Beautiful Cheese: Port Wine Derby Cheese From England
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There are a few cheeses that can turn a cheese plate into edible art. One of these is Port Wine Derby, a smooth, creamy Derby cheese marbled with an infusion of Port wine to create an exquisite deep purple pattern. The color and sweet blackcurrant undertones come from the Port wine, which is added to the vat to naturally blend with the maturing cheese (known as “vat made”). It’s made by Belton Farm in Whitchurch, a market town in the north of Shropshire, England in the Midlands region of Central England and two miles east of the Welsh border. The Beckett family has been making award-winning cheeses at Belton Farm since 1922. Port Wine Derby was a winner in the International Cheese Awards in 2019, the last pre-Pandemic year the show was held (the next one is in October 2021). Derby cheese is a mild, semi-firm cow’s milk cheese made in the rural county of Derbyshire, England since at least the 17th century. A traditional English-style cheese, it has a smooth texture with a mellow, buttery flavor. Derby is similar to its cousin cheeses Cheddar and Cheshire in taste and texture, but with a softer body and slightly higher moisture content. Like most of the traditional British hard cheeses, it was produced exclusively on farms and was typically sold at a younger age than its more famous cousins Cheddar and Cheshire. (Port Wine Darby is aged for four months before release; merchants can continue to age it.) When young, Derby is springy and mild. As it matures, subtle sweet flavors develop and the texture becomes firmer. BUY IT AT IGOURMET.COM > THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEESE ________________ *Zinfandel substitutes include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Shiraz/Syrah. |
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