THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET

O-PORT-UNIDADE CHEESE - PAIRING CHALLENGE

It all began with a kind invitation and a small bottle of Vintage Port. Rather enthusiastically, I suggested to Axel Probst - organiser of Germany`s one and only Portweinmesse - that I´d bring the cheese for dinner. I also claimed it would be just the ticket for O-PORT-UNIDADE – a recently released 2023 Vintage Port.

Rest assured, I won`t be doing that again in a hurry.

With over two thousand distinct types of cheese worldwide and even more individuals producing them, my first task was to reduce the list of potential contestants. I began with the Country of Origin. Portugal - largely thanks to the Brits - is where Port Wine was born, so the question of WHERE to look wasn`t the issue - Portugal and the British Isles. More demanding, the choice of style. Harvested in 2023, the Vintage Port is young, very sweet, poky – as is to be expected - boasting buckets of rich fruit. The obvious cheese style would be Stilton which I hear you all shouting from the rooftops. Maybe though, I`d find an interesting alternative.

GROUNDWORK

The history of Port Wine is a fascinating one and about which you can read more here, but for pairing purposes, it`s the Port Wine category and resulting flavour profile which are relevant. The cheese’ saltiness and acidity play a significant role, as do texture and length, so high on my agenda was to first grasp the basics of cheese-making.

Both products have one essential ingredient. Fermentation and X months of aging contribute to flavours and in the case of cheese, also to texture. Here, the main ingredient is obviously milk – be it of cow, sheep, goat, or buffalo origin and preferably from a happy grass-grazed animal. The milk can be pasteurised or raw - a decision made primarily by the Cheesemonger. But the choice of milk certainly affects consistency and taste, as will the rennet.

Fotocredit: Happy goats at Stone Tree Dairy

Healthy ripe grapes high in residual sugar are vital for a great Port, as are colour, tannin levels and natural fruit aromas, largely released prior to fermentation. Lavish degrees of natural sweetness are retained by adding a neutral 77% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) grape-spirit or Aguardente. This process – known as fortification - brings fermentation to a premature standstill, raises alcohol to 19% - 22% ABV and preserves the Port`s natural fruity character. The category and resulting profile of a Port Wine depend solely on the method and length of maturation. Port`s high levels of alcohol in combination with the sweetness call for cheese with backbone, yet not an overpowering one.

Cheese-making needs lots of milk - heated to a certain temperature and one depending on whether the milk has been pasteurised or is still raw. A starter culture (bacteria) curdles the milk converting natural lactose sugars into lactic acid - and one of the reasons why certain cheeses taste acidic - not to be confused with bitter.

Fotocredit: Trethowan Brothers and their pitchfork

Rennet (enzymes) then set the curdled milk, enable cutting and rapid whey release, as soggy cheese won`t sell. Some Cheesemakers make butter from the whey but if they don`t, pigs apparently adore it! Traditionally, rennet is sourced from young calves’ stomachs. Cheesemongers today have the option of using a vegetable-based version such as artichoke thistle (cardoon), although this has been known to cause bitterness. Vegetarian-friendly microbial rennet poses the same problem. This issue led to the development of genetically engineered fermentation-produced chymosin or FPC. FPC however, need not appear on the label and if you`re vegetarian, I came across this.

RUBBING UP

Important stages of cheesemaking – depending on what you`re making - are curd cutting, layering, turning, and stacking. These take place before milling (shredding) and are crucial for the texture of Cheddar, for example. Salting occurs prior to shaping (in a Mold) and the final press. Rubbing up – yes, that`s the official term – is vital if making Stilton.

Fotocredit: Cropwell Bishop Creamery

Once removed from its hoop, the cheese’ surface is sealed (rubbed up) with a palette knife to keep the air out and the moisture in.  Five weeks pass before the Stilton is pierced. The now penetrating air reacts with the blue mould cultures (Penicillium roqueforti) and slowly but surely, blue veins grow. These bring forth the characteristic Stilton aromas and flavours and in combination with saltiness, are one of the reasons why Stilton pairs so well with Port.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Not wanting to rely solely on my own preferences, I sought Professional opinion. I wrote to the producers of O-PORT-UNIDADE themselves, to international Wine-Sommeliers and of course, to Cheesemongers from both Portugal and the UK. Head Sommelier & Consulting Wine Educator David Teixera proposed a hard cheese, but a cured one, an opinion shared by Ruud Scholten and Victor Barros. I tried some Parmigiano Reggiano but found its` texture too gritty. Food Critic Victor had a stash of ideas and for different styles of Port, as did Ruud. Ruud`s Homepage boasts a brilliant Port and Cheese guide which I made use of many a time, and both gentlemen recommended blue cheese, yet not from the UK.

The Portuguese wine producers` response was (to 95%) unanimous: Stilton! Stilton! and more Stilton! Oh - and Colston Bassett or the soft Portuguese sheep cheese - Queijo Serra de Estrela. This was already on my short-list and a notion shared by Oscar Quevedo (Quevedo) and Miguel Roquette (Quinta do Crasto). Not yet a fan of sheep or goat cheese myself, I left no stone unturned and came across Stone Tree Dairy and Helen Boyd. Helen, who I met personally at Tavistock, won the 2025 People’s Cheese Award with her rusty-rind Redlap. It`s a great cheese but I found it too mild for the Port. 

STIL(L)TONS TO TASTE

Equipped with a rather long short-list, half a bottle of Vintage Port and an empty stomach, I set sail for England. First stop was The Cheese Shed in Bovey Tracey where I had the pleasure of meeting Tom and Ian. Ian`s shop is well stocked and thanks to their combined knowledge and advice, I left two kilos heavier.

