PORTUGUESE CHEESE
SAO MIQUEL CURA ESPECIAL QUEJO ILHA VELHO
Azores - São Miguel Island
Produced on the Azores Island of São Miguel using pasteurised cow milk, salt and animal rennet, this is a semi-hard cheese with a firm texture.
Normally matured for 9 months, in this case the cheese was aged for 18 months in black wax. São Miguel is mild on the nose, buttery on the palate with strong earthy flavours which linger.
It`s chunky and interacts perfectly with the 2023 Vintage Port O-PORT-UNIDADE, enhancing the fruit rather than firing the alcohol.
A true allrounder and our overall
WINNER.
Available from
QUEJO São Jorge DOP
Azores - São Jorge Island
Normally aged for 90 days, this São Jorge was a special edition with no less than 40 months of maturation.
It is produced using raw cow milk, salt and animal rennet.
Cured, the texture is firm and dry and golden yellow in colour. Strong on the nose, slightly herbal, full-flavoured and crunchy on the palate.
Very good, but not as convincing as São Miguel with our Vintage Port.
Ronni`s overall favourite
Gail`s Runner-Up.
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Available from
QUEJO DE OVELHA CURADO RESERVA
Castelo Branco
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A hard cured cheese similar in consistency to a young Parmesan or a Pecorino and made from raw sheep milk, salt, and cardoon thistle (vegetarian) rennet.
Matured for six months, whereby the rind has been washed with fresh paprika, hence the bright orange colour.
With its spicy, persistent taste, this cheese is produced in the traditional Portuguese size of 700 g and said to feed a whole family.
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Available from
QUEIJO AZEITÃO DOP
2024-2025 World Cheese Awards Super Gold Winner
Setúbal
The small size (250 g) of this cheese intensifies flavours, in comparison to one similar from Serra da Estrela.
Made from raw sheep milk, it has an incredibly buttery texture and an unmistakable aroma. Its flavour is spicy, acidic and a touch salty.
The strong character is largely due to the pasture on which the sheep graze, also the high level of Cardoon Thistle rennet.
The vegetarian rennet lends a notably bitter finish to the otherwise gorgeous creamy and spoonable cheese, meaning – despite popular opinion – not ideal with the Vintage Port.
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Available from
Queijaria da Praça – Cheese Shop
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QUEJO DE CABRA 'Planície Branca'
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Alentejo
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Made from pasteurised goat milk, salt and animal rennet.
A beautifully ivory white rind with a sharp goaty bite, pale cream on the inside and creamy on the palate.
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Available from
QUEJO DA BEIRA BAIXA AMARELO DOP
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Beira Baixa near Fundão
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A pale-yellow cured (45 days maturity) cheese made from both raw sheep and goat milk, salt and animal rennet.
Semi-hard, with the sweetness from the sheep- and acidity from the goat milk.
Great balance with a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth feel.
This works very well with the Vintage Port and was my first favourite during tasting.
Remove rind.
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Available from
QUEJO DA BEIRA BAIXA DOP
Castelo Branco
Made from raw sheep milk, salt & Cardoon thistle rennet.
45 days of aging, strong in character, a crumbly with a slightly bitter finish.
Pale golden in colour.
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Available from
Queijaria da Praça – Cheese Shop
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Foto Credit Gail Treuer
QUEJA DE CABRA CURADO
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Beira Baixa
Produced with raw goat milk, salt and animal rennet.
Intense acidity on both nose and palate
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a typical Portuguese goat cheese, aged for 45 days with a sharp and meaty flavour.
The flavours intensified the spirit burn and increased the acidity in the Port, so for pairing purposes not appropriate,
but on its own,
very tasty.
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Available from
Queijaria da Praça – Cheese Shop
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Foto Credit Gail Treuer
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