Sartori BellaVitano

Sartori BellaVitano®: A cheese for every palate

Since its introduction in 2008, Sartori BellaVitano® has won the hearts of cheese lovers everywhere. This aged cheese is the marriage of a creamy cheddar and a premium farmstead parmesan. The flavor is all nutty, fruity, cow's milk goodness upfront that finishes with hints of melted butter. To amp up the flavor, Sartori's cheesemakers hand rubbed the wheels with an array of flavors like espresso, black pepper, or tomato basil, or soak the cheese in merlot, Tennessee whiskey, or chardonnay – offering a taste for every palate. BellaVitano all has a light crystalline crunch, the product of naturally forming calcium crystals. When you're lucky enough to come across a slice of Sartori BellaVitano on a grazing board, you're guaranteed a one-way trip on a flavor adventure.

Sartori: Artisan cheese from a family business

Founded in 1939, the Sartori family has been making cheese in Wisconsin for more than 80 years and transformed into an artisan cheese producer in 1996. The soil and climate around the family's plant in Antigo create the ideal terroir for producing premium-grade cow's milk that's high in butter fat and protein. Sartori sources milk from farms near the plant, most days turning milk deliveries into cheese within hours. The company employs four Master Cheesemakers who have combined to help Sartori bring home some of the world's most prestigious cheese awards. Along with BellaVitano, Sartori produces cheddar, asiago, and award-winning parmesans, including SarVecchio Parmesan.

A new era of Wisconsin cheese history

We've been making cheese in Wisconsin since 1841, even before we became a state. That's why our cheesemakers are so darn good at it and why – possessing a creative, entrepreneurial spirit – they've invented so many new cheeses like BellaVitano. Wisconsin cheesemakers produce over 600 varieties, types, and styles of cheese. Along with Sartori BellaVitano and SarVecchio, you'll find lots of new Wisconsin cheeses like Luna cheese from Hill Valley Dairy, a cross between an Alpine-style cheese and a gouda; and Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Upland's Cheese, an aged, washed-rind, Alpine-style cheese made only from the milk of cows grazing on fresh grass in the summer.

All about Sartori BellaVitano

What does Sartori BellaVitano look and taste like?

Sartori BellaVitano is inspired by traditional Italian farmstead cheeses. Its taste resembles an aged, premium Wisconsin cheddar married with a full-flavored parmesan. While the interior of BellaVitano is smooth and pale yellow, the exterior changes with each variety, according to the ingredients that cheesemakers use to brine or rub the cheese. Crystals in the cheese are a natural part of the aging process and add a light crunch.

How is BellaVitano made?

Sartori BellaVitano is made with high-quality milk delivered fresh each day from local family farms. Carefully crafted blends of cultures and enzymes are added, giving each cheese its unique flavor profile. Sartori uses a microbial enzyme rather than calf rennet to curdle the cheese, making BellaVitano a vegetarian variety. The curd and whey are separated, gently stirred, and heated before the whey is removed. After the curd is pressed into hoops, it's placed in a salt brine and moved to a curing room to age. After an optimal period of time, each wheel is hand-finished either by soaking the cheese in wine, spirits, vinegar, or brine, or hand rubbing it with blends of herbs and spices.

How to pair each variety

• Merlot BellaVitano combines the rich, creamy flavor of the cheese with the berry and plum notes of merlot. Enjoy Sartori merlot cheese with a glass of merlot, pinot noir, or shiraz, or with a dark, malty ale or IPA.
• Gold, the original BellaVitano, starts like a parmesan and ends with hints of melted butter. Enjoy this exquisite cheese with a glass of chianti, port, or a light Italian red, or with a sweet cider, IPA, or dark malty ale.
• Garlic & Herb is hand rubbed with garlic, pepper, parsley, lemon zest, Aleppo chile, and extra-virgin olive oil for a bright, spicy, garlicky-flavored treat. Pinot noir is the wine to drink with this BellaVitano, or a wheat beer or dark malty ale.
• Espresso is hand rubbed with freshly roasted espresso for an unforgettably bold flavor pairing. Try it with barley wine, merlot, pinot noir, chardonnay, sherry, or shiraz. For beer, think stouts, porter, fruit beer, or trappist-style beer.
• Balsamic BellaVitano is bathed in six-year-old Italian balsamic vinegar to create a sweet and savory combination. Asti spumante, pinot noir, chardonnay, and sherry make great wine pairings, while a porter, American pale ale, or weizenbock will do nicely if you're drinking beer.
• Black pepper is hand rubbed to peppery perfection with a pepper-covered rind that's meant to be eaten. A chardonnay or chianti go well with this cheese, as do American pale ales, IPAs and trappist-style beers.
• Tomato basil is hand-finished with ripe tomatoes and aromatic basil for a delightful savory flavor experience. Try it with a full-bodied red or white wine or with an IPA or wheat beer.
• Tennessee whiskey is infused with smooth and smoky sweetness, with a creamy texture that makes this cheese a favorite. Pair it with chardonnay, IPA, or porter.
• Chardonnay is soaked in a buttery white wine to impart fruit notes and a creamy finish. Chardonnay is the natural wine to pair with this cheese or an IPA or Belgian white beer.