BellaVitano Cheese

BellaVitano
Country of origin	USA
Town	Plymouth, Wisconsin
Source of milk	Cow
Pasteurised	Yes
Texture	Hard
Aging time	10-12 months

BellaVitano is a cow's milk cheese made by the Sartori Company of Plymouth, Wisconsin. Introduced in 2008, BellaVitano Original (previously known as "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]}

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. "Original" 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

BellaVitano Original is the base type. It has received multiple awards, including being named Grand Champion at the 2013 World Dairy Expo. ^{[4] [5]}

Commercially available flavored versions include: ^[3]

• Balsamic, contains imported six-year-old Italian balsamic vinegar. ^[6]
• Black Pepper, hand-coated coarse ground black pepper. ^[7]
• Chardonnay
• Espresso, hand-coated with fresh ground Italian roast espresso beans. ^[8]
• Garlic & Herb
• Merlot, immersed in Merlot wine. ^[9]
• Tennessee Whiskey, oak and caramel notes.
• Tomato Basil

Previous, exclusive or otherwise limited flavored versions include:

• Chai, hand-coated with a blend of spices including black tea, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. ^[10]
• Raspberry, immersed in a tart raspberry ale. ^[11]
• Kentucky Bourbon, smoky and caramel notes.

Awards

BellaVitano Family Awards Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine ^{[12] [13]}

References

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. "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. "Espresso BellaVitano | Culture: the word on cheese". Culturecheesemag.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
9. "Merlot 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. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
11. "Raspberry 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.