We are honored to share with you this wonderful article by Ruminantia Web Magazine, whom we thanks for their attention to Defendi Taleggio cheese victory at the prestigious 2025 San Lucio Trophy.

Below is an excerpt from the article.

👉 Rodolfo Defendi triumphs at the 2025 San Lucio Trophy with his Taleggio DOP Il Caravaggio

A masterpiece of taste and tradition won over the jury of the San Lucio – CaseoArt 2025 Trophy: Rodolfo Defendi’s Taleggio DOP, produced in the Defendi Luigi SRL dairy in Caravaggio (BG), won the highest award in the prestigious competition that celebrates excellence in Italian dairy production.

The event, organized by Asso Casearia Pandino, brought together over 200 cheesemakers from all over Italy in the evocative setting of the Castello Visconteo in Pandino, as is traditional on Labor Day.”

“Defendi’s Taleggio DOP Il Caravaggio was awarded for its extraordinary balance, aromatic intensity, and strict adherence to tradition. This recognition highlights not only the product, but also a family history spanning over a century and a half. The Defendi dairy has its roots in 1865, when Pietro Defendi, a milkman, began making cheese using milk from his farm. Today, the fourth generation passionately carries on that legacy, transforming up to 150,000 liters of milk every day into PDO cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Taleggio, maintaining consistent quality and territorial identity.

The award is further recognition for the Bergamo-based company, already mentioned by Corriere della Sera as one of the family businesses symbolizing post-pandemic resilience. The newspaper highlighted how Defendi dairy was able to face and overcome the difficulties linked to the Covid emergency with a spirit of innovation, internationalization, and attention to sustainability.
Article author: Roberta Terrigno