Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take reservations?

We do not currently take reservations for our wine bar and seating area. If you call about 20-30 minutes out, we can put you on our waiting list and we will let you know when a table is available. (Tip: If you are looking for a quieter, more intimate time to visit, Monday through Wednesday afternoons are the perfect time to walk in and enjoy the space!) We do make exceptions for Valentine's Day every year, and we announce those reservations in January.

Will it ship?

Our harder cheeses and provisions ship very well. We pack our boxes with multiple ice packs and aim for a maximum 3-day shipping time. Softer cheeses will ship, but they are much riskier as far as quality. The ice packs will keep them safe for consumption; however, we highly recommend refrigerating all cheeses on arrival to ensure quality.

Due to hot Colorado summers, we only ship refrigerated items from September to April, weather depending. No international shipping. We do not ship wine at this time. There is a flat $18 shipping fee for each package. (Note: Our sister brand’s handmade Nita Crisp crackers are a great, easy-to-ship addition to send a taste of Fort Collins across the country!)

Can you use gift cards for tables?

Yes! You can use our gift certificates and online gift cards for any service we provide—whether you are sitting down for a custom charcuterie board or picking up provisions to go. Order a physical gift certificate at our online store, which we will happily mail to you free of charge.

Do you accept Downtown gift cards?

Yes! We gladly accept Fort Collins Downtown Gift Cards!

Do you deliver?

We deliver our cheeses, provisions, and custom charcuterie boards to Fort Collins and the surrounding area, including Wellington, Windsor, Greeley, and Loveland. In-town delivery is $9, and it is $15 for the outer areas.

Do you do catering/special events?

We have done events in the past and would be happy to talk over details with you. Whether you are looking for an expansive charcuterie spread for a gathering, or you are curious about attending one of our intimate, 8-person "Meet the Maker" events at our Community Table, please fill out the form above or contact cheese@thewelshrabbit.com for more information.

Do you have this cheese?

Give us a call! It’s likely that we might. In the case that we do not, we can try to find it for you and bring it in. It never hurts to ask!

Cheesy Questions

Can I eat the rind?

This question gets asked a lot. For some cheeses, the answer is no, and for others, the rind is meant to be eaten! All rinds are food safe, meaning it won’t hurt you, but not all rinds are designed to be eaten. The simplest rule to follow is to eat it unless it is man-made, like cloth, food-safe paint, wax, or plastic. If it is a natural rind, like those found on Brie, cave-aged cheeses like Gruyere or Karst cheddar, or some blues, then it is edible. You still don’t have to eat it though! Give it a try and if you don’t like it, don’t eat the rind. We don’t judge.

Pasteurized vs Raw vs Thermalised

• Pasteurized milk has been heat-treated to the FDA standard for safety. Most cheeses sold in the US are pasteurized.
• Raw milk has not been heat-treated and still contains many of the natural microbes found in the animal’s milk. Because of this, the FDA forbids the sale of raw milk in the US aged less than 60 days, and recommends that those who are immunocompromised not consume raw milk in any form.
• Thermalised milk is heat-treated, but more gently and over a longer time, and therefore retains a lot of the microbes present in raw milk. The FDA treats this form of milk as if it is raw, with the same limitations on sale.

What is rennet?

Rennet is a coagulant used in cheesemaking. They come in many forms including animal, vegetable, and microbial.

• Animal rennet, sometimes called traditional rennet, is an animal byproduct and therefore is not vegetarian.
• Vegetable rennet is made from plant enzymes, most commonly thistle.
• Microbial rennet is derived from live organisms like mold, yeast, or fungi, and is vegetarian.

Milk Types

Cheese is made from a variety of milk types, with the most popular being cow, goat, sheep, and buffalo. All of these offer unique flavor profiles when paired with selections from our wine bar:

• Cow’s milk cheese is the most common type here in the US, with goat and sheep taking second place.
• Goat’s milk cheese tends to be tangier with what cheesemongers call a “goaty” flavor. As cheese ages, that tangy flavor will mellow, leaving a less fatty, nutty cheese.
• Sheep’s milk cheese is one of the fattiest and, therefore one of the most decadent. It coats the mouth and comes with a characteristic buttery overtone, and subtler “sheepy” flavor, sometimes described as smokey, caramel-like, or sweet.
• Water buffalo milk is most commonly used in Europe, mainly in Italy. This is the absolute fattiest milk used in cheesemaking, leaving a buttery, decadent coat over your tongue. In fresher cheeses like mozzarella, it will have a tangier and more sour flavor than cow’s milk, and in more aged cheeses, it will have a more pronounced butter flavor with a slight tanginess still present.

How long does cheese last?/How do I take care of it?

It’s best to treat cheese like a living, breathing product. We have wrapped these cheeses in a special kind of paper designed to let them breathe the perfect amount to keep the microbes happy and active. The best way to avoid extensive cheese care is to “buy little, buy often”. Only purchase as much as you can eat within a week or so.

Proper care involves checking the cheeses on a semi-regular basis, at least once a week but preferably every couple of days. Fresher cheeses with more moisture, like brie or mozzarella, should be eaten within a week or two of leaving our care. These softer younger cheeses (honey chevre, brie, delice de bourgogne) are more fragile and will get an off smell of ammonia when reaching the end of their life.

Harder cheeses (think Gouda, Parmesan, or Cheddar) will last several weeks in your fridge. When checking harder cheeses, look for signs of growth on the outside. Should this happen, the spots can be scraped off or cut and then the rest of the cheese consumed at your leisure.

If you are ever in doubt, give us a call at (970) 232-9521 or email us at cheese@thewelshrabbit.com and we will be happy to answer any specific questions.

What is terroir?

Terroir, pronounced like “tayr-wahr”, is the combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives foods their distinctive character. This combination of environment and climate attributes to the flavors present in all of our products. For our cheeses, the best way to describe it is to use the saying “you are what you eat”. The cheeses in our shop reflect the diet and health of the animal, as well as the region and season that these cheeses originate.