Piave, Extra Aged
IL Villaggio Piave, Extra Aged, DOP is a hard, Alpine-style cheese produced on the verdant edge of the Piave River in shadow of the Dolomites. Aged for 12 months, the cheese develops an intense, sweet, nutty flavor featuring profound tropical fruit notes, balanced salinity, and a full aroma reminiscent of mountain herbs and flowers. The milk used to make Piave DOP must come from the heritage breeds of the region: Bruna Italiana, Grigio Alpina, Pezzata Rossa, Italiana and Frisona. In the summer the herds are driven to mountain pastures to freely graze the lush wild grasses. In winter, they feed on hay harvested from the same meadows giving the cheese its distinct flavor. Named after the Piave river that flows through the region, this cheese produced exclusively in Belluno, a province of Veneto, Italy in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains. The milk from cooperative farms is still brought to a single collective dairy that produces IL Villaggio Piave DOP. This cooperative farming structure ensures fair wages are paid to, improves consistency of the quality of the milk, and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the pastoral Italian lifestyle.
How to Use
Piave DOP is wonderful as a table cheese served alongside cured meats as the focal point of a cheese board or for snacking. It can be grated over dishes like pastas, gnocchi, risotto, polenta and grits. Use it to simmer minestrone, beans and lentils. Shave it over salads of arugula, endive, escarole and radicchio.KEY FACTS:
Country of Origin: Belluno, Italy
Milk Type: Cow
Pasteurization: Pasteurized
Rennet Type: Animal
Vegetarian: No
Age: 12 Months