Cheese of the Month Club

August 2026: Italian Regions Cheese of the Month Club

August 17, 2026

From the Alps to Abruzzo, this month we're going deep on Italian cheese.

Three Italian cheeses, three distinct regions.

This month we're taking you on a tour of Italy. All three cheeses in August's selection come from Guffanti Formaggi, a fifth-generation family of affinatori based in Arona on the shores of Lake Maggiore. Founded in 1876 by Luigi Guffanti, who had the inspired idea of converting an abandoned silver mine into a cheese aging cellar, Guffanti has spent nearly 150 years doing something they call "cheese breeding": seeking out exceptional wheels from producers across Italy, and coaxing them through aging with a level of care and knowledge that very few people in the world possess. Their cellars are considered a destination in their own right.

These three cheeses are already excellent at the source and made even better by the people who selected and finished them. We're going from the mountains of Piemonte to the foothills of the Veneto to the high Apennines of Abruzzo.

Your membership supports our commitment to bringing you the most thoughtfully sourced and carefully aged cheeses from producers and affinatori who take their work as seriously as anyone in the world.

Cheese and Charcuterie are ready for pickup at the shop, and for those who have set up shipping, we are shipping on Tuesday 8/19 for delivery on 8/20-8/21.

In addition to this month's Cheese of the Month selections we have a slew of artisan Italian specialties in store.

Reply to this email if you have any questions! Thanks again for being a part of our club.

Testun di Capra

Goat's Milk

"Testun" roughly translates to "big head," a nod to the wheel's generous, dense form. This wheel is made with goat's milk, giving it a sharp, distinct character. The rind is rugged and grey-patterned, developed during roughly 45 days of aging in mountain conditions. Inside, the paste is dense and semi-firm with a creamy quality that softens on the palate, giving way to a flavor that is assertively goaty but tempered throughout by sweet, nutty undertones that keep things balanced.

Serve with toasted walnuts, sliced pear, or a glass of Barbera d'Asti.

Bastardo del Grappa

Cow's Milk

This cheese has been made in the foothills of Monte Grappa since at least the 19th century, produced when the changing of seasons meant milk supply was shifting and cheesemakers needed to improvise — drawing on techniques from both Asiago Pressato and Asiago d'Allevo without being quite either one. The "bastard" tag stuck. Made by combining evening and morning milkings, with the cream partially skimmed to concentrate flavor, it's then aged until the natural rind deepens and the straw-yellow paste develops a pleasantly firm, slightly grainy texture and a flavor that is savory and full with persistent alpine herb notes running through it.

Serve with honey, mostarda, hearty bread, or a medium-bodied red.

Pecorino di Farindola

Sheep's Milk

Produced on the eastern slopes of the Gran Sasso massif inside one of Italy's national parks, this cheese is made in tiny quantities by a small group of family farms, and it holds a distinction that is almost certainly unique in the world: it is coagulated using pork rennet, a technique with roots going back to Roman times. And it is only made by women in the families. The wheels are aged in old wooden cupboards, their surfaces periodically rubbed by hand with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar to protect the rind. The result is a semi-hard cheese with a richly savory and gently spicy flavor.

Serve with a favorite jam, crusty bread, and a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Porketta Spread

Pork

Madison, Wisconsin's Underground Meats built their reputation on asking a simple question — what happens when you combine old-world curing techniques with new-world creativity? Their Porketta is a spreadable salami that pays homage to the classic Italian porketta roast: seasoned with fennel, rosemary, orange, and paprika, it's bold, herby, and deeply savory with a brightness that keeps it from ever feeling heavy. Underground sources all their pork from small-scale farms in south-central Wisconsin with a commitment to humane practices.

Spread it generously on crackers or crusty bread alongside this month's cheeses, fold it into pasta, or use it to finish roasted vegetables.