Fiscalini Cheese, “The Dream”
John Fiscalini’s dream to make his own cheese started many years ago. After
visiting Lionza, the small town in the Swiss Alps where his family originated,
his cheese making plan came together. John envisioned the dairy and cheese
facility that his forefathers established in the 1700’s.
Picturing the cows grazing on the lush green grass of the mountainsides, he
decided to continue the tradition of making a hand-crafted farmstead
cheese. Aged Cheddar and Parmesan were selected as the cheeses that he wanted to make.
Late in the year 2000, the dream became a reality. On the same property his grandfather purchased for a dairy site in 1914, John, the third generation Fiscalini to
dairy on the property, added a cheese plant to the dairy facility. Finding new
cheesemaking equipment for a small company was a problem, especially in California.
Finally, a used stainless steel vat was rescued from a scrap pile, reconditioned, and
moved into the Fiscalini Cheese Company building. After installing the vat, a boiler, a refrigerated aging room, and making numerous parts from
scratch, John was ready to make his first batch of cheese. Together with Tom Putler,
Fiscalini’s first cheesemaker, San Joaquin Gold was created, and an American Original
was born. Four months later, an opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to John, and
Mariano Gonzalez joined the Fiscalini Team as lead cheesemaker.
© copyright 2006 Fiscalini Cheese -
last updated: December 20, 2006
