by Rob Whitley

Created on: July 02, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

Making Italian Cheese While Under the Tuscan Sun

A violent rainstorm, a sense of curiosity and a love of fine wine put in motion a course of
events that led to one of the most memorable moments of our holiday in Tuscany. One evening we dined at the elegant country hotel, Relais Il Falconiere, located near the small hill town of Cortona. Seated on the terrace, the scent of cypress and olive trees fill the air. There are spectacular views of hills lined with vineyards loaded with fruit nearly ready for harvest. The choice of the evening's special meal for two is an easy one but selecting the "perfect" Super Tuscan wine proved more difficult. The sommelier is knowledgeable and suggests a bottle of estate wine grown and produced on the property. After we taste the wine, Riccardo Baracchi, proprietor, stops by our table, introduces himself and asks if there are any questions about the property, its wines and production. "Heavy rains close to harvest can be disastrous to the quality of the grapes. Why weren't the vines picked today?" we asked. "Don't worry.", he replied, dodging the question and adding "Would you like to go to a party at my friend's house tomorrow night? We're going to make cheese. He is famous around here. He is in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. I am in the book, 15 pages about me and my property, but he is in the movie." The invitation is quickly accepted.

The "Corso Formativo di Base" is given at the farm of Salvadori Pietro di Lapo A.K.A. the guy in the movie. In the class you will learn how to make a local specialty, pecorino cheese. Pecorino is a medium aged or mature cheese made from goat's milk. It is soft and mild with a nutty flavor. To roll up your sleeves and actually make cheese is quite a lot of fun, especially considering you are doing so with a dozen strangers from around the globe. Each participant has their own plastic mold filled with goat's milk that is slowly setting up. Baracchi's wife, Silvia, now joins the group. "Press and turn, press and turn, press and turn. Like this." She commands. "Now pinch the hardening cheese to make the rind! Faster! Pinch, pinch, pinch!" In the final phase of preparation, a mixture of oil and ash is then spread over the hardening cheese to protect it during the aging process. It will be stored for a minimum of three months.

After the group finished making cheese, a surprise awaits. We moved to a huge dining room which seats up to twenty people. The aroma of freshly baked bread, a faint whiff of what

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