Achadinha Capricious

North of San Francisco, in the hills of Marin, Sonoma and Napa, has become Cheese Central in recent years, with an ever-expanding number of artisanal producers springing up.

Achadinha, a goat cheese specialist, is one of them. Although the young company's production is small by national standards, it's worth seeking out. Because their aged variety, called Capricious, is a little marvel of depth and complexity.

(I tried it at the San Francisco Ferry Building, where they sell on weekends. If you're not near S.F., the company's Web site has ordering instructions, as well as a handy guide to pronouncing the Portuguese name "Achadinha" in English.)

It's not your father's goat cheese, at least if your father is one of those Loire Valley goat cheese makers who think the only way to make it is soft and spreadable. A semi-hard style, the Capricious is closer to Parmigiano in texture than traditional velvety fresh cheese.

That comes from aging, which adds a depth and complexity to this variety that's impossible in a soft goat cheese. The flavors are a grassy swirl, with a pleasing dryness that's tempered by the tart-sweet tastes of the milk.

PAIRINGS: Try it paired with figs, or apricots. For wine, Achadinha Capricious goes well with bone-dry Sauvignon Blancs.