Members of the Lewisville Noon Rotary likely have never been so excited about cheese as they were at last week’s meeting, when guest presenter Justin Bonard tantalized the audience with tales of fine fromage from around the globe.

 

The owner of Ten:One Artisan Cheese Shop in downtown Denton, Bonard earned a masters degree in Literature from UNT before making a radical career change into the food industry. Now a certified sommelier and cicerone (beer connoisseur), Bonard became interested in cheese after studying the factors that affect the taste and quality of different wines and beers, such as the aging process. Americans have only begun to appreciate fine wine in the past 50 years, and craft beers have only emerged in the past 25 years, noted Bonard. It’s time for people likewise to discover good cheese, he said, adding, “If you’ve only had blue cheese dressing from some secret valley, you haven’t really had blue cheese.”

 

Ten:One sells a variety of artisan cheeses from the U.S. and Europe, including several from area farms, as well as a thoughtful selection of beer and wine. Because the shop is comparatively small, it also can bring in unique wines from boutique vineyards that aren’t found at the larger retailers. The shop carries cow’s milk and buffalo milk cheeses, along with varieties made from sheep’s milk and goat’s milk, which are lactose-free. (The name Ten:One comes from the fact that it takes ten pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.) All the cheeses are cut to order for customers and wrapped in special cheese paper to preserve freshness while still letting the cheese breathe. Vacuum sealing cheese kills the living cultures that give cheese it’s good flavor, Bonard explained.

 

Customers also can dine in and enjoy a custom cheese board, featuring French bread from a local bakery and delectable pickles and jams made on site. A typical cheese board for two runs about $20-$25 and generally features three or four different types of cheese. (Any more can cause palate fatigue, noted Bonard.) Because seating is limited, reservations are recommended for parties of four or more. The cheese mongers from Ten:One also conduct classes monthly around the area, with opportunities to taste various cheeses and learn about the region, cheesemaking process, types of cheese (e.g., Gouda, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, etc.), and flavor profile. 

 

To learn more about Ten:One Artisan Cheese Shop, visit tenonecheese.com. Or better yet, stop in the shop at 515 South Locust Street the next time you’re in Denton, and enjoy a glass of wine paired with a slice of dairy heaven.

 

If you want credit for a make-up, contact LNR Membership chair Terry Russell to let him know when and where you attended another Rotary club meeting, or the date and service activity that you participated in to count as a make up. You have two weeks before and two weeks after a missed meeting to make up for your absence. Make-ups are a great way to meet Rotarians from other clubs and become more engaged with the outreach activities we do in the local community!