More natural, organic, or artisan cheese please!

Remember when cheese fell into one of two categories: orange or white? If we were really feeling fancy, we might have bought a Swiss or one of those almond-crusted red-wine cheese balls—but only for special occasions, of course. Today, however, more and more artisan varieties, which used to come primarily from Europe, are being produced domestically. In addition to small-batch, artisan options made from raw and certified-organic milk, shoppers are gravitating toward hard and soft cheeses infused with unexpected herbs and spices such as dill pollen, cumin and lavender.