It seems that the grana padano’s ancestor was born in the Chiaravalle abbey in 1134, where the Benedictine Monks named it caseus vetus, or “old cheese”. However, over the time the popular name prevailed, which referred to the grainy and crumbly texture of the cheese: hence the name “grana padano” (“grainy cheese from the Po Valley”).
The fame of this cheese – one of the most famous worldwide – is due to its high quality, resulting from the careful choice of raw materials, as well as to the long and demanding processing. In fact, to produce two wheels of Grana Padano, which will weight 36 kg at the end of the aging period, it takes 1000 kilos of milk!
Its taste is savoury, sweet and slightly sour when it’s fresh. Its flavours remind of melted of cooked butter when it is ripened. You will also feel the aromas of dry mushroom, caramel, hazelnuts, almonds, broth and leather.
Grana Padano processing is really fascinating and rigorous. Raw partially skimmed cow’s milk is stored in transferred into copper kettles and warmed.
Then something almost magical happens: the curt gets broken with the “spino”, a tool that shatters it and creates the grains (from which the word “grana” comes) as big as a rice grain. Afterwards, the curd gets cooked up to 56° C, then it rests for no longer than 70 minutes in the serum. The cheese-maker divides the mass in half and pulls it out with the so-called “patte”, pieces of linen or hemp fabric; he puts the two portions in the moulds and then brines them, so they can start to ripe, stored in specific rooms. The storehouses are like giant cathedrals with controlled temperature and humidity, with thousands of wheels lying on spruce boards. Here, cuddled and brushed, the cheese wheels remain until they reach the minimum aging time, which consists of 9 months for Grana Padano D.O.P. If the aging is longer than 20 months, the “reserve” mark can be impressed.
Every wheel must weight between 24 and 40 kilos. Otherwise, it is discarded and it is not fire-branded with the Grana Padano logo.
It seems that the grana padano’s ancestor was born in the Chiaravalle abbey in 1134, where the Benedictine Monks named it caseus vetus, or “old cheese”. However, over the time the popular name prevailed, which referred to the grainy and crumbly texture of the cheese: hence the name “grana padano” (“grainy cheese from the Po Valley”).
The fame of this cheese – one of the most famous worldwide – is due to its high quality, resulting from the careful choice of raw materials, as well as to the long and demanding processing. In fact, to produce two wheels of Grana Padano, which will weight 36 kg at the end of the aging period, it takes 1000 kilos of milk!
Its taste is savoury, sweet and slightly sour when it’s fresh. Its flavours remind of melted of cooked butter when it is ripened. You will also feel the aromas of dry mushroom, caramel, hazelnuts, almonds, broth and leather.
Grana Padano processing is really fascinating and rigorous. Raw partially skimmed cow’s milk is stored in transferred into copper kettles and warmed.
Then something almost magical happens: the curt gets broken with the “spino”, a tool that shatters it and creates the grains (from which the word “grana” comes) as big as a rice grain. Afterwards, the curd gets cooked up to 56° C, then it rests for no longer than 70 minutes in the serum. The cheese-maker divides the mass in half and pulls it out with the so-called “patte”, pieces of linen or hemp fabric; he puts the two portions in the moulds and then brines them, so they can start to ripe, stored in specific rooms. The storehouses are like giant cathedrals with controlled temperature and humidity, with thousands of wheels lying on spruce boards. Here, cuddled and brushed, the cheese wheels remain until they reach the minimum aging time, which consists of 9 months for Grana Padano D.O.P. If the aging is longer than 20 months, the “reserve” mark can be impressed.
Every wheel must weight between 24 and 40 kilos. Otherwise, it is discarded and it is not fire-branded with the Grana Padano logo.
Grana Padano D.O.P. s produced year-round.
Terre del Colleoni D.O.C. sparkling wine
Valcalepio D.O.C. red, reserve
Valcalepio D.O.C. red
