Our California Queen, Quinta, has been winning over the hearts of cheese lovers since her debut in 2020. This Bay Laurel beauty got her name for two reasons. First, Quinta means Farmstead in Portuguese. Our maternal grandparents were from Portugal so this cheese honors our mom (who would have loved this cheese by the way!) and our Ferreira family heritage. Second, Quinta means Fifth in Spanish. This cheese just happens to be the fifth product in our core line-up, so the name also has significance for our primarily Latinx staff that work so hard (day-in-and-day-out) to make all of our cheeses wonderful.
“This is heaven in a cheese rind! The best cheese we think we’ve ever had!! Definitely getting this again!!” ~ Bridgette L.
Quinta is a unique and flavorful cheese that reflects the terroir of Point Reyes, an area known for its lush pastures and cool coastal climate. To make Quinta extra special, our farm-harvested Bay Laurel is infused in a spruce bark strap, that wraps each wheel, giving it an herbaceous finish. We steep the bark in a tea made from bay laurel leaves that we harvest on our farm. The essence of the bay infuses the bark and adds an herbaceousness to the aroma and flavor of the cheese, especially near the rind. A bark strap is wrapped around each wheel on day one, and a light bloom of white Candidum mold grows over the wheel during the 20 to 30 days it remains at the creamery. The white rind on the exterior is edible; the flavor is delicious with even more CA Bay Laurel and earthy, mushroomy notes. The interior texture is silky-smooth and the rind is fluffy, yet slightly firm, with its beautiful Bay Leaf crown on the top.
“So delicious in so many ways. My favorite so far is on fresh baguette slices with frizzante, fig preserves, and honey-roasted walnuts. I think that’s a working definition of decadence.” ~Carol D.
Quinta is delicious at every stage, every age, and every event. Whether you choose to open your wheel when it makes it to your doorstep, or hang onto it in the fridge for a couple weeks – it is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Watch our Executive Chef and Culinary Director, Jennifer Luttrell, open a wheel here. Pro tip: make sure you allow your wheel to come to room temperature before it’s served. This will ensure that you and your guests will enjoy Quinta at its best quality so you can really taste all it has to offer. You will find the "produced on" date on the back of your Quinta package. For wheels aged 40-50 days, the consistency will be thicker in texture with a buttermilk tang. For wheels 50-100 days, the consistency will be ribbon-y and smooth with a mustard, mushroomy and herbaceous finish. McBride Sisters Wine Company head winemaker, Amy Butler said, “I love the bay leaf, the spruce bark, and the sort of ritual of removing the top rind to get at the buttery goodness within. Kind of like pulling the cork on a long-anticipated bottle of wine.” We couldn’t agree more!
More good news! We've created new size format of Quinta - just for you! This collection includes three smaller Quinta wheels (5oz each) for you to enjoy all by yourself. Perfect for a fondue dinner for one, or maybe a light snack with a loved one if you're feeling generous - each wheel is just as delicious as its larger 10oz sister, but now perfectly sized to be fully enjoyed in one sitting. Wheels aged 30-50 days will be thicker in texture with a buttermilk tang. For wheels 50+ days for mushroom & mustard flavors with an herbaceous finish.
