Now entering its second year, Reno’s little cheese shop is thriving and turning the city on to the glory that is specialty cheese. Stock up for après, or get one of the seriously tasty (and obviously, cheesey) sandwiches for an on-the-lift lunch. There are also classes, tastings, and other special events.

Yes, it’s as touristy as all get out, but sometimes it must be done. Add in a horse-drawn sleigh around the restaurant, and order up a pot of fondue or (better) Raclette cooked the traditional way, over an open fire. Reservations required.

Few restaurants/chefs/pastry chefs really understand cheese, but happily, that’s not the case at this much-loved Vail spot. Top Chef alum Kelly Liken and her crew are cheese geeks, and it shows in harmonious, thoughtful seasonal cheese plates. This time of year, expect offerings like Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy’s First Snow with blood orange marmalade or quince agri-doux, and Beehive Cheese Company’s SeaHive with house-smoked apple butter, spiced honey, and toasted pine nuts with rosemary. Do yourself a favor and ask sommelier Jeremy Campbell for a dessert wine or spirit pairing; he excels at esoteric offerings that will transport you.

Six months after moving into a ginormous, 40,000-square-foot space, this local’s one-stop shopping spot just may have the best cheese selection in the state, with over 150 offerings, many of which are from the Rocky Mountain Region. Do some tasting (it’s cut-to-order), and pick up some accompaniments at the olive bar for a kickass après ski.

Besides being Aspen’s most darling, cozy restaurant- you’ll feel transported to a French mountaintop chalet- La Creperie has the best, most seriously sexy French onion soup around (but there's fondue, too, if you're feeling the craving). The rich, beefy broth topped by mantle of crusty, molten Gruyère is positively seductive: don’t forget to order a bottle of red.

Located in Stowe Mountain Lodge (one of our 38 Essential Ski Hotels), this is a restaurant that celebrates the soul of Vermont. From the hand-carved furniture and custom pottery from in-state artisans, to the bomb cheese plates featuring some of the nation’s preeminent cheesemakers, this is a dining experience reflective of the Green Mountain State’s lush forest and pasture. Look for local offerings from the Von Trapp Farmstead (yes, that Von Trapp family), and award-winning Jasper Hill Farm, based in Greenboro Bend, 32 miles from Stowe.