Cheeses

Brinata is a pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from the Tuscany region of Italy. It is moist, creamy and delicious. This cheese has a white mold rind and a soft, creamy texture. It is similar to a cow’s milk brie but with a tangy bite to it. This cheese has been aged for about 30 days.

Brinata sells for about $20 per pound. It can be found at igourmet.com. Look for it, too, at cheese stores near you.

Sumi is a goat’s milk cheese from Goat’s Leap Dairy in St. Helena.  It is shaped like a truncated pyramid and coated with ash.  Inside it is firm and tangy with a long rich finish.  It is aged for only two to six weeks.   It is named for one of the goat’s on the farm.  It sells for about $29 per pound. 

Valencay is a raw goat’s milk cheese from central France.  It is in the shape of a pyramid without its top.  (Legend has it that Napoleon took his sword and cut off the top because it reminded him of the pyramids in Egypt.) It is typically aged for at least 3-5 weeks but can be aged for longer.  It has an ash coating to facilitate the development of mold.  It has AOC certification. This cheese sells for about $27 per pound.

I recently discovered this luscious triple cream pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from the Ile-de France region.  It is a subtle cheese with a gentle mushroom flavor.  It pairs well with a sparkling wine.  It can be found at Oxbow Cheese Merchant and sells for about $22.50 per pound.