Pecorino Toscano DOP
Territory
This cheese is rooted in the history of the region and in a profound relationship between the environment, the sheep and the shepherds. In Tuscany, sheep breeding, which is one of the most ancient forms of animal husbandry and of colonisation of a territory by human beings, has centuries-old roots, the fruits of which are a cheese-making tradition handed down through the generations and a type of cheese that is considered one of the best Italian specialty foods.
Pecorino Toscano DOP is synonymous with rural history and a community that in solitude, in marginal and challenging areas, from the Apennine mountains to the calanques of the Orcia Valley known as the “Crete”, and in the wild reaches of the Maremma, towards the sea, has pastured for centuries their large flocks of sheep.
The unique nature of the Pecorino Toscano DOP comes from the close connection that exists between the geographical environment, the characteristics of the milk from which it is made, and the production methods which, today, combine artisan techniques and innovation. Thanks to attributes of the land on which the sheep graze, the milk produced is sweet, delicate, and balanced, and the resulting cheese is genuinely out of the ordinary.
From sheep breeding to milking, preparation and maturing, each step of the cheese-making process must meet the product specification laid down for the Pecorino Toscano DOP, strictly in the specified production area, which includes the entire region of Tuscany and the towns of Allerona and Castiglione del Lago in Umbria, and of Acquapendente, Onano, San Lorenzo Nuovo, Grotte di Castro, Gradoli, Valentano, Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Montefiascone, Bolsena and Capodimonte in Lazio. The different climate and cheese-making traditions of each community, while consistent with the guidelines contained in the product specification, nevertheless confer to the cheese varieties and nuances in flavour and aroma that make it even more inimitable.