Look for pecorino from Italy, manchego from Spain, feta and kasseri from Greece and a pair of sheep's milk blues, French Roquefort and Spanish cabrales. Fat content also varies. Factor in how long after purchase it will be served. Mitchell Cobey, owner of Mitchell Cobey Cuisine in Old Town, says he asks the customer when he or she plans to serve the cheese. Rather than buying a single cheese, a large wedge of brie, I encourage the customer to try smaller portions of two or three cheeses that provide new flavors and textures.
Price is a factor, of course.
In general, cheeses at the high end of the flavor spectrum are at the high end of the price spectrum too. Weinzweig often suggests a three-cheese selection of Vermont Cheddar, gruyere and Stilton. I give tastes of everything until the customer is happy. No matter how much the salesperson knows, you're playing roulette if you buy without tasting. At Whole Foods Market on Huron Street, cheese department manager Dannie Ray Sullins tries to keep a customer's cheese selection to three or four.