Terroir matters in more realms than wine. And it doesn’t take long — a bite, perhaps — for the realization to sink in.
Chevito, a raw goat cheese produced by Lakeport’s Yerba Santa Goat Dairy, tastes of the land. Behind the unique facade of tangy, rooted flavors that lend favor to goat cheese one can sense hints of hay warming under the sun, chalky soil and fresh grass.
The impressions are faint, but palpable. They complement a streak of rich cream and find kinship in a briny counterpoint.
Yerba Santa’s plain Chevito is a beautiful farm style cheese. Daniel Salmon allows the curd to press under its own weight in small wheels, then ages the cheese for at least 60 days. But unless you purchase rounds of flavored Chevito — jalapeno, sweet pepper with chives and so on — the family’s free range practices excite the palate more than the well-honed craft.
Or perhaps the two go together. The Salmon family herds close to 100 goats near Scotts Valley Road. The animals feed on local grasses and hay. And the brothers — Daniel and Javier, who runs the Bodega Goat Cheese label — refrain from anything artificial.
The Chevito would work well crumbled onto salads, but it is wonderful on its own. Like so many old world farmer’s cheeses, it also pairs beautifully with fruit and jam.
Just make sure the fruit is in season and the jam craft-made. No reason to insult a great cheese with common sides.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
