Alpe Cavizzola history 2022

Marioli Sonia Agricultural Company
Alpe Cavizzola - Orobie Alps
Summer 2022 - aged 12+ months
Cheesemaker Maffezzini Fortunato
Original Bruna Alpina cow's milk, Orobica goat's milk, salt, rennet.
Features 
Vacuum packaged with shelf life of 90 days
 
 
One of the symbols of Lombard dairy production: a cheese with great tradition and extraordinary aptitude for aging, it is deeply linked to the mountains from which it originates. The historical core of its production is found in the valleys formed by the stream from which it takes its name: Gerola and Albaredo, in the province of Sondrio. The cheese produced in the mountain pastures of these valleys, at an altitude ranging from 1400 to 2000 metres, retains special characteristics. The shippers, in fact, are committed to maintaining a whole series of traditional practices that enhance the quality of the cheese, as well as playing a fundamental role in the conservation of the environment and Alpine biodiversity. First of all, rotational grazing is practiced: during the three months of mountain pasture, the herd is led through a route in stages, which goes from the lowest to the highest station. Along the way, the traditional calècc - thousand-year-old stone constructions that protect the cheese-making area - act as itinerant processing huts, always close at hand, so that the milk does not have to travel, except for a few metres, and can be processed before its natural heat is lost. Another practice, promoted by historical producers, is the mounting of Orobiche goats together with the cattle herd. The milk of these animals accounts for 10-20% of the cheese production and gives it a special aroma and persistence. To ensure maximum control of the health conditions of the livestock, the cowherds milk only by hand. The cheese is preferably salted dry; in this way a more delicate crust is formed, guaranteeing better maturation. Furthermore, the use of supplements in cattle feed and the use of additives, preservatives or selected ferments in the production of cheese are expressly prohibited.