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A Taste of Adventure The Wookey Hole caves in Somerset, England attract archaeologists, cave divers, ghost hunters, tourists, and affineurs, to name a few. This extensive cave system beneath the Mendip Hills was formed over millions of years by rainwater gradually seeping down through porous rock beneath the soil. Over time the water has carved an underground network of cave chambers and ponds. The chambers are studded with impressive sta- lactites – mineral deposits formed by water dripping down from above – and stalagmites that rise up from the damp cave floors. Humans have lived in and around the caves dating back to at least 35,000 BC. The chambers held significance to the ancient Celts as a burial ground and to the Romans as a site of worship. In more recent centuries, legends evolved about the Witch of Wookey Hole, who some believe was frozen inside a stalagmite in one of the cave chambers. The Wookey Hole caves are part geological wonder, part tourist attraction, and have also been a site for aging traditional English chees- es for hundreds of years! The caves maintain a constant, cool temperature and high humidity in all seasons, providing ideal conditions to ma- ture cheese. In 2006, a modern cheese aging cave was built inside a naturally formed lime- stone tunnel that leads to the ninth chamber of the cave system. The tunnel is lined with racks holding traditional clothbound cheeses and book-ended by glass walls, providing a stunning surprise to cave visitors who pass by. Wookey Hole cheese takes its name from this dynamic and inspiring geological site. Wookey Hole is a traditional English cheese handmade at the Ashley Chase Estate on the Jurassic Coast of nearby Dorset. Local herds of Montbeliard, Holstein, and Salers cows graze on the lush green pasture of this coastal region, where the sea air is as much a mark of the environment as the hills and rolling fields. As the cheese wheels breathe over fifteen months of cave aging, they take on pleasant savory flavors from the cave environment. Delightful fruity notes develop with time, and these are complimented by a fine salt balance that echoes the sea air beyond, offering a unique taste of place. Wookey Hole cheese is now available in cheese shops and markets stateside. Ask your wholesale distributor or local monger about availability! Scan to see a live feed of Wookey Hole cheese aging in the caves! SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION