jamie goode's wine blog: New cheese discovery: Ilha Graciosa

Monday, August 10, 2009

New cheese discovery: Ilha Graciosa

Over the last few weeks I've made a new cheese discovery. It's a Portuguese cheese called Ilha Graciosa, which, as you might expect from the name, hails from the Azores island of Graciosa.

It's a medium hard cheese made from cow's milk with a creamy, almost buttery texture, and a wonderfully spicy character along with hints of vanilla and herbs.

Writing cheese tasting notes is fraught with peril: the same cheese will change in taste, texture and character with the season, as the diet of the animal producing the milk changes. The microbiology of the individual lot will differ a bit, also.

Anyway, the three lots of this cheese that I've enjoyed (it is stocked by Waitrose in the UK) have all been fantastic, and the last two chunks have been especially spicy.

Wine match? I'd go for a sweet new world red wine, or a richly textured white, such as an oaked Chardonnay or a bold Pinot Gris. It might also work with a Mosel Riesling Spatlese.

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5 Comments:

At 9:36 AM, Blogger Wine Splodge said...

With you on the white wine parings, they've always been more successful for me with cheese. Perhaps something from the Jura could be good too? Like a savagnin or vin jaune.

 
At 4:37 PM, Blogger Couves said...

I’ve never had this one. With the holes, it looks a bit like a hard Queijo da Ilha from São Jorge in the Azores. It’s one of my favorites – a bit like a complex (but not sharp) cheddar.

 
At 7:37 AM, Blogger Tim said...

I gave this a try. Is it just me, or is this cheese very acidic? It caused a burning sensation in my mouth, not unlike the sensation of licking a 9 volt battery...

 
At 9:36 AM, Blogger Jamie said...

I guess that's the spicy character I'm referring to. Did you like it?

 
At 3:58 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

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