Vinceza is a small Italian city. If you were a cheesemaker, or local to the little town of Vinceza you would most likely not call this cheese Collina Veneta. Instead it would be referred to as ‘usomonte’. This translates roughly to use mount, at least if you ask google translate! This reflects the traditional method to make usomonte, the bottom half made with the morning milk, and the top half with the evening milk. This creates a beautiful irregular and unique shape!
| STRENGTH: 6/10• Pale Ale
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chardonnay
• Quince Paste
• Your fingers!
TASTE
This one is very special, and ‘molto bene’ if you would ask our Italian friends. It is referred to as a semi-hard cheese, developing a beautiful crumbly texture when cut into. However, when it lands on your tongue it is smooth in texture. Magic, we know! It doesn’t stop there either. Something during the making of this cheese makes it develop another magical characteristic, beautiful white flecks of calcium lactate crystals. They provide a nice little crunch to the bite. We warn you now, once you’ve tried this one you will go mama mia (and go for a second bite)!
Who is Rotonda? The question is actually what is La Rotonda! It is a building in Vinceza, so important that it has World Heritage Protection by Unesco! The building started 1567 by Palladio inspired by the Pantheon in Rome! La Rotonda goes under the description of a renaissance villa, but the preferred description a palazzio! Luxurious! It was during the building of La Rotonda that Palladio was indulging in Collina Veneta. The saying goes that was all he ever had sometimes. Cheese to start the day. Cheese to continue the day. Cheese to end the day. Now the cheese part we just came up with, but La Rotonda sure exists!