CENTRAL POINT, Ore. — These days David Gremmels and Cary Bryant find themselves working harder than they ever have — and loving it.

The two bought Rogue Creamery July 1, 2002, and the past two years have been a whirlwind of learning, new product development and a series of progressively impressive achievements.

They entered the cheese business with very little in the way of formal cheesemaking education. However, Gremmels possesses a strong marketing background and Bryant has a degree in microbiology, both of which they have put to good use. Already they have developed new products and received a number of awards for their cheeses.

“We put in a minimum of 16 hours a work day. We’ve worked harder than we’ve ever worked, but we’re so passionate about the products,” Gremmels says.

Prior to their purchase of Rogue Creamery, so-named for the nearby Rogue River, the plant was owned and operated by the Vella family of California. The operation was started by Tom Vella and later operated by his son Ig Vella. Now in his mid-70s, Ig Vella continues to operate Vella Cheese Co. in California. However, he had become disappointed in how operations were going at the Oregon plant because he could not be there on a regular basis to focus on cheese consistency.

Gremmels and Bryant were just the right people to take over the plant, Vella says.

“I’m very pleased with the progress at Rogue,” says Vella. “They are people who really understand what I wanted to do with consistent cheese.”

Gremmels likewise is full of praise for the mentorship and friendship they receive from Vella. Vella still is the plant’s master cheesemaker, making the trek up to Oregon about once a month to make cheese, strategize with Bryant and Gremmels and teach them and the other cheesemakers at Rogue the tricks of the trade.

“We take our time together seriously,” Gremmels says. “We talk about processes, renovations and milk prices. He’s a scholar, an intellect. He has a lot of information to share.”

If awards are any indication, outsiders also appear to believe the collaboration is successful. In the past two years, the company has received a number of awards for its flavored Cheddars and its Blue cheeses, some varieties of which have been produced at the plant for decades and others, like Rogue River Blue, which are brand new.

“To create Rogue River Blue, we took the original Oregon Blue Vein recipe developed in 1957 and, under the mentorship of Ig, allowed the cheese to go into full bloom,” Gremmels says.

“We actually discovered Rogue River Blue by accident,” he continues. “Because of the mold it was a presentation problem for us so, at the suggestion of Judy Shad of Capriole Farms, we experimented with wrapping the cheese in grape leaves and pear brandy and, to our surprise, it enhanced the flavor. Now it has become a signature cheese for us.”

In fact, this past fall, the cheese made history at the 16th World Cheese Awards in London when it took home an unprecedented trio of accolades. The cheese won a gold medal in its class (Blue vein cheese made outside the United Kingdom, any variety, uncut, natural rind) as well as won the Fine Food Digest Trophy for the best Blue cheese. The cheese, judged the third-best cheese in overall competition, also won the U.S. Dairy Export Council Trophy for the best cheese from the United States.

In addition to Rogue River Blue and its predecessor Oregon Blue, which Gremmels describes as a Roquefort-style cheese, the company makes Oregonzola, which has a sharp, tangy and creamy Old World taste. It is characterized by green-blue veins of mold throughout its body, a sharp incisive aroma and a smooth, velvet-like texture. Meanwhile, another more recent introduction to the company’s lineup is Crater Lake Blue, a “new generation” cheese created by Bryant that was made through a blending of cheese cultures. The company describes the cheese as having a robust flavor and a silky texture.

The company also soon will be introducing a Blue cheese made with a blend of cow’s and goat’s milk. Rogue Creamery uses only one dairy for its cow’s milk and likewise is sourcing its goat’s milk from one farm.

In addition, the company has developed a Blue cheese spread which is used by the regional Burgerville chain for its Blue cheeseburgers (see related article this page). Because crumbles wouldn’t work on the burgers, Bryant and Burgerville executive chef George Brown teamed up to develop a spread that would excel in a fast food setting.

