Affineur (ah-fee-NUR) is a French term for the person who finishes and matures cheeses. Think of them as the cheesemakers’ counterpart. In truth, an affineur is like a caretaker and gardener for cheese. Part scientist, part artist and part virtuoso, their job is to guide cheese from good to extraordinary through time, temperature and touch.
Antonia Horne, the affineur at Caputo’s Market & Deli, spends her days coaxing cheese to perfection through aging, flipping, brushing, bathing, massaging and tasting cheese in the Caputo’s cheese “caves.” You can walk by the window in the entrance to the Downtown Caputo’s location and gawk at the cheese cave through the glass. A living laboratory and a place that Antonia calls home.
The Origin Story of Biochemical Awakening
Antonio got her start as a college cashier at a small local market. Like any college student, she would, in her own words, pester her co-workers for samples. “The cheesemonger, who I think was trying to get rid of me,” Antonia laughs, “gave me a pretty overripe sample of Taleggio. It was funky. But I had this biochemical experience—some pleasure receptors in my brain that had never been triggered before. It was mind-blowing.” From that moment on, she fell in love with cheese. She spent her early 20s curiously tasting everything and traveling around Europe learning about cheese. From there, Antonia managed the cheese program at Liberty Heights Fresh and in 2013 moved to Caputo’s. She’s been working with cheese for 21 years.
Where Microbes Meet Mindfulness at Caputo’s
Working inside a cheese cave, “it’s not glamorous,” she admits. There are a lot of spreadsheets, food safety and timing. But it’s never boring.” A day in the life might look like rotating wheels within the cheese cave, massaging cheddar with duck fat and butter and managing microbial populations.
The cheese caves at Caputo’s (carefully managed refrigeration spaces used exclusively for cheese) have developed their own terroir over time. Terroir being the flavor of a place. “We have French cheeses, Idaho triple creams and Vermont cheddar’s coexisting in one space,” Antonia explains. “Each with their own microbial footprint. Which means they have to compromise with each other and, because of that, they start influencing each other. No other cave in the world is quite like that. Most will only have one or two types of cheese instead of dozens.” Which makes the caves at Caputo’s entirely unique and special.
Cheese is Like a Garden
“I liken what I do to gardening,” Antonia says. “You cultivate what you want to grow and manage the weeds. You vacuum the rinds not to sanitize them, but to let the flowers (your desired microbes) bloom.”
Cheese is a living system and part of Antonia’s job is to “wake it up” after travel. Just like each of us feel a little bit flabby and colorless after a long flight, cheese is not always at its best after making a journey. It’s still good, but it can use a refresher. One prime example is the Caputo’s Taleggio (which was also the first cheese Antonia fell in love with). Already a funky cheese, Caputo’s has crafted a flavor that is more supple, mushroomy, softer and almost brothy. All of this happens under the care of Antonia.
Shining a Light Into the Caputo’s Cheese Cave
Cheese can be intimidating. I will admit it, even as someone that used to teach cheese education classes. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. “Nobody is born knowing about cheese,’’ Antonio says. “We all started with zero familiarity. Our job as cheesemongers isn’t to gatekeep. It’s to be a tour guide.” That is the beauty of the cheese program at small local markets like Caputo’s. You can walk up to the counter and have a conversation with the cheese person. They will geek out with you and help you find exactly what you are looking for. They’ll pull out a knife and give you a sample or three. And you will walk away happy. “We are really just here to spread joy,” she adds. “Cheese is joyful.”
In Antonia Horne’s hands, cheese isn’t left to age—it’s invited to bloom. Visit Caputo’s Market & Deli at three locations (Downtown, 15th & 15th, Holladay) or online.
Antonia’s Foolproof Cheese Board for Adventurous Beginners
Blakesville Creamery Linedeline (WI): “A large-format soft-ripened goat cheese with an ash rind—think Humboldt Fog in its glory days. Creamy, citrusy and elegant without being ‘goaty’.”
Tony’s Flowers (UT) “Our most technical cheese, named for Tony Caputo himself. Sheepy/cowy, herbal, creamy—currently evolving toward a fudgier alpine texture.”
Chällerhocker (Swiss) “Balanced, versatile and cooperative—pairs beautifully with sweet or savory. A gateway to alpine-style cheeses.”
Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue (VT) “Raw milk, farmstead, earthy but approachable. The perfect blue for those who think they don’t like blue.”
Pair them with:
- Honeycomb, tart cherries and roasted nuts for texture.
- Sliced pears or figs for sweetness.
- A crusty baguette or seeded cracker.
- A dry cider, sparkling wine or malty brown ale.
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