NAILS

Descendants of Abruzzo shepherds, master cheesemakers in the Viterbo area of Tuscia

From transhumance to research laboratory: a family that uses tradition to build new goals.

The tracks that brought a family here

Before the dairy, before the brand, there were sheep tracks. The Chiodetti family descends from Abruzzo shepherds, men who each year led their sheep along the ancient grassy transhumance trails to the Tuscia region of Viterbo, seeking milder pastures for the winter. For generations, that journey repeated itself with the rhythm of the seasons, until Tuscia ceased to be a stopover and became home: here the family settled permanently, dedicating themselves to livestock farming, agriculture, and the operation of a small dairy. The cheese was sold on the farm or at the local weekly markets—few wheels, a lot of hard work, and a cheesemaking knowledge that passed from hand to hand without needing to be recorded.

Gianni and the turning point of the late 1990s

In the late 1990s, Gianni Chiodetti took over production, and with him the pace changed. He began to experiment, expanding the range, and wondering what new things could be done with that milk and the inherited expertise. It was a gamble that paid off: the production plant and distribution network only reached their current size in the early 2000s, after a decade of patient work. Meanwhile, the Chiodetti brand expanded beyond the Tuscia region and appeared at major industry events—Cibus, Salone del Gusto, and Tuttofood—showcasing the cheeses of a family that until recently had been selling at local markets.

Tradition as a starting point, not as an arrival point

There's a firm belief underlying all Chiodetti production: tradition is a precious store of knowledge, to be used to build new goals. Not a museum to be preserved, but a heritage to be put to work. And that's why Gianni, supported by ongoing collaboration with industry experts, personally selects enzymes and ferments, composing them in new blends to achieve the optimal effect and create unprecedented cheese varieties. It's the work of both a craftsman and a researcher: a hand that knows the dough and a mind that studies microorganisms, all in the same gesture. Connected to the land and tradition, yet the fruit of research and experimentation—that's how every cheese is born.

A choral system

Today, Chiodetti is a working family, with clear and complementary roles. Gianni is the master cheesemaker and manages the company. His wife, Rita, and daughter, Michela, welcome customers in the shop, where every purchase is still a personal encounter. Their son, Emanuele, manages direct contact with sales representatives. Together with their twelve employees, they form an organized, dynamic, and strong team—because a dairy, like a choir, only works if everyone speaks their own voice and listens to the others.

The daily gesture: transforming, seasoning, turning

The real work, however, is measured every day in gestures. Transforming milk into delicious fresh products. Maturing with patience, which is the most difficult virtue in a time of haste. Testing the maturation of the wheels by touch, because there are things no tool can express better than an expert hand. And turning the wheels with exact rhythm, day after day, month after month, in that silent dialogue between the cheesemaker and time that is the very essence of maturing. These are ancient gestures, inherited from the shepherds of the sheep tracks, which here coexist with investments in product research, quality control, and advanced systems for energy saving and environmental protection.

From village markets to great restaurants

The journey we've traveled is also measured by where Chiodetti cheeses originated: today, they're distributed in select stores throughout central Italy and appear on the menus of prestigious restaurants, chosen by chefs seeking products with a distinct identity. It's the greatest recognition for a family that has made quality its only viable strategy. At Al Passo Food, we bring the cheeses of this generations-long history to your table: a piece of Tuscia that still smells, deep down, of the pastures of Abruzzo.

Discover all the products of Tacks available on Al Passo Food.

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