Cheese – Corzano e Paterno – San Casciano
It is a one hundred and forty hectare farm owned and operated by the Gelpke and Goldschmidt families, founded by the Swiss architect Wendelin Gelpke. The farm, situated in San Casciano Val di Pesa, roughly halfway between Florence and Siena, is dedicated to the production of the finest quality wine, olive oil and sheep cheeses.
Since Gelpke's acquisition of Corzano in 1969 and the subsequent addition of Paterno in 1974 the farm has developed along three specific lines; wine and olive oil production, the artisanal production of sheep cheeses, and "agriturismo" or farm holiday rental.
The cheese from Fattoria Corzano e Paterno has been produced by hand with traditional methods since 1992 using exclusively the milk from the farm's Sardinian sheep. The milk is collected each morning from the stable at Paterno and then transformed in the dairy at Corzano. The sheep graze in the fields surrounding the stable and were purchased in the early 1970's by Wendelin Gelpke in order to keep the fields clear of brambles. In those days there were barely fifty sheep and now we have over 650 heads. Our earliest experiences with cheese making began in a cauldron on the open farmhouse kitchen fire but after 25 yrs we have become a small but modern dairy of today. Years of trials and experiments have produced more than 15 different types of sheep cheese, from traditional Pecorino to a sophisticated Blu, cheese that is soft or hard, delicate or sharp. Our sheep give the largest quantity of milk during the spring months when the dairy is in operation almost every day of the week, and then the production stops from September to November. Antonia Ballarin, wife of Aljoscha, is responsible for the dairy and for the creation of the various cheeses. On each individual cheese page you will find her explanation of how they are produced. Till Gelpke, Wendel's son directs the stables and created the cheese market. The cheese made on the farm can be found in some of the most prestigious delicatessen and restaurants in and around the Florence area, along with the wine and oil it can also be purchased in our farm shop on the Corzano side.