BellaVitano is a cow's milk cheese made by the Sartori Company of Plymouth, Wisconsin. Introduced in 1999, BellaVitano Gold is a hard cheese that is described as having a nutty, fruity flavour and is also available in a number of flavoured varieties.[1][2]

BellaVitano
Country of originUSA
TownPlymouth, Wisconsin
Source of milkCow
PasteurisedYes
TextureHard
Aging time10-12 months

This type of cheese is inspired by a traditional Italian farmstead cheese. Starting out like parmesan, it has a creamy, rich texture with light fruity notes and a sweet and tangy finish. The crunch comes from calcium lactate crystals that form as the cheese ages. "Gold" is the basic type of cheese; a number of flavoured versions produced by soaking the wheel or rubbing flavours onto the wheel are also produced.[3]

Varieties edit

BellaVitano Gold is the base type. Gold was named Grand Champion at the 2013 World Dairy Expo.[4][5]

Flavored versions include:[3]

  • Balsamic, contains imported six-year-old Italian balsamic vinegar.[6]
  • Black Pepper, hand-coated coarse ground black pepper.[7]
  • Merlot, immersed in Merlot wine.[8]
  • Raspberry, immersed in a tart raspberry ale.[9]
  • Chai, hand-coated with a blend of spices including black tea, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.[10]
  • Espresso, hand-coated with fresh ground Italian roast espresso beans.[11]
  • Tennessee Whiskey
  • Tomato Basil
  • Chardonnay

Awards edit

BellaVitano Family Awards[12][13]

References edit

  1. ^ "BellaVitano". WisconsinCheese.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  2. ^ cheese underground lady (2008-12-10). "Cheese Underground: BellaVitano". Cheeseunderground.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  3. ^ a b "BellaVitano". sartoricheese.com. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  4. ^ Shaun Weston (2013-08-21). "News | Sartori Reserve BellaVitano Gold Cheese wins Dairy Expo awards". FoodBev.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  5. ^ HighBeam
  6. ^ "Balsamic BellaVitano | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  7. ^ "Black Pepper BellaVitano | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  8. ^ "Merlot BellaVitano | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  9. ^ "Raspberry BellaVitano | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  10. ^ "All What's New > Chai BellaVitano Pairs Exotic Spices With Creamy, Sweet Cheese". Wmmb.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  11. ^ "Espresso BellaVitano | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  12. ^ "Thirteen Medals for Sartori Cheese at World Cheese Awards". Specialtyfood.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  13. ^ "Sartori Cheese Wins Gold at Global Cheese Awards | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-31.