A British Cheese Board couldn`t possibly be complete without English Cheddar, so off I went to CHEDDAR GORGE. It`s a beautiful part of the country with breathtaking scenery, fascinating caves (where some cheese is aged) but the entrance fee was as steep as the hillsides are high, so I didn`t stay long.

In one of the many Cheese Shops there`s a museum offering an excellent (live) display of how Cheddar is made, yet of the samples I tasted, none worked well with my Port.

Cheese Expert, Author and owner of The Cheese Tasting Company Ned Palmer, kindly provided his recently published: A Cheesemonger's Compendium of British & Irish Cheese as part of my homework. Thanks Ned!

He recommended I try the Trethowan Brothers` World Cheese Award-winning Pitchfork Cheddar, suggesting its` acidity and earthiness should pair well with sweet fruit. Ned was right, although the depth of sweetness proved more than a force to be reckoned with, even for Cheddar.

A HEAVENLY (AF)FAIR

Tavistock Cheese Fair enabled face to face communication with some of my listed cheesemongers. Not too sure what they made of a middle-aged blond carrying half a bottle of Port in her handbag at nine in the morning, but only one of them declined the offer to join me. At the Fair, having avoided the blues until now, I headed off on an unexpected tangent.

One cheese especially caught my eye but resisted temptation until shortly before leaving. Beauvale - a rich soft blue cheese, is buttery yellow in colour with fine silvery veins. It`s indulgently creamy, mild in flavour, spoonable and just melts in your mouth. With 160 years of cheese-making experience, Cropwell Bishop Creamery make Beauvale with full fat pasteurised cow’s milk (mandatory for Stilton) and animal rennet. The blue flavours provide savoury depth without being overpowering. Hand-made, Beauvale has been described as Stilton`s subtle cousin: enticing, luscious, seductive and immediately rocketed to pole-position.

A final stop before engaging my tasters and with finances diminishing by the minute, I headed to Ashburton Delikatessen. With all but one cheese crossed off the list, I left the Deli with three new products and some very tasty home-made quiche. 

THE CHEESE BOARD

“The cheese should not be too sharp, nor have very strong aromas.” 

Axel Probst - Initiator of O-PORT-UNIDADE.

This in mind and the remaining Port Wine chilled, 13 cheeses adorned the tasting-board. Each of exceptional quality, unique in taste, style and consistency. Awareness of and appreciation for the key characteristics: sweet, savoury, bitter, salty and acidity – were elementary for pairing. The outcome subjective: inherent of the tasters and by no means a measure of quality. Evident though - cheese made from raw milk tasted richer and those made with animal rennet, more intense in flavour.

Pitchfork Cheddar, already mentioned above is made from raw cow’s milk and animal-based rennet. The flavours are pleasantly sweet, the texture buttery and as Ned rightly said, earthy on the palate – a flavour I identified as nutty. Head cheesemaker Ben Ticehurst - who I met at the Fair - told me where the name comes from and it would appear they like it rough. During the salt- and curd-mixing stage they use real pitchforks before aging the Cheddar for a further 12-15 months.

Quicke`s, Devon: Vintage Clothbound Cheddar – Quicke`s have been crafting cheese for decades using an old and prized starter culture. They add Cornish sea-salt and wrap all Clothbound cheddar in lard-drenched muslin. This process allows the cheese to breathe but not dry out. During 24 months of aging the mould which develops, lends a peppery bite to their deep yellow, buttery Vintage Cheddar. A unique flavour which Jane Quicke described as horseradish. In combination with the cheese’ sweet character, this unusually spicy note paired beautifully with the Vintage Port.

Fotocredit: Cornish Cheese Co.

Cornish Cheese Company: Cornish Cheddar – bought in a supermarket as still indecisive in the Cheddar department. Cornish Cheddar is coated in black wax but once freed from the seal, boasts a pale golden colour, sweetness on both nose and palate ending in a sumptuous savoury and salty bite. Its texture is creamy, in places crunchy due to the calcium lactate crystals, which I am told are often mistaken for mould. Strong in character, Cornish Cheddar paired excellently with the Port.

Fotocredit: Ticklemore Cheese

A close contender for Beauvale is Ticklemore Cheese`s Beenleigh Blue - made from sheep milk and vegetarian rennet. A soft blue cheese more creamy than crumbly with a pale, almost ivory colour. Beenleigh has fine irregular blue veins lending sharp citrus notes to the overall sweetness. Stronger - more astringent in taste, it also went well with the Port. I personally preferred the Beauvale, as illustrated above.

THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN

"More award-winning British cheese to be served across Europe thanks to EU agreement "

Oh really?

Despite good intentions and hell-bent on supporting the UK`s Artisan Cheese Community, the winner (s) now depend wholly on logistics, not to mention my bank account.

To date, I`ve been unsuccessful in locating one single producer who delivers to the continent - not even to France.  So, should you happen to be one of the “thousands of small businesses set to benefit the most from the deal” (says the UK government), then I beg of you – please get in touch!

If not, I`ll be spotted at the Port of Dover mid November …

And should I be successful, I look forward to enjoying the Vintage Port O-PORT-UNIDADE 2023 with at least one of the chosen finalists:

Pitchfork, Vintage Clothbound or Cornish Cheddar and of the Blues - Beenleigh or Beauvale.

The full cheese tasting-list you`ll find here, including producers and suppliers.

My next stop and in the company of Food Photographer Ronni Allen, is Portugal. Let`s hope the red tape there causes a little less headache…

Last but not least, a massive thankyou to my professional Co-Cheese-Tasters:

Carol Nield and Colin Williams – from the depths of deepest Devon.

Carol recommends - Beenleigh Blue and Colin - who appears to have two glasses of Port, the Cornish Cheddar.

Fotocredits: unless otherwise stated, Gail Treuer