Around this time of year, a great and easy way was to entertain guests is with a cheese plate or charcuterie board. Recently, I tried some cheeses that were new to me. They were made by Monti Trentini, a family-run business located in the Trentino Region of Northern Italy. The company was founded in 1925 and there have been four generations of cheese makers.
The company’s exceptionally long tradition in the production of cheese made from the milk of mountain grazing cows from the Dolomites Mountains gives the cheese a unique fragrances of herbs and a distinctive yellow color. Here are the three cheeses that I tried.
Lagorai
The Lagorai Mountain region of the Dolomites gives this traditional cheese its name. It’s texture is semi soft and the flavor is mild and pleasant with the subtle aromas of herbs and mountain flowers. Lagorai is produced with full-fat milk and aged over 40 days. The rind is thin and elastic while the cheese is pale yellow or white with distinctive irregular holes. Serve it at room temperature with fresh or dried fruit and nuts.
Mountain Herbs Caciotta
This delicious cheese is made from cow’s milk and flavored with aromatic mountain herbs. It is a semi-sweet cheese and is aged for at least 5 days. Serve it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or honey.
Sharp Provolone PDO
This Italian classic sharp cheese is aged for 6 months and has a strong and partially spicy taste. This provolone comes from cow’s milk from a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), ensuring excellent quality. Serve provolone with salami or other charcuterie.
Frescobaldi Laudemio Olive Oil
I have been drinking the excellent wine from Frescobaldi for a number of years now and Michele likes to use their Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the kitchen. Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil has aromas of just mown grass, artichoke hearts and notes of green olives. There is a nice balance between a notable bitterness, spiciness, and a long lasting fruitiness. Full flavored Laudemio olive oil from Frescobaldi is the perfect oil to use with fresh cheeses, as well as a finishing oil for salads, soups and other dishes.
In the Middle Ages, Laudemio was the name of the best part of the harvest, destined for the landlord’s table. It comes from the Latin word “laude,” meaning praise or excellence.
The symbol on the label is that of an Etruscan athlete signifying health and fitness though a healthy lifestyle. The ancient Etruscans lived in an area roughly corresponding to today’s Tuscany.
On the Frecobaldi Estate in Tuscany there are 300 hectares of olive groves at altitudes between 200 and 500 meters. The olive harvest begins in October and stops before the end of November. The olives are pressed within a few hours from picking in the Frescobaldi mill in Castello Nipozzano. A rigid selection is made and only the finest extra virgin olive oil is selected to become Laudemio Frescobaldi.
Frescobaldi Wines
Nipozzano Vecchie Viti Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG 2020 Frescobaldi. Made from Sangiovese and complementary varieties from the oldest vines on the Castello Nipozzano estate which have a very deep root structure. After harvesting, the grapes are transferred to the cellar immediately. They are destemmed and spontaneous fermentation takes place in cement tanks. Maceration is for 20 days with frequent pumping over of the must. The wine remains in the vats to complete maceration. The wine is aged for 24 months in oak barrels according to the ancient Tuscan tradition, then bottled for a time until it is ready to be released. This wine has hints of cherry, blackberry, blueberry, balsamic, and a touch of violet.
Entertaining holiday guests is easy with Montini Trentini cheeses, Frescobaldi Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Frescobaldi wines.