South Australia Cheeses | Artisanal cheeses archive| Cheese Atlas

Monforte Cheese: Taste of the Adelaide Hills

Cheese Atlas — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 09:44:25 +0000

About Monforte

Monforte is a semi-hard cheese made with raw cow’s milk by Section 28 Cheeses in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.

As a matter of fact, head cheesemaker, Kym Masters, named this stellar raw milk beauty after the Northern Italian village of Monforte d’Alba. His little family actually lived there for one whole year before he embarked on his cheesemaking mission.

From corporate banking to cheesemaking

Before Kym went to the Jura Mountains in France to study the art of cheesemaking, he was working full-time in corporate finance. Upon his return to Australia, he established Section 28 Cheeses and drew on his experience from Europe.

Moreover, the dairy’s name is a nod back to his original family farm, which is located between Cleve and Arno Bay, known as Section 28.

Monforte, flagship cheese, is matured for up to 6 months. Actually, it has an instantly recognisable golden brown rind the Section 28 embossed on it. Overall, this masterpiece is a celebration of the local terroir of the Adelaide Hills.

Moreover, its aroma is herbaceous with subtle fruity notes. As for the flavour, it is buttery, fruity, earthy with a hint of roasted nut!

Pairing guide

Enjoy this gorgeous semi-hard cheese with a glass of Pinot Noir or Gamay.

Thank you for reading

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Figaro

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 05:36:58 +0000

Beauty wrapped in vine leaves

Figaro is a semi-hard goat’s milk cheese made in South Australia by Woodside Cheese Wrights.

Woodside Cheese Wrights was established in 1994 in the Adelaide Hills. Since then, they have been hand-making an award-winning range of cow’s, goat’s and buffalo’s milk cheeses.

Slowly cooking the curds

Actually, the recipe for Figaro is quite an unusual one and involves slowly cooking the curds to introduce a bit of sweetness to the cheese. Continuous stirring then produces a soft curd that knits together easily.

Furthermore, the addition of a mixture of secondary flora results in a young cheese that has a soft pliable texture. Moreover, this is reminiscent of the traditional French Pyrénées classic, Bethmale, and highlights the exceptional qualities of the milk.

The formed wheels are then washed several times before being wrapped in vine leaves. They are allowed to mature for up to 6 weeks and develop a slightly sticky rusty red paste under the leaves, where the flavour is more intense.

How to serve Figaro

Leave at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving. This will allow the unusual texture of this cheese to shine! Serve with muscatels and a dry Prosecco or a citrusy Gin.

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Monet

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 05:34:01 +0000

Impressionism meets Food Art

Monet is a fresh cheese made by Woodside Cheese Wrights in the Adelaide Hills. Its name is inspired by French impressionist painter, Claude Monet.

Kris Lloyd has been the head cheesemaker at Woodside Cheese Wrights since the late 1990’s. Over the years, she has created some truly memorable cheeses such as Vigneron and Figaro. With Monet, she definitely has taken things to the next level!

The most delicate of touches

It all begins with the exceptional local goat’s milk. With the most delicate of touches, Kris transforms this milk into a fresh chèvre and tops it with a selection of edible herbs and flowers.

Without doubt, the Nasturtiums are the most eye-catching of the lot. This seasonal flower is only available during spring and summer. As such, they only make this beauty during those months.

Overall, the cheese itself has a fresh lactic aroma and a pristine white texture. On the palate, it is quite citrusy and herby and has a subtle spicy finish.

How to pair Monet

Enjoy with something cold and citrusy, along the lines of a Sauvignon Blanc or a yuzu Umeshu for something really spectacular!

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Vigneron: Boozy Cheese Wrapped in Wine Leaves

Cheese Atlas — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 09:23:49 +0000

Vigneron is a soft goat’s milk cheese made by Woodside Cheese in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.

What is a vigneron?

A vigneron by definition is a person who cultivates grapes for winemaking. It is a fitting name for this oozy goat’s milk cheese that was developed as a challenge from a local winemaker for Woodside Cheese to make a cheese that marries cheese and wine.

