Verde Capra (“Blue Goat”) is a blue cheese made with goat’s milk by Arnoldi Val Taleggio. Arnoldi is an Italian cheesemaker in the Taleggio Valley which is located in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. The Taleggio Valley sits in the Alps at about 2789 feet above sea level with a population of 700. The name Taleggio comes from Latin Tilietulum, which means “small linden tree” which are typical of the valley. Later this word became Tiletlum, which then turned into Tilleggio.
This area has a long tradition of cattle farming and cheesemaking. Arnoldi sources its milk from local producers and uses traditional cheesemaking methods to create all of its cheeses. Taleggio is one of the most popular cheeses Arnoldi makes but it is not the only one. Verde Capra, a relative newcomer on to the cheese scene, is gaining in popularity due to its flavor and the rarity of blue goat’s milk cheeses. It is hard to make a delicious blue from goat’s milk as the curds tend to be more fragile.
Verde Capra is a dense moist cheese with a bright white paste that contrasts the vertical lines of blue green mold. The flavor is creamy, mild, and well balanced with a slight tang, a touch of salt, and a hint of sweetness. This cheese pairs well with Sparkling wines that are on the sweeter side like Salveto Sparkling Muscat or a Moscato D’Asti. Enjoy this cheese on its own or with pears, salami, steak, or add to tortellini.
thevineyardva
louiswine
