Lonigo cheeses

The varied cheese production of Vicenza also includes Provolone Valpadana PDO, a cheese inspired by the ancient tradition of round-shaped stretched-curd provole typical of Southern Italy.
The appearance of this new product dates back to the late nineteenth century, with the arrival of some cheesemakers from the South, attracted by an abundance of milk sufficient to allow the production of large provole intended for aging.
In its current form, Provolone Valpadana has a leading producer in a company from Vicenza, the Albiero dairy – founded in 1955, headquartered in Lonigo with a plant in Montorso – which made headlines in 2007 for earning a bronze medal at the Verona Cheese Olympics, beating the competition of renowned Southern producers thanks to two factors of excellence: the raw material – milk supplied by farms in the Vicenza mountains – and the expertise developed over fifty years in processing it.

The production from Lonigo ranges from mild provolone – made with calf rennet, in small sizes and intended for short aging – to sharp provolone, made with “strong” kid or lamb rennet, and produced in forms up to 50-100 kg, corresponding to aging times from three to six months.