King Valley Archives | Cheese Atlas

King River Gold: Gateway Washed Rind Cheese

Cheese Atlas — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 06:22:26 +0000

King River Gold – Milawa Cheese

About King River Gold

King River Gold is a soft washed rind cheese made by Milawa Cheese in Victoria’s King Valley.

In 1988, David Brown purchased the old Milawa Butter Factory and proceeded to transform it into a cheesemaking facility. David and his wife Anne decided that they would make a mild blue cheese inspired by the Northern Italian Gorgonzola.

Thus was born Milawa Cheese and their first product, Milawa Blue. Since then, they have expanded their range to include some of Australia’s most popular cheeses such as Markwood and Milawa Tomme. Moreover, they use both cow’s and goat’s milk to hand-make their small batch artisanal cheeses.

Gold medal winner

Overall, this little washed rind cheese is a great introduction to the style. Whilst it bears some resemblance to French cheeses like Reblochon, it is undoubtedly a truly Victorian cheese.

From the beginning, David used the finest local cow’s milk to make this cheese. During maturation, the affineur washes each little cheese with a proprietary solution. Overall, this technique imparts a sticky brown rind to the cheese, as well as a moderate to robust yeasty aroma.

Underneath the rind, you will find a soft ivory coloured pâte with a rich smokey and nutty flavour.

In 2020, King River Gold won a gold medal at the delicious. Australia and Harvey Norman Produce Awards.

Serving guide

Enjoy this little beauty with a local Stout, single malt Whisky or a glass of Prosecco.

The post King River Gold: Gateway Washed Rind Cheese appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

Milawa Tomme

Cheese Atlas — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 23:24:25 +0000

Rugged but refined

Milawa Tomme is a goat’s milk hard cheese made by Milawa Cheese in Victoria’s King Valley.

Since then, they have expanded their range to include firm favourites such as Goat Camembert, King River Gold and this Tomme.

Traditional recipe from Savoie

Initially, David adapted a traditional French recipe for Tomme de Chèvre from Savoie. The recipe involved adding rennet to raw, uncooked goat’s milk, cutting the curd and hand-ladling into small cylindrical moulds. The cheesemaker would then matured the cheese for 7 weeks in a cave.

Because of the current restrictions in Australia regarding raw milk, David had to use pasteurised goat’s milk instead. And, due to the lack of a cave in Milawa, he would mature the 2kg barrel-shaped wheels of cheese in their maturation rooms instead.

At 7 weeks, the Tomme develops a rugged natural rind with stunning patches of rusty-red and blue-grey mould.

Moreover, its off-white pâte is creamy and dense with a strong earthy aroma. On the palate, the Tomme is rich and savoury, with some cheddar notes and a spicy finish. It is incredibly more-ish!

How to pair Milawa Tomme

Enjoy with a local Cabernet Sauvignon or a Côtes du Rhône red.

The post Milawa Tomme appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

Milawa Goat Camembert

Cheese Atlas — Sun, 31 May 2020 23:34:30 +0000

A lucky accident

Milawa Goat Camembert is a bloomy rind soft cheese made by Milawa Cheese in the King Valley, Victoria.

The story of this unorthodox cheese begins with a mix-up of epic proportions. In the year 2000, a French intern at the dairy farm was transferring raw milk into a pasteurisation vat to make camembert.

Instead of pouring cow’s milk, she used raw goat’s milk from Goughs Bay Dairy. Rather than waste such fine quality milk, the cheesemakers decided to persevere with the maturation process and, eight days later, a new star was born.

Stark white on the inside

On the surface, the Goat Camembert is indistinguishable from the cow’s milk version. However, as soon as you slice through the rind, you discover a pâte that is stark white. (the more traditional cow’s milk version is usually pale yellow)

The white bloomy (almost furry) rind has an earthy aroma reminiscent of mushrooms and truffle. While the young cheese is enjoyably mild and savoury, it truly comes into its own as it ages. When ripe, the seductively oozy pâte is velvety in texture and has a sweet, lactic and citrusy flavour palette.

Furthermore, this serendipitous cheese is made with non-animal rennet which makes it suitable for vegetarians.

How to pair Milawa Goat Camembert

Enjoy with an Amber Ale or a glass of Riesling.

The post Milawa Goat Camembert appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

Milawa Aged Blue: Australia’s First Artisanal Blue

Cheese Atlas — Sun, 31 May 2020 05:18:29 +0000

About Milawa Blue

Milawa Aged Blue is a mature blue cheese made by Milawa Cheese in the Victorian High Country. Actually, Milawa Blue is the cheese that started it all for Milawa Cheese just over 30 years ago.

At that time, there was no cheese like that being made in Australia. It would be creamy and soft with just enough “blue” to tickle the palate.

How Milawa Aged Blue is matured

Fast-forward some 30 years and Milawa Blue is still a mainstay of Milawa Cheese’s range. However, the cheese that truly stands above the rest is the matured version, Milawa Aged Blue.

From each batch of Milawa Blue, a handful of wheels are selected for further maturation over an additional six months.

Overall, the matured blue is actually strikingly different to its younger version, both in appearance and flavour. Its pâte is like an abstract painting, with a dark yellow canvas splattered with a complex network of blue-grey pockets and veins.

Furthermore, its texture is creamy and crumbly and the aroma quite earthy. This spectacularly complex blue is savoury and sweet, with lingering notes of caramel and chocolate.

Pairing Milawa Aged Blue

Enjoy with a glass of Moscato, Stout or Scotch Whisky.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading this post about yet another amazing artisanal cheese. Have you tried this cheese before? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts.

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Finally, keep scrolling to find some more cheeses and recipes that have been recommended for you. Keep it cheesy!

The post Milawa Aged Blue: Australia’s First Artisanal Blue appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

Markwood: Victoria’s Most Mature Cheese

Cheese Atlas — Sun, 31 May 2020 03:28:22 +0000

Two year old Markwood – Milawa Cheese

About Markwood

Markwood is a limited edition pressed uncooked cheese made by Milawa Cheese in Victoria’s King Valley.

Thus was born Milawa Cheese and their first product, Milawa Blue. Since then, they have expanded their range to include some of Australia’s most popular cheeses such as King River Gold and Goat Camembert. Moreover, they use both cow’s and goat’s milk to hand-make their small batch artisanal cheeses.

A long maturation

There is something very special about Markwood. This limited edition cheese is made using local cow’s milk. Afterwards, an affineur nurtures the wheels over 24 months to produce a spectacular textured grey rind.

Furthermore, to add to the mystique, you can only find this cheese at the shop attached to their factory.

Flavour guide

Underneath its rugged rind, it has a dense straw-coloured pâte that is surprisingly supple with a buttery mouthfeel.

In summary, this hard cheese has a complex flavour reminiscent of burnt butter. In fact, those notes are even more pronounced near the edible rind.

How to pair Markwood

Try this unique Northeast Victorian cheese with a pear Calvados for an explosion of flavour!

The post Markwood: Victoria’s Most Mature Cheese appeared first on Cheese Atlas.