I recently moved to the Pacific Northwest's Willamette Valley after having spent many years living just outside Chicago. IÂ will be sharing my food explorations around Portland, Oregon in a series of blog posts.

Cheesy-Chocolatey

Southwest of Portland, nestled in hills of the Willamette Valley wine country is Briar Rose Creamery, where both goat's and cow's milk cheeses are hand-crafted. Proprietor Sarah Marcus opened the shop in 2010 with Jim Hoffman.

What makes Briar Rose unique amongst cheese makers is their chocolate, which is paired with goat cheese in the form of a truffle. Yes, it's cheese eaten as one might a box of chocolates - but pace yourselves, though, this bite is rich.

The dairy tang and tartness of the cheese brings out the semi-sweet chocolate's complexity for a rich, smooth bite. Marcus says these unexpectedly decadent cheeses are "like the best chocolate cheesecake you've ever had." Seriously, though, they're better.

Labor Of Love

Marcus's relationship with her blue ribbon-winning truffles is a love-hate one. The decadent mouthfuls are labor-intensive to create, but she goes through the trouble because they are a tribute to her mother, a food and travel writer who wrote a book called The Chocolate Bible.

Marcus recalls having chocolate around her childhood home all the time, so she is no stranger to its flavors and nuances. When it came time to offer something new at Oregon's market, chocolate cheese truffles made perfect sense.

Still, finding the right chocolate took many questionnaires and a whole lot of taste-testing. Starting with six different chocolates, Marcus narrowed her choices down to two. She clearly ended up with the right combination!

The most rewarding thing about the process, says Marcus, is sharing her passion for good food and doing what she loves.

Check out the Oregon Cheese Guild for a short video on Briar Rose, too!