Bica de Queijo, Portugal

Bica de Queijo is an unpasteurized Portuguese cheese made from a blend of 70% goat's milk, 25% cow's milk and 5% sheep's milk. It is produced in Póvoa de Lanhoso in Minho - a region in northern Portugal by the Spanish border (and home to the wines of Vinho Verde!).

The name "Bica de Queijo" loosely translates to "bag of cheese", because that’s what it looks like. When the curd is fresh, it is wrapped and twisted in a cheese cloth to ripen for five or six weeks, leaving the imprints of the cloth on the rind. The rind is washed with paprika and wine and, though it's hard and inedible, it adds a beautiful flavor to the cheese.

Flavor Profile: A mild, buttery flavor and a smooth texture. The cheese is slightly salty because the milk comes from animals that graze on lush, green hills on the Atlantic coast. Due to the presence of goat's milk, the cheese is slightly tangy with a pleasing creamy and chewy texture. 

The cheese is sold in a range of ages, from young to well-aged, and is enjoyable at each stage. Its flavor remains the same, but the texture varies markedly.

Pairings: Enjoy with a glass of medium-bodied, un-oaked red wine, a fruity red or, in yet another proof of the old chestnut "What grows together, goes together", a local Vinho Verde based on the Loureiro or Trajadura grapes. A close runner-up would be the Dao whites (Branco) based on the Encruzado grape.