The former construction worker gets to say “cheese” every day, and the smile is quite natural.

Some people start in culinary school. Sam Maher started in project management, learning the construction engineering trade at CSU Chico and working in the Bay Area before winding up as a cheesemonger at Carmel’s popular The Cheese Shop. Workdays find him behind the counter, quickly scraping samples for customers, discussing the qualities of goat milk, cow milk, cave aging, regional forage, rind washing, wine pairing and the like. Keeping up with Maher and the other cheesemongers at The Cheese Shop can be like being caught up in a whirl of knowledge, which they make seem easy.

Weekly: How long does it take to learn all of this?

Maher: I like to think I’m at school every day. You’ll never learn enough, but for culinary education, this is hard to beat.

Is there a moment when you think, “I got it”?

I’m still looking for that moment. It takes a good couple of months to get comfortable, but it’s a constant learning curve. Just as soon as you think you know it, there are 20 or 30 new cheeses.

Do you have a favorite cheese?

Oh, it’s like picking your favorite kid. I have favorite styles. My personal favorite is soft-ripened cheese.

Ever get home and think, “no more cheese”?

No. I can eat a ton of cheese, every day. I still can’t believe they let me taste all of these cheeses. Really, it’s great.

So how often do you hear, “Say cheese”?

That’s a joke around here – people say, “Say cheese,” and we say, “Whiskey.” You get the same smile.

It doesn’t sound like you miss construction.

Eating cheese and drinking wine beats paving roads.