Cheese and smiles pair well

By Jackie Valley

Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Think your job is cool? What if you could call yourself a certified cheese professional?

The designation exists.

Kristin Sande, co-owner of Valley Cheese and Wine in Henderson, is the only certified cheese professional in Southern Nevada.

Sande’s love of cheese — the gooey, the hard, the pungent and the creamy — started at a young age. A native Midwesterner, she met her husband, Bob Howald, at an American Cheese Society conference, and three years later, he proposed at the annual cheese gathering.

Ten years ago, the couple opened Valley Cheese and Wine on Horizon Ridge Parkway, merging their interests in two age-old crafts. In a small classroom inside their shop, Sande imparts her dairy-centric wisdom during wine-and-cheese pairing classes, hoping to instill a love of cheese in others.

“We like our customers to be happy and find the right fit,” Sande said. “What I like might not be what they like. No one wins if it’s not the right fit.”

The Sunday recently sat down with Sande to talk all things cheese.

What does it mean to be a certified cheese professional?

The American Cheese Society has been around for almost 30 years. It’s really our industry organization for cheese. A few years back, they realized there were no standards in qualifications, so they decided to put together experts to make a certification for being a cheese professional. It’s sort of like the cheese version of a sommelier.

How do you become a certified cheese professional?

It’s a computerized, multiple-choice test, and it’s administered by the same people who administer the bar exam for attorneys. I seriously studied for about three months. You have to have a true overall view of the cheese industry. You have to know things like the science behind cheesemaking, animal husbandry, types of cheese worldwide, lactation cycles, FDA and USDA regulations, wine pairings and restaurant cheese service.

What sparked your interest in cheese?

Cheese has been a part of my life since I was a kid. We had a cabin in a tiny little town in Wisconsin. When we’d go to the cabin, my brother wanted to go water skiing. I just wanted to go to the cheese factory. I have worked in cheese retail, wholesale and in restaurants.

Do you make your own cheese?

I’ve made cheese, but I have never been a professional cheesemaker, nor do I have a desire. It’s truly backbreaking work. I have so much respect for them.

What’s your favorite type of cheese?

That’s like picking your favorite kid! It’s pretty hard to do. It depends on what category, but I happen to love gooey, soft ones. I love Robiola from Italy. It’s soft, kind of like a Brie. As far as everyday cooking, I can’t imagine not having Gruyére or Parmigiano-Reggiano in the fridge.

What’s the most underrated cheese?

Gruyére. People forget about it, or they don’t know how to pronounce it. It’s from the Gruyére region in Switzerland, and it’s one of the most ancient cheeses. It’s legally protected. It’s still made by teeny, tiny farms and generations of cheesemakers. You can get young and aged. You can cook with it. It’s a traditional fondue cheese, but it’s an amazing table cheese, as well.

Where is the cheese industry headed in the United States?

We are exporting some American-made cheese to Europe, which is pretty amazing. Our cheese industry really is where the American wine industry was, say, 20 years ago. We’re showing that we can actually make really phenomenal cheese. We’re not a joke anymore. When I first started going to the American Cheese Society’s conference about 17 years ago, there were only like 220 cheeses entered into a competition. This past year, there were just under 1,700 American artisan cheeses entered.

Isn’t cheese bad for your health?

The problem is that people eat too much. And I’m guilty of that too, because it tastes good. I think the bad rap comes because it is somewhat high in fat and higher in calories, but it’s super nutritious, packed with calcium, vitamins and minerals.