BellaVitano Cheese

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]

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