Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 15

DURING THE CURING
PROCESS, THE CHEESES
ARE TURNED AND
CLEANED EVERY DAY.
FRESH DÃO REDS GO
WELL WITH SERRA
CHEESE; SO DO CRISP
WHITES WITH MINERAL
ACIDITY; AND IT'S A
CLASSIC MATCH FOR
AGED TAWNY PORTS.

and, in return, " he says, " I get a weed-free vineyard and
the occasional Serra da Estrela cheese. "
At Casa da Passarella, less than a mile south of the Quinta
da Pellada, Paulo Nunes considers himself a very lucky man.
Ever since this Douro-born winemaker moved to Dão-to
one of the oldest wine producers in Dão-he's had access
to a special version of this precious commodity. " The estate
has a shepherd who makes and cures his own Queijo da
Serra. Now and again he hands out cheeses with twelve or
twenty-four months of curing! " Nunes says enthusiastically.
" You can only open the one aged twenty-four months with
a cleaver. " These harder versions, less common even in
Portugal, have longer curing times (minimum 120 days)
but follow the same recipe of the soft ones, that cure for
30 to 60 days. The only exception is that the harder ones

are covered with a natural preservative made from mixing
olive oil with colorau, a red powder similar to paprika. The
cheese's flavor gains intensity and the outside of the wheel
takes on a reddish tone. While speaking about this Paulo
recalls the traditional bucha, a snack that every shepherd
carried while out with his animals: " some bread, his hard
Serra cheese and some wine, " most likely to fight the cold
and boost morale.
Looking at the big picture, the soft Serra da Estrela
cheese might not be very well known internationally, but
all over Portugal, Queijo da Serra is king, a delicacy especially during the winter holidays. For the locals in Serra da
Estrela-whether winemakers, shepherds or cheesemakers-it's something as natural as the toughness of this
place, a land of granite, cold and isolation. ●

WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2021

15



Wine & Spirits - February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2021

Contents
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 1
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 2
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 4
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 5
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 6
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 7
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 8
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 9
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 10
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 11
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 12
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 13
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 14
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 15
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 16
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 17
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 18
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 19
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 20
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 21
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 22
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 23
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 24
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 25
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 26
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 27
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 28
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 29
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 30
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 31
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 32
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 33
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 34
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 35
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 36
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 37
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 38
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 39
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 40
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 41
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 42
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 43
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 44
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 45
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 46
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 47
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 48
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 49
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 50
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 51
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 52
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 53
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 54
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 55
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 56
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 57
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 58
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 59
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 60
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 61
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 62
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 63
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 64
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 65
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 66
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 67
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 68
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 69
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 70
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 71
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 72
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - Cover4
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