Formaggi di Corzano e Paterno

Formaggi di Corzano e Paterno refers to the artisanal sheep’s milk cheeses produced by the Corzano e Paterno farm in the heart of Tuscany, near San Casciano in Val di Pesa. The farm, known for its traditional winemaking, also crafts several small-batch cheeses using raw milk from their own flock of Sarda and Massese sheep. Key ingredients are simply sheep’s milk, natural rennet, and salt, with aging that ranges from fresh, soft cagliata to hard, aged pecorino. What distinguishes a great version is the milk’s high quality, the use of traditional rennet, and the nuanced aging process—some cheeses are turned in wine lees or washed with local wine, giving them a distinctive earthiness and slight tang. A well-made Formaggio di Corzano e Paterno should have a creamy, slightly crumbly interior, a balanced salinity, and the unmistakable sweet-nutty flavor of Tuscan sheep’s milk. Regional variations include other Tuscan pecorinos such as Pecorino di Pienza or Pecorino Toscano DOP, but Corzano e Paterno’s cheeses are distinguished by their small-scale production and the specific terroir of the Chianti hills. In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, the venue La Ginestra highlights these cheeses in their dish *Sentieri Golosi*, where the cheese is served alongside local honey, jams, or as part of a tasting board. This dish exemplifies how the region celebrates the purity and diversity of its sheep’s milk tradition.