The soul of cheese

An Austrian pro is eager to take the mystery out of Camembert, Gouda and other good things that dairy cows and proper aging can deliver, Mike Peters reports.

Her boss calls her "the cheese sommelier". That noun is generally reserved for a wine professional, preferably a French one with a grand manner and a grander vocabulary.

You get none of that - except the professional part - with Christiane Ruckerl, 27, who became entranced with the huge variety of cheeses while working at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Steirereck in Vienna. That 45-year-old eatery is famous for its trolleys, especially the cheese carts jammed with 60 cheeses from a list of about 150, depending on the season.