Since 1927, the Ciresa family has been working with the cheeses of the Valsassina valley in northern Italy. It started with Giovanni Ciresa of the first generation as he traveled the roads from cheesemaker to cheesemaker, selecting young cheeses that he would age and sell nearby. Now in the third generation, Silvano and Alberto Ciresa reap the rewards by combining their inherited knowledge with changes in technology and greater scientific knowhow of cheesemaking, to perfect production and aging on their traditional, local cheeses including Taleggio and varieties of Gorgonzola.
Across northern Italy through Veneto, Piemonte and Lombardy, Ciresa works with various washed-rind cheeses like the diminutive Robiola Vecchia Valsassina and plump Paesanella. At the other end of the spectrum are large, sandy hued wheels of Casera Valtellina that offer a firm paste that is sweet, tangy, nutty and studded with small, damp eyes. Together all the cheeses allow a range of authentic flavors and textures representing the Ciresa heritage.