Grayson

Grayson is a soft, finely textured washed-rind cheese, made in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, with an orange-brown sticky rind, a golden semi-soft paste, a pungent aroma and a rich, beefy taste with nutty overtones. It is a specialty of the Meadow Creek Dairy, a small family farm dedicated to sustainable agriculture, and has been described by the proprietors of the dairy, Helen and Rick Feete, as reminiscent of an Italian Taleggio or a French Livarot. (However, the color is darker and yellower than a typical Taleggio, and the aroma and flavor are stronger.) Grayson is made with raw milk of Jersey cows and aged longer than their Italian and French counterparts, around 60 days; no pesticides or herbicides are used in the fields where the cows are pastured.



Grayson is only produced when the cows are on natural pasture from April through October. From the 80 Jersey cows milked by the Feetes, approximately 20% will be used to make cheese.