Estrelacoop
Cooperative of Serra da Estrela DOP cheese producers in Celorico da Beira. Its online shop sells the cheese, Velho and requeijão, and it runs a course for qualifying cheese tasters.
About Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho
The long-aged form of Queijo Serra da Estrela DOP, made the same way from raw ewe's milk and thistle flower but ripened for at least 120 days. The 2022 specification gives a low cylinder of 0.3 to 1.2 kg, 6 to 20 cm across and 2 to 6 cm high, with a paste that runs from semi-hard to extra-hard and turns orange-brown. It is sold under the same DOP as the standard cheese, first protected by Decreto Regulamentar 42/85 of 5 July 1985 and registered by the EU in 1996.
Made in: Same area as Queijo Serra da Estrela DOP: 18 municipalities of the Serra da Estrela area, including Nelas, Mangualde, Penalva do Castelo and Viseu
On the plate
Pleasant, persistent and clean in aroma and flavour, from strong to slightly strong, lightly peppery and salty, according to the DOP summary and the Estrelacoop cooperative.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho
Touriga Nacional, structured red Dão
Our pickVelho is strong to slightly strong, lightly peppery and salty, with a persistent aroma. A Touriga Nacional-led Dão red has the structure to hold up beside it, and the salt and aged fat of the cheese take some edge off the wine's grip.
Full-bodied Dão red blend Dão
Our pickVelho is strong, salty and lightly peppery with a persistent aroma. A full-bodied Dão red blend, with medium to firm tannin, has the weight to stand beside it, and the cheese's salt and aged fat round the wine's grip.
Late-harvest and noble-rot Dão whites Dão
Our pickA salt and sweet contrast: the salty, lightly peppery paste of an aged Velho against a sweet late-harvest or noble-rot Dão white, whose sugar softens the cheese's strength and lingers alongside its persistent aroma.
Reserva, Grande Reserva or barrel-aged Encruzado Dão
Our pickVelho is strong, lightly peppery and salty. A Reserva, Grande Reserva or oak-aged Encruzado has the depth from age, lees or wood to meet it, and its acidity cuts through the aged fat while the salt sets off the fruit.
Dão Garrafeira, aged red Dão
Our pickVelho is strong, salty and lightly peppery, with a persistent aroma. A Dão Garrafeira red, given long oak and bottle ageing before release, has the depth and structure to stand beside it. Serve it with thin slices.
Dão Reserva or Grande Reserva red blend Dão
Our pickVelho is strong, salty and lightly peppery, with a persistent aroma. A Dão Reserva or Grande Reserva red blend, held back for longer ageing before release, has the depth to meet it, and the aged ewe's milk fat softens the wine's tannin.
Skin-contact (curtimenta) white Dão
Our pickVelho is strong, salty and lightly peppery. A Dão white fermented on its skins, a curtimenta, brings a touch of grip and texture to meet that strength, and the salt in the cheese sets off the wine's fruit.
Tinta Roriz, full-bodied red Dão
Our pickVelho is strong, salty and lightly peppery. A full-bodied varietal Tinta Roriz has the structure to stand up to it, and the salt and aged fat of the cheese ease the wine's tannin on the finish.
The grapes behind these winesTouriga NacionalEncruzadoAlfrocheiroTinta RorizBagaBical
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Solar do Queijo Serra da Estrela
Cheese shop on Praça de Santa Maria in Celorico da Beira, listed on the municipal portal. The listed hours date from 2020, so phone 271 747 473 before going.
Cheese experiences nearby
Feira do Queijo de Celorico da Beira
Annual cheese fair in the town that markets itself as the capital of Serra da Estrela cheese, with a Serra da Estrela sheep show, cheese and wine tastings, cooking workshops, a community lunch and evening concerts. The 47th was held in February 2026.
Feira do Queijo Serra da Estrela, Seia
Annual fair in Seia's municipal market with over 100 exhibitors (shepherds, cheese dairies and local producers), a Quinta do Pastor with Serra da Estrela sheep, a Serra da Estrela dog show, live cooking and short talks; in 2026 one was on Dão white wine pairings. The 49th was held in February 2026.
Festa do Queijo Serra da Estrela, Oliveira do Hospital
Cheese festival in Oliveira do Hospital's town centre, which the municipality bills as Portugal's largest, with hundreds of exhibitors, cheese and Dão wine tastings, live cheesemaking, sheep shearing and livestock shows. The 2026 festival was held in March.
Mercado do Queijo, Gouveia
Cheese market in and around Gouveia's municipal market: live Serra da Estrela cheesemaking by a queijeira, public tastings, a session on requeijão, a sheep and goat fair with a Serra da Estrela dog show, and a cheese and wine pairing workshop and commented tastings of regional aguardentes and olive oils that need pre-registration. The 2026 market was held in March.
Feira do Queijo Serra da Estrela, Fornos de Algodres
Annual fair in Fornos de Algodres' municipal market with a Serra da Estrela sheep competition, public cheese tastings, showcooking, children's workshops, concerts and guided visits to artisan cheese dairies. The 47th was held in March 2026.
Feira do Pastor e do Queijo, Penalva do Castelo
Shepherd and cheese fair next to the town hall in Penalva do Castelo, with tastings of Serra da Estrela cheese, Penalva Dão wine, broa and Bravo de Esmolfe apples, and choirs and concertina groups. The municipality reported thousands of visitors at the 35th, held in February 2026.
Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho: questions
How long is Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho aged?
At least 120 days, against a 30-day minimum for the standard cheese, per the DOP summary and Estrelacoop.
How does it differ from the standard cheese?
The paste is semi-hard to extra-hard and orange-brown rather than semi-soft, buttery and white-yellowish, and the flavour is stronger and lightly peppery.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Dão
Plan the trip
Visit Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt, estrelacoop.pt. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.