Feta (Mt Vikos, Barrel Aged)
- Country
- Greece
- Region
- Thessaly
- Size
- Varies according to weight
- Weight
- 120 lb / 8 lb tubs
- Website
- Milk
- Sheep
Goat - Classification
- Firm
- Rennet
- Animal
- Rind
- Natural
Production of Mt. Vikos Barrel Aged Feta takes place around Thessaly in Greece, a beautful region bordered on one side by the Aegean Sea, and on the other by the mountain range that includes Mt. Olympus. Milk for production comes from the goats and sheep that range freely on the slopes of Mt. Olympus, where they browse and have access to over two dozen grasses and wild herbs. Each morning, the milk is collected by a herders' cooperative and delivered to the Mt. Vikos creamery. Once made, the feta is dry salted, cut into large wedges and placed into 120lb. birch wood barrels. A brine solution is poured into the barrel to submerge the cheese, and the barrels are then cellared at 55°F with 85% humidity to mature for at least four months. The paste of Mt. Vikos Feta is bone-white in color and slightly "open,"' meaning that is has slits and holes. The texture is dense but crumbly, and yet the mouthfeel is rich and smooth. Flavors are pleasantly salty with clean, lactic, milky notes and a slight lemony tang.
