Our Cave to Co-op for February 2026 is Mt. Alice, a soft-ripened, bloomy-rind cheese from von Trapp Farmstead, Waitsfield, Vermont.

The Sound of Music has made “von Trapp” a household name across generations. The family didn’t traverse the Alps on foot with all their instruments, but they did leave Austria to tour around Europe and the United States, eventually settling in Stowe in the 1940s. Werner and Erika von Trapp started the von Trapp Farm in Waitsfield, Vermont, in 1959. Erika had studied agriculture in Austria and was a main force behind establishing and growing the farm.

Over 60 years later, von Trapp Farmstead continues regenerative practices like rotational grazing and on-farm cheesemaking, focuses on healthy soil, animal welfare, and expressing place through milk. All cheeses are made with pasteurized organic cow’s milk from their own pasture-raised herd, steps from the fields where the cows graze.

Mt. Alice is a soft-ripened, bloomy-rind cheese named for the mountain overlooking the farm. When young, it offers a buttery, milky profile with subtle floral notes; as it ripens, the texture becomes lusciously gooey with developing mushroom and earthy complexity. Approachable yet elegant, Mt. Alice is a versatile cheese that shines both on boards and in the kitchen.

Recipe ideas include grilled cheese with apples or caramelized onions, melted over roasted potatoes or vegetables, or spoon-warmed Mt. Alice onto flatbread with mushrooms and herbs.

Mt. Alice pairs well with baguettes, sourdough, water crackers, apples, pears, grapes, honey, fruit preserves, or prosciutto! Sparkling wine, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, and dry cider are wonderful matches.

Try this recipe for special occasions or just because it’s winter!