Murcian wine cheese ( es, queso de Murcia al vino) is a fatty

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s’ milk cheese from the province of Murcia in the south-east of

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. It has a

Protected Designation of Origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...

. The cheese is made only from

unpasteurized Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. Th ...

goats’ milk of the Murcian breed from registered herds. The term ''al vino'' refers to the washing of the rind with red wine during maturation. The cheese is presented in cylinders high and diameter weighing 400 g (14 ounces), or high and diameter weighing .

Manufacture

The goats are milked daily and after filtration the milk is warmed to and curdled with an animal

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or another authorised agent. The coagulation lasts from 40 to 60 minutes after which the curd is cut to grains of The curd is then washed and 15% of the whey is removed and replaced with water. The curd is then heated by a further and then worked lightly. The curd is then placed in plain moulds and pressed for 2–4 hours until the appropriate pH is achieved. The cheese is then salted in a brine bath for a maximum of 20 hours. Maturation of the larger cheeses takes a minimum of 45 days, the smaller pieces take a minimum of 30 days, during which the cheeses are immersed several times in a bath of red wine from the region.

Flavour

The cheese has an agreeable creamy flavour, a slight saltiness and a mild aroma. Murcian wine cheese is coloured white to light cream and has a compact and elastic texture. The colour of the red wine baths does not permeate into the cheese. There are a few small cavities throughout the cheese.

Rind

Smooth and thin, it has a purplish-red colour as a consequence of the baths in red wine during maturation. There may be an indented criss-cross geometric pattern on the faces of the cheese.

Uses

As with many harder Spanish cheeses it is eaten sliced as a snack with beer or wine, or else as part of a meal with fruit or nuts.

References

External links