St. Jorge Cheese
St. Jorge is a Portuguese style of cheese that originated from the island of São Jorge, Açores, the homeland of Joe and Mary Matos. The archipelago of the islands and incredible purity and quality of raw milk produced there are what make São Jorge cheese unique.
Because of it's historical importance, São Jorge cheese was protected in 1986 with the creation of Região Demarcada do Queijo de São Jorge (Demarcated Region of the Cheese of São Jorge) and regulated as a registered Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP). As our Cheese Factory was established in Santa Rosa, California in 1979 and we have continued the Matos family tradition of handmade raw milk Portuguese cheese, we are proud to continue the legacy of St. Jorge cheese.
Our cheese is handmade on our farm using raw milk from our small herd of 32 cows exclusively grazed in the Laguna de Santa Rosa.
We offer our cheese at various ages, highlighting the maturing flavor profile of each stage.
Original St. Jorge :
Aged 3 months.
Textures and flavor profile of silk and sweet creamy butter, St. Jorge is a mild semi-hard cheese with excellent melting quality and undeniable Matos grass fed tang, finishing with subtle fruity sweetness.
"Seis Meses" St. Jorge:
Aged 6 months.
Same creamy silk texture as our Original, with a deeper tanginess. Made in winter, this batch of Seis Meses is heavily influenced by seasonal oranges in the cow's diet, with a sweet citrus finish.
"Picante" St. Jorge:
Aged 9 months.
Intense sharp, nutty notes. Tyrosine crystals let the savory umami feel linger after each bite enjoyed.
Texture and tasting quality is a creamy silk mouthfeel with an extra sharp sea salt and warm caramel finish.
Texture and tasting quality is a creamy silk mouthfeel with an extra sharp sea salt and warm caramel finish.
"Patrão" St. Jorge:
Aged 16 months.
Incredibly indulgent, dry and sharp with a butterscotch undertone and sea salt bite to grate over *any* dish or break off a piece with a cup of coffee and see how your life changes.