When I first started my career in the cheese biz, I had no idea how many pecorinos there were. The category includes essentially all Italian sheep's milk cheeses. Pecora in Italian means "sheep." Most of them are produced in Tuscany and Sardinia. Calcagno is a pecorino that's hand crafted in Sardinia, and then, it's aged in southern Italy in the Campania region.

I find that most pecorinos are nutty and tend to dry out rather quickly. Calcagno is an exception. Cutting into a fresh wheel of Calcagno is like diving into a feathery bright green meadow with vibrant flowers and the smell of blossoms. The first characteristic I noticed about Calcagno was its exquisite floral aroma. Then, I was struck by its creamy texture and its crunchy protein crystals, the white dots in the cheese. Although it's a hard cheese, it seems to melt like butter on the palate. Finally, I was swept away by its complex finish ranging from flowers and cashew nuts to lemons and apricots.

We can trace Calcagno's brilliant flavor to its production. It's produced from the milk of sheep that are grazing on natural pasture and are sotto cielo, under the sky. Sotto Cielo has become a movement by farmers who want to preserve the tradtional ways of farming and taking care of their animals. Currently, there is a problem in Italy with many animals living on concrete indoors and rarely seeing the light of day. The sheep that produce the milk that creates Calcagno are living happily sotto cielo. Calcagno is aged for four to six months in natural caves
in Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park by one of Italy's best affineurs -- Casa Madaio. Suggestions on the best way to enjoy Calcagno can be found after the jump.

How does one best appreciate this one-of-a-kind pecorino?
I recommend that you first try a thin slice of Calcagno on its own. There are various ways that you can relish the bright zesty flavors of Calcagno. It tastes delicious with a floral honey, such as lavender or rosemary. Mirabelle jam enhances the cheese's fruitiness. It can also serve as the finest and fanciest grated pecorino over your pasta or salad. Calcagno is best paired with a sparkling white wine or rosé. It may also pair well with red wines; however, I'd make sure that it does not have too many tanins. A powerful red wine mixed with the robust tang of Calcagno may be too much for the palate to handle.

Where does one find this jewel of a cheese?
This is the sort of cheese you are more likely to find in a small independently owned cheese shop than in a cheese department of a large grocery store, like Dean and Deluca or Whole Foods.

I highly recommend that if you go to Italy you visit the caves of Casa Madaio to see how they age wheels of Calcagno.