months/$283.00 (converted from current Euro price)

What’s in each box

· 4 cuts/small cheeses (Between 1.75 and 2.65 lb. total) of French A.O.C. small farmstead cheeses

· Brief tasting notes with background on the cheeses’ production and history.

Based in Tours, about two hours southeast of Paris in the Loire, Valley, Fromages.com has served as a curatorial clearinghouse for artisanal French cheese since 1997. While the world’s other cheesemaking countries have taken their place in the spotlight in the intervening years, France still sets many a standard. Given the bonanza of phenomenal cheese regularly available in French markets—even grocery stores—the fact that most of Fromages.com subscribers are French speaks to the uniqueness and relative rarity of the raw milk cheeses in these selections. Selections are cut, packed and overnight shipped on the same day. The most recent subscription shipment included brine washed Abbaye de Tamié, Brillat Savarin, a pungent Bleu d’Auvergne, and a soft goat cheese exclusively made for subscribers.

Why we like it

Genuine gourmands and self-proclaimed gourmets will concur that the refined, distinctive cheeses in these shipments are exemplars of European dairy craftsmanship.

The fact that there are 4 selections in each shipment means more exploration for serious turophiles (A more expensive 6 cheese iteration is also available). And there’s no denying the je ne sais quoi (Actually, je sais: It’s called snob appeal) of fancy French fromages.

The prestige cheese

Murray’s Cheesemonger’s Picks Club

3 months/$205.00

What’s in each box

· 3-4 cuts/small cheeses (Between 1 and 1.5 lb total)

· Tasting/pairing notes

Murray’s of New York City is perhaps the single most famous cheese retailer in the United States, with national and international sourcing relationships that assure extraordinarily fine products. While Murray’s does offer more specific clubs (American Cheeses, Classic Cheeses), the Cheesemonger’s Picks shipments provide the most interesting range of the familiar and the adventuresome. One recent box contained Murray’s Delice, a French triple créme custom-made for Murray’s; sharp English Tickler Cheddar; and scorched-rind Basque Tomme Brûlée.

Why we like it

Look, there’s a certain thrill for recipients when they receive a gift with a famous name, and—especially for folks who appreciate cheese but aren’t learned connoisseurs—Murray’s ticks that box while assuring givers of top-notch quality. The notes that come with each shipment also include an amusing feature that ups the friendliness-factor for non-afficionados: Cheese-themed pencil puzzles, which have included crosswords, scrambles and word-finders.