It’s a different spin for a cheese company which strictly focuses on making artisan cheese and has specialty cheese customers at fine-dining establishments coast-to-coast. In fact, because Rogue Creamery isn’t set up to make a foodservice spread, the company’s Blue is sent to torta maker Rising Sun Farms in Talent, Ore., where the spread is made. Since being introduced at Burgerville, though, the spread has become increasingly popular, and Rogue Creamery now is in the process of rolling out the product nationally for both foodservice and retail customers.

In general, the growing demand for the company’s cheese — sales doubled in the past year — has a lot to do with not only the quality of the cheese but also success in networking. For instance, Gremmels made a number of contacts with fine dining establishments when Burgerville’s Brown arranged for Gremmels to speak about artisan cheese at a gathering of chefs.

“A lot of our passion came through in that talk just over a year ago,” Gremmels says. “I believe our cheese is a natural for higher-end foodservice. I think the awards we’ve received have added to the attention.”

And though it is Blue that is grabbing the most attention for the company, Rogue Creamery has begun making a plethora of flavored Cheddars. Before Gremmels and Bryant purchased the company, Rogue Creamery was making yellow Cheddar aged two months to five years. Since the acquisition, the company has eliminated the annatto and is producing white Cheddars in mild, medium, aged and flavored varieties. Among the flavored Cheddars are Rosemary, Pesto, Jalapeño, Chipotle, Paprika, Horseradish, Garlic, Cranberry Hazelnut, Kalamata Olive, Artichoke and Lemon Garlic.

In addition, the company is in the process of adding two new flavors: Dagoba Organic Dark Chocolate Cheddar and Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar.

Gremmels is particularly excited about the latest introductions and the partnering the company is doing with Burgerville and other companies operating in the Northwest. For example, Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar is made using stout from Rogue Ales, headquartered in Newport, Ore.

Jack Joyce, owner, Rogue Ales, says the combination of the two Rogue companies’ products makes sense. Not only is there a natural nexus with the companies’ names, both companies make high-quality products. In addition, the companies’ people work well together, he says. And for Joyce, there’s also a little history involved.

“My dad used to bring home the (Rogue Creamery’s) Blue cheese wheel when I was a little kid,” Joyce says.

Rogue Ales will be doing some pairings with Rogue Creamery cheese and Rogue Creamery will be doing likewise with Rogue ales. The cheese plant’s store includes microbrews and wine and recently added taps. Soon, tastings will begin at the plant. Noting that they are “foodies,” Gremmels says he and Bryant have been “starving” to add that aspect of the food business back into their lives. In addition, Gremmels and Bryant still have plans eventually to open “Palace” in a historic building in Ashland, Ore. Palace will include a wine bar and “light fare for foodies.” The two originally hoped to have opened Palace by now, but they have been immersed in the creamery.

They expect that immersion to last for some time. Rogue Creamery currently is making Blue three days a week and Cheddar three days a week, with production of the two types totaling about 200,000 pounds per year. The goal, Gremmels says, eventually is to move production of both kinds of cheese to seven days a week while still focusing on the handmade, artisan qualities of the cheese.

Thus, when not working on developing new products and finding new markets for them, Gremmels and Bryant are working on the nitty-gritty details that will allow them to do the former. Presently, the plant — which actually includes several buildings — is receiving upgrades to its refrigeration systems and air conditioning for the office. A study on the feasibility of a plant expansion also is being conducted.

“We have a commitment to making artisan cheese,” Gremmels adds, and such a commitment means the company also is working on training up-and-coming specialty cheesemakers. Vella, Bryant and lead cheesemaker Ramiro Ferrer are working to train a number of cheesemakers in both the technical and artistic aspects of producing handcrafted cheese.

The company also is in the process of becoming certified by the Food Alliance, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture. Gremmels and Bryant deeply believe in sustainable agriculture and someday would like to see the plant produce organic cheeses. Being certified by the Food Alliance is one step toward that end, Gremmels says.

“Our future plans are to continue to organically evolve our business processes to make the best Blue cheeses and to increase awareness of our handmilled Cheddar line,” Gremmels says. “We plan to continue the traditions and legacy Tom and Ig Vella have built here.”

CMN