What's it Like Judging the “Oscars of Italian Cheese?”
And which Cheesemakers Took Home the Gold?
The team at Latteria San Pietro, recipients of the award for Best Cheese Aged Beyond 24 months (Stagionato Oltre 24 mesi), Grana Padano DOP Selezione da Fieno
The 10th edition of the Italian Cheese Awards, dubbed the Oscars of Italian Cheese, took place on Sunday, October 26th in Bergamo, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy surrounded by a rich dairy tradition.
The winners across 10 categories, as well as those who received special achievement awards, were presented with gleaming golden statues, and there were definitely a few tearful, touching speeches from the stage.
I was struck by the coexisting sentiments of carrying on long-standing traditions and incorporating innovative ideas in Italian cheesemaking. Domenico Mangiapane, who accepted the Cheese of the Year Award for his family’s Caciocavallo Stagionato produced with milk from the indigenous Modicana cow from Sicily, thanked his nonni for passing down this passion for cheese to him, while wiping tears from his face. Laura Zecchini of Latteria San Pietro, winner of the 24+ Month Aged Cheese Award, acknowledged the young people who believe in their chain of production, and overall it seemed there was a shared commitment to shedding light on the people and places behind these cheeses, old and new.
Tauvl, a goat milk robiola with vegetable ash on the rind and a line of gelatina di Valpolicella wine in the center, from Malga Faggioli 1140 in the Veneto, winner of 2 awards best flavored cheese and best mountain cheese
I was one of 12 judges who tasted and evaluated the 34 Italian cheeses in the finale that morning. The first round of this competition, organized by Guru Comunicazione, began much earlier in the year with 1,200 Italian cheese entrants that their internal team narrowed down to 100 for the semifinal.
Any cheese lover or curious passerby could then sample and vote on the cheeses in the semifinal at an event in April called Formaggio in Villa, held in the picturesque medieval walled town of Cittadella in the Veneto region. Cheese is for everyone, and I love this aspect of the competition.
The 34 cheeses that advanced to the finale were ultimately presented to the panel of judges from different sectors of the cheese world, and we individually selected one winner in each of the 10 categories. We evaluated the cheeses on the basis of aroma, appearance, flavor, and overall impression/pleasantness. Unlike some competitions in which the judging is blind, we are given the name of the makers, the region of origin, and a brief description of each cheese in advance of and during the evaluation.
Our individual scores were then tallied, and the winners announced in a beautiful ceremony that evening. But every maker or representative from a dairy in the finale had a chance to speak about their cheese on the stage, which was quite moving.
From the first “very fresh” category to the “aged pasta filata” and the final category of blue cheeses, there was an impressive selection across the board. Some of my personal standouts included Raschera DOP from Caseificio Francesco Rabbia in Piemonte, Montelupo from La Casara di Roncolato in the Veneto, and the 60-month Grana Padano DOP Selezione da Fieno from Latteria San Pietro in Lombardia.
Check out the full list of award winners and special prize recipients below:
2025 Italian Cheese Award Winners
Squacquerone photo credit depositphotos
Freschissimo (Very Fresh)
Squacquerone di Romagna DOP, Centrale del Latte di Cesena, Emilia Romagna
Fresco (Fresh)
Piccolo Giunco, Garau Antonio dal 1880, Sardegna
Pasta Molle (Soft-Paste Cheese)
Puzzone di Moena DOP, El Mas, Trentino
Pasta filata (Stretched Curd)
Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, Il Casolare, Campania
Pasta filata Stagionata (Aged Stretched Curd)
Caciocavallo, La Massaia, Puglia
Semistagionato (Semi-Aged)
Raschera DOP, Francesco Rabbia, Piemonte
Stagionato (Aged)
Montelupo, La Casara di Roncolato, Veneto
Stagionato oltre 24 mesi (Aged beyond 24 months)
Grana Padano DOP Selezione da fieno, Latteria San Pietro, Lombardia
Aromatizzato (Flavored)
Tauvl, Malga Faggioli 1140, Veneto
Erborinato (Blue)
Manhattan, Latteria Moro, Veneto
Special Prizes (Selected by the Guru Comunicazione team)
Cheese of the Year
Caciocavallo Stagionato, Caseificio Mangiapane (Sicilia)
Dairy of the Year
Caseificio San Faustino (Lombardia)
Mimmo La Vecchia of Caseificio il Casolare, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his dedication to promoting and sharing Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mimmo La Vecchia, Caseificio Il Casolare, (Campania)
Best Mountain Cheese
Tauvl, Malga Faggioli 1140 (Veneto)
Cheese Shop of the Year
La Boutique del Formaggio e del Salume, Scandiano (Emilia Romagna)
Best Product Derived From Milk
Yogurt al latte di bufala, Az. Ag. San Salvatore (Campania)