SHEEP BUTTER

Gran Gessato is a unique cheese within the environment of Valle d’Aosta cheese production. First there is the choice of dairy sheep and then the production technique. . Here we are, surrounded by alpine pastures, from 2000 to 3000 metres altitude at Alpe Vascoccia, at the foot of Monte Rosa. The pastures are rich in excellent leguminous plants that give the milk intense aromas. This is how Gran Gessato is made, from delicious milk turned into cheese according to a traditional local technique. The curd, which is rennet-based, is broken down to the size of a kernel of maize, stirred in a vat and then extracted. The mixture then ends up in cylindrical containers for a period of 2 to 4 days. Finally, it is broken into cubes and finely chopped, salted and placed back into containers, where it is pressed. Ageing takes place in spaces composed of stone, wood and natural alpine spring water. Gran Gessato has a textured brown rind. The cheese is grainy, straw-coloured, and more intense depending on ageing. It can be naturally blue-veined, while also featuring green streaks. For more than 70 years, Bagnod Farm has been combining tradition, experience and modern technology to offer high quality food products. Each production batch is a true work of art. The products are made by hand from selected fresh raw materials, meeting high quality standards and following strict procedures handed down through generations. The farm can count on several different production sites, in Valle d’Aosta and Piedmont, but it is only on the mountain pastures in Val d’Ayas, La Tchavana, where the Bagnod family produce dairy products and cheeses (above all Fontina DOP) and the magnificent Gran Gessato d’Ayas.