Caseificio dei Barbi was among the standout winners at this year’s International Cheese & Dairy Awards in England, receiving top honours for some of its most distinctive cheeses, including Cacio al Vinsanto and Cacio al Tartufo Bianchetto, both from the Eccellenze di Montalcino collection, together with an outstanding 12-month-aged Pecorino.
Montalcino, 9 July 2024 – Caseificio dei Barbi has once again been recognised among the world’s leading artisan cheesemakers, winning seven medals—three Gold and four Silver—at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards 2024, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious cheese competitions.
The awards honour some of the dairy’s most distinctive cheeses, including Cacio al Vinsanto and Cacio al Tartufo Bianchetto, both from the Eccellenze di Montalcino collection, together with an exceptional 12-month-aged Pecorino. Among the Gold medals were awards for Best Italian Cheese with Alcohol, Best Blue-Mould Ripened Pecorino, and Best Hard Cheese with Truffle.
“Caseificio dei Barbi has been making cheese for more than 150 years, yet never before have so many of our cheeses been recognised in the world’s most prestigious international competitions,” says Stefano Cinelli Colombini, owner of Fattoria dei Barbi, home to the historic dairy.. “I couldn’t be prouder of our master cheesemakers, Angela Zizi and Salvatore Marco Soddu. Their passion, skill and dedication have brought outstanding recognition not only to our cheeses, but also to Montalcino’s cheesemaking tradition.”
The International Cheese & Dairy Awards, founded in 1897, is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious competitions dedicated to cheese and dairy products. Held annually in England during the last week of June, it brings together thousands of entries from around the world, judged by a panel of industry experts. In 2024, more than 5,500 cheeses and dairy products were showcased in Stafford, where the event combined professional judging with cookery demonstrations, tastings and activities open to the public.
Caseificio dei Barbi was awarded seven medals at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards: three Gold and four Silver. Gold medals were awarded to Cacio al Tartufo Bianchetto and Cacio al Vinsanto, both from the Eccellenze di Montalcino collection, and to the dairy’s 12-month-aged Pecorino. Silver medals went to Cacio al Miele di Castagno e Polline, Cacio Ubriaco, Cacio al Tartufo and Cacio di Pio, the dairy’s 24-month-aged pecorino.
These latest awards add to Caseificio dei Barbi’s impressive international track record. Before this year’s success, the dairy had already received six international medals: four Gold—one for Cacio al Tartufo Bianchetto (Eccellenze di Montalcino), two for Cacio alla Presura, and one for its 24-month-aged Pecorino—and two Bronze, awarded to Cacio al Miele di Castagno e Polline and Cacio all’Aglione.
Two of the three Gold Medal winners in Stafford—Cacio al Vinsanto and Cacio al Tartufo Bianchetto—belong to the Eccellenze di Montalcino collection, a label reserved for products produced, crafted and packaged entirely within the Montalcino area in accordance with strict quality and sustainability standards.
Cacio al Vinsanto is an aged pecorino crafted exclusively from ewe’s milk, with Barbi Vin Santo added to the curd. After maturing on wooden boards for 120 days, it is immersed in Vin Santo for a further three weeks, developing an intense aroma with elegant notes of butter and raisins.
Cacio al Tartufo Bianchetto is an aged pecorino crafted exclusively from ewe’s milk, enriched with slices of prized bianchetto truffle incorporated into the curd. Matured on wooden boards for 120 days and finished with a coating of beeswax, it offers the depth and complexity of a much longer-aged pecorino, with a distinctive, lingering truffle flavour.
The third Gold Medal was awarded to a 12-month-aged Pecorino, matured on fir boards, with the rind regularly rubbed with Fattoria dei Barbi’s extra virgin olive oil. Renowned for its distinctive character, it offers a bold, savoury flavour with a pleasantly peppery finish.
Crafted by master cheesemakers Angela Zizi and Salvatore Marco Soddu, these award-winning cheeses represent just a small part of Caseificio dei Barbi’s collection, reflecting a long-standing tradition of artisan ewe’s milk cheesemaking and distinguished by its fully edible natural rinds.
Established in the mid-19th century at Molin del Fiore—still part of the Colombini family’s estate today—Caseificio dei Barbi is the oldest cheese dairy still operating in Montalcino. It is part of Fattoria dei Barbi, one of the historic estates that played a defining role in the rise of Brunello di Montalcino.
Caseificio dei Barbi’s pecorino cheeses are inspired by a careful rediscovery of traditional recipes—such as the historic cheeses re-fermented in ziro, the characteristic Sienese terracotta jars, once rarely found—as well as by original creations developed from the finest local ingredients. Every cheese is handcrafted using traditional techniques passed down through generations of local cheesemakers.
Specialising in its distinctive 330 g format, Caseificio dei Barbi produces more than fifteen varieties of pecorino, alongside medium- and long-aged cheeses and a selection of fresh dairy products. During the sheep’s milking season, fresh ricotta—including truffle ricotta—is available, while traditional raviggiolo is made to order.
The cheeses of Caseificio dei Barbi and the wines of Fattoria dei Barbi are served at Taverna dei Barbi and are available from the estate shop in Montalcino, as well as through a selected network of specialist retailers across Italy.
Visitors can also book guided dairy tours and personalised cheese tastings.
The complete cheese catalogue and product data sheets can be downloaded from www.caseificiodeibarbi.it. For further information, please contact caseificio@fattoriadeibarbi.it.
