Lou Bergier

The history of Fattorie Fiandino in Piemonte is a "family saga" that began in the 18th century, when Stefano Fiandino, a farmer and cheesemaker, chose to move with his cows to the mountains of the Stura Valley. But it was thanks to grandfather Magno that Fiandino farm was founded in Villafalletto in 1920. Here, the microclimate is ideal for milk production: cool temperatures and low humidity, 480 metres above sea level, sheltered on two sides by the Alps and the Langhe hills. The dairy was later founded by Magno's sons - Battista, Luigi, and Giovanni - and today it is managed by his grandsons, Egidio and Mario, representing the third generation, with the fourth already on the way. Blood ties - uncles, cousins, mothers, brothers - but also bonds of trust, built up over decades of collaboration: an extended family that includes employees but also milk suppliers - about twenty farmers located no more than 15 km from the dairy, many of whom have been working with Fiandino for seventy years. Today's choices are the result of values learned from family history, starting with the farm's own livestock: 200 Italian Brown cows raised in free-range stables, fed mainly on self produced hay and grass. Foresight has also been an important trait. An example is the patented Kinara Method, a vegetable rennet made from thistle, and the creation of Burro 1889 - a tribute to grandfather Magno, born in 1889 - now chosen by renowned pastry chefs.