For 6 years Fresca Italia has brought Italy’s finest cheeses to Bay Area chefs and retailers. Now, in a joint effort with American cheese makers, Fresca Italia introduces a new line of Italian-inspired cheeses made locally. This premier collection will be available in late November 2007.

The concept is inspired by the traditional cheeses of Piemonte in Northern Italy – decadent robiole made from the milk of cows, goat, and sheep that graze on the alpine pastures at the foot of the Italian Alps. These luscious new cheeses are adapted to highlight California’s high-quality milk, and vibrant artisan cheese makers who have earned California a prominent place in the artisan cheese industry.

The first cheeses offered in the line are made by Andante Dairy in Petaluma. Soyoung Scanlan, owner and cheese maker at Andante, is nationally recognized for her delicate, artful cheeses with a decided French flair. “We wanted something with an Italian character,” says Fresca Italia owner Michele Lanza, “and we have tremendous respect for Soyoung’s work. We had no doubt that she’d be up for the challenge.”

“My cheeses reflect their terroir.” says Scanlan. “The Northern California environment is vital to their flavors and nuances.” This concept is nothing new to Italian cheese makers, many of whose cheeses bear the names of their origin. By adjusting molds and fermentation, Scanlan was able to adapt her cheese making to a more Italian style. The resulting cheeses are creamy and seductive with a rustic edge. The initial cheeses in the line-up are:
• Colle Rosso – a mixed milk Robiola-style cheese of cow and goat milk
• Quattro Stagione – a young jersey-milk cheese wrapped in seasonal ingredients and leaves

“We’re all transplants to the Bay Area,” says Lanza, “and we want to create something to commemorate where we came from and where we’ve landed. This is a great opportunity to give something back to this wonderful community.”

“My first job in the cheese industry was with our local cheese makers and I developed a deep respect for their work,” says Andy Lax of Fresca Italia. “I love working with Italian cheeses but I’ve missed the relationship with California cheese makers. This project will allow me to reconnect with my roots and the people who helped me fall in love with cheese in the first place.”