Nestled amid the rolling hills of the Prosecco Superiore DOCG, a UNESCO World Heritage site, lies a place that transcends a mere visit—it’s an experience that engages all five senses, a journey through time and taste. In San Pietro di Feletto, in the heart of the Trevigiano countryside, the Premiata Latteria Perenzin Museum, housed within the PER Bottega & Cheese Bar, weaves a tale of cheesemaking passion spanning over 125 years of family tradition. At its core lies the Special Reserve Cheese Vault, a hidden gem guarded by Emanuela Perenzin, the soul and steward of this historic dairy. Within the Vault, Emanuela curates a private collection of rare and exquisite cheeses: hundreds of unique wheels, some crowned with international accolades, others one-off experimental creations never to be replicated. Among these treasures are the San Pietro in Beeswax 2019, the Capra Traminer 2019, and the Anniversary Bianco 2018, victor of the 2019 Italian Cheese Awards, alongside the legendary San Pietro in Beeswax 2016 and 2015, the latter hailed as Europe’s Best Cheese in 2015.
When Emanuela chooses to unveil one of these fabled wheels, the moment becomes utterly unforgettable—a privilege reserved for the fortunate few who savour these masterpieces of flavour. The secret to such excellence lies far beyond the Vault, in a steadfast commitment to animal welfare. The milk comes from goats that roam freely in open pastures, housed in spacious, airy barns where their comfort and dignity are paramount. This ethos is embodied in the “Happy Goats” marque, a guarantee of ethical quality and exceptional milk that gives rise to cheeses distributed in Italy’s finest organic shops. Here, quality is not merely a taste but a promise kept, rooted in the belief that exceptional cheese can only come from contented, healthy animals.
A visit to the museum is a plunge into the Perenzin family’s storied past, from the days of Emanuela’s grandfather, Angelo Valentino, who won gold in Brussels in 1933 for his exceptional butter, to recent triumphs in the world’s most prestigious cheese competitions. Visitors can marvel at relics such as glass churns, a cheesemaking mould from the mid-19th century, and even the milk jug used by a six-year-old Emanuela to serve customers. Yet it is the Vault that truly captivates—a timeless sanctuary where each wheel rests like a work of art, ready to reveal its secrets under Emanuela’s expert guidance.
The experience culminates in a guided sensory tasting, a journey through the renowned matured and “drunken” cheeses of Latteria Perenzin, often paired with local wines or a light lunch of cicchetti from the bottega. For the adventurous, a blind sensory analysis offers a refined game of aromas and spices, unlocking the intricate depths of these singular creations. In San Pietro di Feletto, Emanuela Perenzin’s Vault is not merely a museum: it is a temple of cheese, where the past meets the present, and every bite tells a story.
