CENTRAL POINT, OR – Rogue Creamery’s classic, signature Oregon Blue Cheese has a fresh look for the new decade. Its new label pays homage to Rogue Creamery’s home, heritage, and tradition of handmade and cave-aged cheeses.
The cornerstone of Rogue Creamery’s line of artisan blue cheeses, this French-style, cave-aged blue was the first of its kind to be produced on the West Coast. Certified organic since 2016, the recipe remains a classic: approachable yet sophisticated, featuring the creamy, fruity, and savory-yet-sweet notes that make Oregon Blue a timeless favorite among chefs and cheese lovers nationwide.
The new Oregon Blue Cheese label pays tribute to the cheese’s roots and the place where it has been handmade continuously since 1953: Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley. It now depicts the character of the Oregon Black Bear Queen – guardian of the caves. Around her neck she wears a necklace of Oregon Grape berries, tying this new label to its previous variation, which featured the Oregon Grape vine. Surrounding the Bear Queen’s likeness are artistic renderings of native vegetation that makes up a terroir that is distinctively Rogue: including chanterelle mushrooms, pine boughs, acorns, blackberries, and Bracken fern – all reminiscent of flavors that can be tasted in this cheese.
“The black bear roams the pristine Siskiyou and Cascade Mountain ranges that surround the Rogue Valley,” reflects David Gremmels, Rogue Creamery President and self-professed Mr. Blue. “Though shy and with a fierce, independent reputation, the black bear is really a friendly sight – and the ratio of black bears to people in Oregon is far greater than in any other U.S. state. So it seemed fitting to idolize her, our Bear Queen, as the icon of our cheese and our valley.”
In 2019 Rogue Creamery celebrated its induction into the Oregon Business Hall of Fame for placing on their “100 Best Green Businesses” list for 10 years in a row. Gremmels continued, “it felt like now was the time to recognize our connection to our state and to the native plants and wildlife that make this environment so unique.”
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About Rogue Creamery: Inspired by a sense of place for over 85 years, Rogue Creamery draws from the beauty and flavors of Southern Oregon’s Rogue River Valley to create organic, handcrafted cheeses that have won international acclaim. Rogue Creamery: people dedicated to sustainability, service, and the art and tradition of creating the world’s finest organic, handmade cheese.
