Hearty and satisfying, Island Brebis is an award-winning artisanal sheep milk tomme homegrown on a Whidbey Island farm
Glendale Shepherd farm owners Lynn and Stan Swanson, along with their son Erik, wouldn’t dream of making cheese with milk from anybody’s sheep other than their own. They honor the farmstead tradition of raising and milking their own animals and creating artisanal small-batch cheeses on their 80-acre Whidbey Island farm that overlooks Saratoga Passage. With forest, pasture, ponds and meadows, the farm provides a diversity of habitat for their herd of 50 milking sheep, a mixture of European East Friesian and Lacaune dairy cross-breeds.
A Return To Roots
Lynn, a former clothing pattern maker, tailor and fiber artist, found a pathway back to her roots as a fourth generation Washington dairy farmer when she and Stan, formerly a dentist, decided to launch Glendale Shepherd four years ago. Their son Erik joined them in the family venture, having attended sheep dairy school at the University of Wisconsin, a school renowned for its specialized research program that focuses on quality sheep milk production used in cheesemaking.
Healthy, Happy Sheep
The Swansons use high quality hays and natural grains to supplement the herd’s grass-fed diet, ensuring the rich, sweet ‘Grade A’ milk their sheep produce is free from antibiotics, additives and preservatives. The USDA certifies the farm as Animal Welfare Approved for practicing the highest standards of farm animal care and sustainable farming. Happier sheep means better tasting and more nutritious milk.
Award Winning Cheese
Island Brebis (Brebis refers to a family of sheep’s milk) won a Good Food Award earlier this year for excellence in both taste and responsible production. This whole raw sheep’s milk tomme is aged up to a year. The rustic wheels are washed, brushed and turned to develop a natural golden brown rind. They also produce a denser “extra aged” version which is aged for 18 months.
Tasting & Pairing
Island Brebis: Aged 3-12 months, it is smooth and firm offering toothsome butterfat and crystalline-like texture. The flavors are extraordinarily earthy and nutty, with complex layers of sweet cream, grassy herbs, caramel notes and white truffle oil.
Pairing: Sparkling bubbly wine or a creamy nutty Chardonnay. For reds, try medium bodied food-friendly wines like Pinot Noir and Sangiovese. It also pairs with hard ciders and IPAs.
Island Brebis Extra Aged: Aged 18 months, it is firm and dense in texture, with a pleasing, slightly crystalline tooth on the palate. The flavors are broad and earthy, displaying rich undertones of black walnut, bark, sweet grass, dried herbs and caramel notes. Perfect for shaving over salad, pasta or pizza.
Pairing: Bold rustic reds like a Tempranillo, Malbec, Grenache and Carmenere, or contrast with lively white wine like Sauvignon blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Albarino and sparkling wine.
The Whole Lineup
In addition to the Island Brebis, the Swansons create a number of other fantastic aged and fresh seasonal cheeses.
– Brebis Frais is a spreadable cream cheese made from fresh sheep’s milk that is rich and buttery with delicate grassy notes—and will leave you drooling for more.
– Feta combines the rich complexity of sheep’s milk with a lengthy process of aging in brine, producing a classic, creamy feta cheese.
– Saratoga Passage (named for the body of water the farm overlooks) is a washed curd style raw sheep’s milk cheese that is aged in five-to-six-pound wheels for one year. Creamy and rich with tangy, sharp, nutty flavors and hints of hay and grassy notes.
– Tallulah is their latest creation, a delicious semi-soft, washed rind cheese inspired by the Tallegio cheeses of Italy. Made in small round wheels and classic squares, it has a reddish-colored thin crust and “stinky” aroma. The gooey inside is comparatively mild, oozing with creamy texture and rich buttery, earthy notes with a fruity tang.
By John Vitale
Find the Cheese
Glendale Shepherd Cheese is sold at the farm’s own tasting room, as well as around the Puget Sound at select cheese shops, restaurants and farmers markets.
Glendale Shepherd Tasting Room & Farm
Open Sunday, 11am-3pm
7616 Glendale Heights Rd, Clinton
Phone: (360) 579-1677
www.glendaleshepherd.com