You needn’t ponder if the size is correct or if the color fits, or even if the style is “in.” The big decision to be made is whether your selection should be a mild Swiss, a mellow Butterkaase, a Muenster with a blend of Jalapeno peppers, an aged, crumbly, tangy sharp Cheddar or one (or several) of the dozens (actually hundreds!) of  Wisconsin cheeses that make the perfect Christmas gift.

No worries that your gift will be a hit

Then your worries are over and you can be assured that your gift will be a real hit because it comes preassembled, requires no fancy tools nor has no mumbo-jumbo directions before it can be used. It’s just open, slice, eat and enjoy.

What if you are totally cheese-ignorant? Simple. Just warm up the computer and dial in eatwisconsincheese.com. That’s the website run by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin that lists Wisconsin cheeses and where to buy them.

Then, make your order on the internet, stop at the local cheese factory and do it all in one stop or go to a cheese store nearby.

Decatur Dairy is worth the drive

For many years now I have visited the cheese store at Decatur Dairy near Brodhead, Wisconsin and did my Christmas shopping (cheese, of course). Master Cheesemaker Steve Stettler and owner of Decatur Dairy built the new cheese store several years ago and it’s a great improvement over the tiny space that served for so many years. Yet, even though much larger in size, it’s often filled with eager buyers watching the attendants cut and fill cheese orders for those in line.

While there I picked out several varieties of cheese. Within moments the cheese was weighed, wrapped, packed and ready to be shipped to North Dakota. In a few days, my son and his family would be eating World Champion Cheese from Wisconsin. Stettler warns that it may be too late to order and ship cheese to get cheese shipped to a new home by Christmas. However, a visit to one of the small cheese factories like Decatur Dairy at Brodhead, Arena Cheese on Highway 14 in Arena and a few other factories that allow visitors is worth the drive. Again, call Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for more locations.

Cheese curds, the perfect fuss-free appetizer on the dinner table

Chances are you are hosting a family holiday dinner. You might consider buying several varieties of cheese curds that will save you time in slicing and rewrapping. Just put a selection of curds on a plate and let your guests do the selecting.

There’s still lots of time to pick up Wisconsin cheese for family Christmas get-togethers or New Year’s gatherings. If you can’t find a cheese factory, try one of the larger grocery stores – some have surprisingly big varieties of pre-packaged Wisconsin cheese for sale.

Wisconsin cheese is a sure bet to make your son, daughter, parents or friends happy during the holidays. Just be ready to accept the “Thank yous.”

John F. Oncken can be reached at jfodairy2@gmail.com