The following is an extended version of the article that appears in our October 2025 issue.
An autumnal cheese board featuring selections sourced from Truckle Cheesemongers (Photo by Fred Turko)
Cheese is not inherently seasonal, but as temperatures drop and flannels reenter the wardrobe rotation, there is a natural shift in the varieties that merit center stage. Fall beckons big, bold and rich selections. Truckle Cheesemongers owner Maggie Bradshaw says, “Lean heavier on more robust cheeses, because as soon as it’s chilly outside, there’s something physiological, where it just feels right.”
Bradshaw shares her recommendations for the ultimate charcuterie board, plus Halloween horror movie cheese pairings in honor of spooky season.
Maggie Bradshaw of Truckle Cheesemongers (Photo by Chelsea Diane Photography)
Cheeseboard Basics
- For fall, think crystalline-specked Goudas; buttery, nutty Alpines; and striking, funky blues.
- Choose three to four cheeses, considering those made from different milks. Contrast is key, from texture to color to style.
- Bradshaw’s rule of thumb for cheese: “Something soft, something firm, something blue.”
Autumnal Additions
- Dried pears or figs
- Red apples such as Gala or Honeycrisp. For locally grown fruit, visit Agriberry Farms at local farmers markets.
- Chutney
- Dijon mustard
- Seeded, nutty breads. Grab a seeded sourdough loaf from Janet’s Bakery & Cafe.
- Caramelized pecans
- Pickles. Try Wild Earth Fermentation’s Pink Pickles.
- Pork pâté. Shop Belmont Butchery for a slab.
- Sliced bresaola beef
Seasonal Drops
Rogue River Blue
Released on the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22 this year), Rogue hails from Oregon and is wrapped in Syrah grape leaves that have been soaked in pear liqueur. Funky, boozy and complex, it’s considered a transcendent cheese and one of the most anticipated blues in the world.
Halloween Horror Movie Pairing: "The Blair Witch Project" — this iconic blue cheese is wrapped in (grape) leaves that have been soaked in pear spirits. Much like the trio of film makers who slept, ran, flailed and feared for their lives in the crunchy, leaf-filled woods of Maryland!
Rush Creek Reserve
Making its annual return in mid-November, this Wisconsin-made, small-batch offering wrapped in spruce bark is a true labor of love. It’s soft and sumptuous — think savory custard — and exudes slightly woodsy notes.
Halloween Horror Movie Pairing: “Hannibal” — “To serve Rush Creek, you slice the top off, just like Ray Liotta’s character when Hannibal takes the top of his head off to eat his brains. (One also replaces the top of the cheese if it’s not finished in one sitting! Fun, right?)”
Global Grabs
Brabander Reserve
- Gouda, goat’s milk, Netherlands
- Rich, nutty, complex
Dubbed “Black Betty,” this 16-month aged goat’s milk gouda is a crowd-pleaser. Bradshaw says, “Everybody likes it, from little kids to the pickiest eaters.”
Halloween Horror Movie Pairing: “Event Horizon” — “The younger Brabander has a stark white rind, and Brabander Reserve has a jet black rind, much like the black hole that consumes the spaceship at the end of the hellscape of a movie!”
Fourme d’Ambert
- Blue, cow’s milk, France
- Classic, velvety, funky
Made since the fifth century, this crystalline-specked cheese is iconic for a reason. Layered with earthy, sweet and nutty notes, it’s a quintessential blue.
Halloween Horror Movie Pairings: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Dracula: Dead and Loving It” and “Nosferatu” — “Blue veins of mold, and vampires love veins, too! Wahahahahaa.”
Baron Bigod
- Brie, cow’s milk, England
- Robust, farmhouse, delicate
Soft and creamy with a bloomy rind, it’s vegetal and earthy with a burst of mushroom flavor. Bradshaw describes it as funky and delicate.
Halloween Horror Movie Pairing: “The Shining” — “The bloomy rind of the Baron plays off the isolated, snowy setting for ‘The Shining.’”
L’Amuse Signature
- Gouda, cow’s milk, Netherlands
- Fudgy, dense, distinct
Aged for two years, this cheese boasts notes of burnt caramel, hazelnut and butter.
Halloween Horror Movie Pairing: “Trick ’r Treat” — “L’Amuse is super hard and a rich, pumpkin-like orange. Pairs well with the creepy pumpkin-head child trick-or-treater who haunts the movie.”
Abbaye de Belloc
- Tomme, sheep’s milk, France
- Sweet, mild, rare
Traditionally made by monks, this semihard selection from the Pyrenees has a nutty flavor.
Halloween Horror Movie Pairings: “Immaculate” and “The Exorcist” — “Abbaye de Belloc was traditionally made by monks. Both movies center around the Catholic church.”
Bonus Pairing: “Pave du Nord (super firm cow’s milk cheese from France) with ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.’ — Pave du Nord has a distinctive rind that ages with cheese mites. One of the storylines in the movie is super focused on the most intense spider infestation ever.”
