Mike Matucheski still lives on the family farm in Antigo, the same place where as a boy he made farmer’s cheese with his grandmother.
Today he’s a master cheesemaker with 24 years of experience, and his Sartori Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano was named the top cheese at the 2017 U.S. Cheese Championships. Maintaining a healthy sense of humor and endless curiosity for the alchemy of cheesemaking, Matucheski is an early bird at the plant, starting his days at 5 a.m. The 58-year-old skips lunch most days, but he never passes up a cheese tasting.
His food roots
I actually have a great-grandfather who was a cheesemaker, but he didn’t make a lot of cheese. It was a better living being a tax assessor.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Journal Sentinel