Washed in Chardonnay

At their cheesemaking facility, the cheesemaker wraps young wheels of this cheese in vine leaves.

Actually, they source the leaves from their own vineyard, Coriole, in McLaren Vale. Afterwards, they carefully wash each little wheel with Chardonnay.

A velvety mouthfeel

Vigneron oozes seductively when ripe and has an incredible velvety mouthfeel. Overall, its aroma is fruity and earthy with a delicate savoury flavour that has only the mildest hint of goaty tang.

The edible leaves are slightly crunchy and absorb the qualities of both the wine and the cheese underneath.

This multi award winning cheese is bound to be a crowd-pleaser as it ticks all the boxes from being visually spectacular to having that perfect balance of flavour and texture when ripe.

How to pair Vigneron

Naturally, this cheese will pair well with an unoaked Chardonnay.

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Geo

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 13 May 2020 05:11:37 +0000

Little, wrinkly and cute as!

Geo is a white-mould soft cheese made by Barossa Valley Cheese Company using pasteurised cow’s milk.

Some 30 years ago, a young South Australian winemaker called Victoria McClurg found herself working in Bourgogne. While exploring the area, she came across a local cheese that would become her all-time favourite, Epoisses.

That perfect balance between depth of aroma and complexity of flavour really struck a chord. Furthermore, the concept of terroir-driven pairing between cheese and wine was intriguing. As a matter of fact, this would inspire the young winemaker to return home to the Barossa Valley and start making cheese.

An amazing range of artisanal cheese

Using milk from the Adelaide Hills, the small team at Barossa Valley Cheese Company handmake an incredible range cheeses. Onsite, they transform the high quality cow’s and goat’s milk into some 25 different cheeses, including Geo.

Underneath its wrinkly delicate off-white Geotrichum candidum rind lies a straw-coloured unctuous pâte with a buttery texture. Moreover, this soft cheese has a sweet aroma and creamy mouthfeel. Furthermore, its flavour is milky with a hint of mushroom.

How to pair Geo

This soft cheese will shine on a cheese platter and can also be spread on warm sourdough bread. Enjoy with a glass of Champagne!

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Barossa Washed Rind

Cheese Atlas — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:55:22 +0000

A cheese made for wine

Barossa Washed Rind is a soft cheese made by The Barossa Valley Cheese Co. in South Australia.

Washed in yeast cultures

Handmade using only the finest Barossa cow’s milk, the cheese is regularly washed with yeast cultures during maturation. Effectively, this helps intensify the cheese’s aroma and flavour.

The final product has a golden-yellow edible rind with a thin white mould coating. Moreover, its unctuous pâte is creamy in colour and has a strong yeasty aroma. When ripe, it oozes seductively onto the plate and has a robust meaty and savoury flavour.

How to pair Barossa Washed Rind

Celebrate the terroir of the Barossa Valley by pairing with a local Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Udder Delights Goat’s Brie

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:12:34 +0000

Udderly delightful

Udder Delights Goat’s Brie is a soft cheese made by Udder Delights Cheese in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.

The Udder Delights Cheese story starts with Nora and Nell, the first two milking goats on Estelle and Trevor Dunford’s small farm in Lobethal. As the goat dairy grew, the Dunfords sold their milk locally until a collapse in goat’s milk price inspired them to start making cheese.

Actually, Trevor built the cheese factory himself and, eventually, their daughter Sheree and her husband Saul took over the family business.

From the Hills to the Peninsula

Moreover, the cheese factory now works closely with both cow’s and goat’s dairies from the Adelaide Hills to the Fleurieu Peninsula. Using that high quality milk, they handmake an ever-expanding range of artisanal cheeses.

Udder Delights Goat’s Brie is made with pasteurised goat’s milk and has a delicate white mould rind. On the inside, the pristine white pâte turns into liquid at room temperature when ripe.

Overall, it has an earthy aroma and a satiny mouthfeel. The flavour is savoury with a signature goaty finish.

How to serve Udder Delights Goat’s Brie

Give the wheel a gentle squeeze before serving. If it is very soft, cut off the top rind and serve with a spoon! Pair with sweet strawberries, figs and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

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