(map) Vesime, Piemonte
Feeling like everyone is out to get your goat? Well, you’ve seen nothing yet! It’s time to take a drive into the heart of the Alta Langa of Piemonte, where the Barbera and Nebbiolo vineyards give way to the jagged terrain and hilly pastures of formaggio di capra country! It’s here that Robiola di Roccaverano DOP* is at home.
At Agriturismo La Luna Buona, outside of the village of Vesime, Olivia Fresia and her husband Massimo have restored an ancient cascina, 
built barns for over five hundred goats and are making some of the finest organic-certified DOP Robiola in the region.
Olivia and Massimo’s goats are happy and relaxed. They eat grass and herbs from the neighboring fields or hay brought down from Roccaverano, in accordance with the DOP requirements. The raw milk is constantly monitored for purity. The end product is sublime in its simplicity and elegance.
A sure sign of Olivia’s passion: on a short vacation at the French Riviera, Olivia said to her husband, “You know, this is nice, but why don’t we just go to Burgundy and buy some more goats?” Which is exactly what they did. Two hundred of them, to be exact.
Another example of Piemonte at its finest.
*DOP stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin)
-- Contributed by Diana Strinati Baur (see bio), Innkeeper, Potter, Writer. Her incredible B&B in Piemonte is at www.baurbb.com. Also, read her blog at www.creativestructures.blogspot.com.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:54 am
My goodness, those erborinati look faaaabulous!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story. I must get myself to Piemonte asap…
Ciao
February 12th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Another delicious reason to love Piemonte…
February 12th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I love goats and want to return as one in my next life. Not in The Netherlands (my native country) though, as they are now killing thousands and thousands of them to fight an outbreakof Q-fever (ever heard of it?). Please let me return as one of Olivia and Maaasimo’s!
February 12th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Looks heavenly!
February 12th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
How wonderful! These cheeses look incredible!
February 12th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Oh how absolutely fabulous, both the content and the presentation! I love goats and Olivia and Massimo sound divine! Can’t wait to go back!!
February 12th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Over the ear of the capra is what looks like a sprig of spearment. My grandfather had a herd of over 200 goats, and grandpa always had a sprig of spearment over his ear.
February 17th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
ciao, diana!
one of these days, i’m going to bring my tour group to piemonte!
February 18th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Michael, that thing that looks like a leaf is the goat’s DOP earring :)
Davi, I hope you do! It’s really a lovely place.
Ele, come on up! Anytime!
Dana, right, these cheeses are right up there with our ravioli plin!
Peggy, it is a special place and they are definitely special people. Honest and passionate.
Barbara and Rosemary, now if I could only eat all of it without it going directly to my hips…. then it would be perfect!!