Montasio

An Italian cows' milk cheese from the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto provinces of Italy. It is aged from 60 days to 10 months and is sold three ways: fresh, middle, and aged. Originally it was produced in monasteries and is now a DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, or Protected Designation of Origin) cheese. The texture is soft and smooth, as it becomes more aged it becomes more dry and granular. The rind is brown that becomes harder with aging. It tastes sweet, but as it ages it becomes a little spicier. It is well paired with a sauvignon blanc as a table cheese, but can also serve as a grating cheese.