DISCOVER THE ORIGINS
OF A TRUE ITALIAN CLASSIC
Rooted in generations of Italian cheesemaking tradition; our land, our sheep, and our cheeses are not only truly Italian but truly special as well.
OUR LAND
Based on the island of Sardinia, the Locatelli family began making sheep’s milk cheeses over 200 years ago. Located west of the Italian mainland and north of Sicily, Sardinia is the 2nd largest island in Italy and a uniquely special place.
Its range of untouched land, mountains, plains, and rocky shores make it a rave worthy spot for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. But it’s the pristine grassy fields and clear pure waters that make Sardinia ideal for raising sheep and cheesemaking!
With a history that dates back to Roman times, the EU has even recognized “Pecorino Romano” or Pecorinos from Sardinia with a prestigious PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) based on it’s rootedness in tradition. In Italy, a PDO is only awarded to agricultural products and foods that are produced and made in an authentic, time-honored way like Locatelli cheeses.
OUR SHEEP
All of our cheeses are made from the milk of local Sardinian bred, pasture raised, grass-fed sheep from family run farms. In fact, many of our sheep farms have been part of the Locatelli family for over 30 years. We believe in supporting our local farmers and treating our sheep with love.
The word Pecorino itself is derived from the word “pecore”, meaning sheep in Italian and our sheep’s milk lends a uniquely delicious sense of terroir to our cheeses. Since they primarily eat only the tender, sweet top blade grass; Locatelli cheeses are rich, buttery, and deliciously nutty.
OUR CHEESE
Each variety of Locatelli cheese is handcrafted by skilled artisans who are experts in the cheese making and aging process. Even the salt used in our cheeses is handmade! We harvest and evaporate our own salt from the Mediterranean Sea which is then hand rubbed onto each wheel of cheese by our skilled cheesemakers.
As the Italians say, our cheeses are “Fatto a mano da sempre” or “always made by hand”. From our award winning #1 Pecorino Romano that’s been carefully aged for 9 months to our peppercorn infused Pecorino Pepato, basket cured Saracinos, and traditional Ricotta Salata; every Locatelli cheese is made with care and a passion for tradition.
