Text and photos: Jürgen Schmücking*
In Piedmont there is a wide variety of deeply rooted regional cheeses: Bettelmatt, Caprino Ossolano, Robiola d’Alba, or Robiolo di Roccaverano.
Made from goat’s milk, there is a fresh cheese called Tomino di Talucco which, it would seem, may have served as an inspiration for Renato Maunero in Cherasco.
Renato is a goat farmer, though very much a classic career changer. In the first half of his professional life, he turned entirely different passions into a profession. An all-round sports enthusiast, Renato successfully ran two sporting-goods shops in Piedmont—one in Bra, the other in Alba.
Devoted body and soul to his goats
At some point, he devoted himself body and soul to his goats. In summer, he roams the Alta Langhe with his herd, and what he produces from the raw milk of his goats comes very close to his model. His cheese is called L Cravé (by Renato Maunero). It is a fresh goat’s cheese, aged only briefly, slightly tangy yet so distinctive that one can almost picture the different herbs the goats have fed on.
Mountain goats, Toggenburgs and Saanen goats
Renato’s herd includes chamois-colored mountain goats, a few sturdy Toggenburg goats, and some white Saanen goats.
Watching the farmer interact with his protégés—listening to the way he talks to them and about them—is a delight. As soon as he climbs over the fence, the goats come toward him. Some feel so comfortable with the calm and serenity he radiates that they never leave his side.
@maunerorenato
You can find Renato on Saturdays in Dogliani, where he sells his goat’s cheese at the weekly market of local producers.
*Jürgen Schmücking is a photographer and reporter who moves in the world of gastronomy and fine taste. With a notebook always at hand and a camera ready to shoot, he collects images and stories from extraordinary places and flavors, from winemakers and distillers. From Dogliani to Ybbs. From Arusha to Traverse City.
www.schmuecking.bio
