Red Casanova

First and foremost, Bio-Käserei Wiggensbach starts with its milk. The dairy was established by eight farmers in Wiggensbach, a pre-Alps municipality in the Allgäu mountain region of Germany. These farmers had been, and continue to raise their cows organically, feeding only grass while out on pasture, and hay during the Winter months.

Collectively, their milk had been given to a larger company where they had very little say in the final outcome for the raw material, they had worked tirelessly to keep at such a high quality. The idea arose to band together and transform their organic product into something special.

In 2003, that idea became reality. The show dairy was opened, and today, over three million liters of the organic hay milk are produced into cheese. Visitors are encouraged to come tour the facilities and see the importance these farmers place on the care of their animals. Transparency from the farms, to the cheesemaking facilities, to their customers is on full display.

In Red Casanova, the practices of the farmers who produce the milk for this cheese, are truly on display. Because these farmers put an emphasis on feeding only hay in the wintertime, and letting the cows graze out on pasture the rest of the year, the milk is naturally higher in fat and protein. Adding additional cream prior to the make, the cheesemakers are able to draw out more flavor and of course affect the texture of the finished product.

The paste is incredibly smooth and velvety in texture. The strong, pleasant flavors of butterfat and sweet cream help to mellow the intense flavors that can develop from a washed rind cheese. While Red Casanova also has funky and spicy notes permeating in from the rind, they complement the cheese rather than overpower.