Owner Roger K. Thompson greets customers as he finishes his turkey sandwich - of course with a slice of Swiss cheese - on a weekday afternoon in the shop. Glass cases filled with over 100 varieties stand before the customers who come in to sneak a peek at the shop they've often passed by.

"Business is picking up," Thompson says while he uses his cheese wire to delicately slice a portion of one of his favourites for a sample - a Gouda style old cheese known as Beemer.

Though it's taking a while for people to catch on, Thompson knew Niagara Falls was ready, and needed, an authentic cheese shop like his.

His journey down the sometimes smelly but often delicious path of cheese began years ago as a manager of a cheese manufacturer - a job that allowed him to travel across America sampling some of the best cheeses in the world.

Although Thompson describes himself as not much an "eater", he still has a soft spot for sharp cheeses.

"It's an acquired taste," Thompson admits as he passes out yet another sample - a hard, Scottish cheddar mixed with malt whiskey.

"You have to be 19 to eat that one!"

His stock, which encompasses a selection of over 10 countries across the globe, is approached in the same way a person would sample wine, he says.

"You can smell the cheese first, before tasting," he said. "And the great thing about this region is cheese goes so well with wine."

Thompson says tasting a truly sharp and aged cheese for the first time can come as a shock - similar to the first taste of coffee. "Coffee," he says, shuddering from behind the counter, "I can't stand it!"

But coffee is also on the menu at the Cheese Truckle, selling fresh cappuccinos and espressos, as well as a variety of fine chocolates, olives, oils, sparkling beverages, artisan crisps and other organic and gluten-free products.

"I like to sell things you can't find in regular shops," said Thompson.

So, no cheese whiz?

"I'll pretend you didn't say that," he jokes.

Stuffed with free cheese samples and even a little sticky toffee cheese to take home, there is only one question left: Truckle?

"Ah, should I tell?" a smile spreading across his face. "It's a barrel shaped cheese taller than it is round."

The Cheese Truckle is located at 4226 Drummond Rd. and is open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.