Description
Valdeón Picos Blue PGI Cheese
About Valdeón Picos Blue PGI
Valdeón Picos Blue comes from one of those places that looks as though it ought to make fabulous cheese.
The Valdeón Valley sits high in the Picos de Europa mountains of northern Spain, surrounded by dramatic limestone peaks, deep valleys and lush mountain pastures. Cheesemaking has been part of life here for generations, originally providing farming families with a way of preserving the milk produced by their animals.
Today, Queso de Valdeón is a rich, powerful blue made with cow’s milk, or a mixture of cow’s and goat’s milk, and it’s certainly not a cheese that disappears quietly into a cheeseboard.
Especially when you see what it’s wrapped in.
Why Is My Cheese Wrapped In Leaves?
This is one of my favourite things about Valdeón.
Traditionally, the cheeses were wrapped in leaves, and you’ll still find Valdeón sold this way today. Some producers use modern packaging instead, but we always buy the leaf-wrapped version because, quite frankly, when you’ve got the choice between blue cheese wrapped in foil and blue cheese wrapped in leaves, I know which one I’m choosing.
The leaves give Valdeón its wonderfully rustic appearance and make unwrapping one feel like a bit of an event.
Underneath, you’ll find a creamy blue cheese with plenty of character and those distinctive blue-green veins running throughout.
Protected by PGI Status
Valdeón has Protected Geographical Indication, or PGI, status, protecting its connection with the Valdeón Valley in León.
Unlike PDO, where all the main stages of production must take place within the designated area, PGI protects products where a particular quality, reputation or characteristic is linked to their geographical origin.
For Valdeón, that means the cheese and its mountain home remain firmly connected.
And when you’ve seen photographs of the Valdeón Valley, you can understand why they’re rather proud of it.
Valdeón Blue – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Valdeón is definitely one for people who like their blue cheese to taste of blue cheese.
Cut through the leaves and you’ll find a pale ivory paste shot through with wonderful blue-green veins. The texture is slightly crumbly at first, but there’s plenty of creaminess too, particularly once it’s had time to warm up.
Then comes the flavour.
There’s a definite saltiness, plenty of savoury blue character and a lovely spicy warmth that builds as you eat it. When goat’s milk is included in the make, I find it brings a little extra tang and brightness alongside all that richness.
It’s bold, but there’s enough creaminess to keep everything in balance.
This isn’t necessarily the blue I’d give someone who tells me they’re terrified of blue cheese. But if you already love a good strong blue and fancy exploring something beyond Stilton or Roquefort PDO, Valdeón is absolutely worth discovering.
And there’s something immensely satisfying about peeling those leaves away before cutting yourself a piece.
How to Serve and Pair Valdeón Picos Blue
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: Keep things Spanish with a good cider. Its freshness is brilliant against the richness and saltiness of the cheese.
- Something a little different: Pedro Ximénez Sherry is fabulous. All that dark, raisiny sweetness against a salty blue is exactly the sort of pairing I love.
- On the plate: Quince paste is the obvious Spanish choice and works brilliantly. Fresh pear, figs or a drizzle of honey are lovely too.
- In the kitchen: Valdeón melts beautifully, so try it in a steak sauce, stirred through pasta or spooned over roasted vegetables. Just remember to remove the leaves first!
Jen’s note: We always buy our Valdeón wrapped in leaves. Do the leaves make it taste better? That’s debatable. Do they make the cheese look infinitely more exciting when I unwrap it? Absolutely. Sometimes a bit of theatre is part of the fun of cheese.
Buying Valdeón Blue
- Brand or Producer: Quests el Pastor-Hijos de Salvador
- Product name: PGI Valdeón Blue
- Milk: Cow & Goat
- Country: Spain
- Region: Picos de Europa
- Strength: Strong
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £3.25
- 500g wedge, £16.25
- Whole wheel (approx. 3kg), available to pre-order
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt, Penicillium Roqueforti
