Mt. Tam

There's a cheesemaking revolution going on in America, in case you haven't noticed. Among its leaders are a group of women entrepreneurs who a decade ago left the Bay Area restaurant scene to launch the Cowgirl Creamery.

Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, veterans of such luminary East Bay eateries as Chez Panisse and Bette's Oceanview, decided in the early 1990s that what America needed was more homegrown artisanal cheese. So they started a company to make it.

Today, Cowgirl Creamery makes a wonderful line of cheeses, including the mellow, mushroomy Mt. Tam. It is a triple-cream variety, made with organic milk. It's relatively dense, so it's firm in texture (though not quite hard).

Mt. Tam is rich but not showy, full-flavored but not cloying. In fact, it's downright elegant in its complexity and balance.

PAIRINGS: Because it is so refined, Mt. Tam deserves to be tasted early on a cheese board, before you dig into the really stinky cheeses. If you're serving it on its own, pour some sharp, dry white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.