Brancaleone da Norcia
The company's oldest shop, on Corso Sertorio. Besides salumi and truffles it sells several Umbrian cheeses, from caciotta dolce and goat cheese to table pecorino and pecorino di fossa.
About Pecorino di Norcia
The shepherds' sheep's milk pecorino of the upper Valnerina, listed as a traditional agri-food product (PAT) of Umbria and not a protected name. It is made from January to August from the whole milk of ewes fed on local green fodder. The old method sets the rennet from lamb, dried by the fire so it carries a light smoke into the cheese, and heats the cauldron with wood. Cylinders are 15 to 24 cm across and 8 to 14 cm tall, 3 to 5 kg. Italian Wikipedia calls the dairy version, Pecorino di Norcia del caseificio, a recent attempt to modernise production.
Made in: The upper Valnerina: Norcia, Cascia, Preci, Monteleone di Spoleto and Poggiodomo, with Castelluccio di Norcia
On the plate
Piquant. Atlante Caseario says the sharpness grows with ageing, while Italian Wikipedia says it eases. The rind runs through shades of yellow, more or less crusted depending on age, and the paste is white to straw yellow.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Pecorino di Norcia
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Umbria
Our pickThe pecorino is piquant; Sagrantino is a tannic, long red. Salt and fat soften the tannin, and the wine's fruit stands up to the sharpness. An aged wedge has the weight to meet it.
Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG Umbria
Our pickPiquant aged pecorino against a sweet passito: the sugar quiets the sharpness of the cheese while the wine's balancing tannin keeps the match from going syrupy. A dessert-course pairing.
Full-bodied Umbrian IGT reds (Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah) Umbria
Our pickPecorino di Norcia is piquant. Full-bodied Umbria IGT reds built on Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah, with medium to firm tannin, have the weight to meet an aged wheel without being flattened by its sharpness.
Torgiano Vin Santo DOC Umbria
Our pickAged pecorino with a drizzle of honey meets a Torgiano Vin Santo whose aromas run to apricot, dried figs and honey. Sweet against salt, with medium acidity to refresh the mouth.
The grapes behind these winesSagrantinoCabernet SauvignonSyrahMerlotTrebbiano
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
BottegAlberoBello
Shop and degusteria in Castelluccio di Norcia with a room overlooking the Piano Grande. Sells local salumi, legumes, cheese and truffle products; serves cheese and salumi boards, panini, lentil soup and ricotta desserts.
Norcineria Felici
Norcineria on Corso Sertorio selling cured pork, truffles, lentils and a short cheese list: three ages of pecorino, caciotta di Norcia and flavoured cheeses. Takes orders by phone and online.
Gruppo Grifo sales point, Opaco
Sales point of the Gruppo Grifo dairy group at Loc. Opaco, open every day. The range includes Testa Nera, Pecorino Norcia, Pellegrino di Norcia and fresh cheeses.
Cheese experiences nearby
Farm visit and tasting at La Redola Verde
Guided visit of a sheep and pig farm at Turrita, with a tasting of its products, by reservation. A Slow Food Trevi visit on 11 and 18 April 2026 (held) added a cheese-making demonstration.
Nero Norcia, the black truffle and typical products fair
Norcia's national fair of the black truffle and typical products, running since the 1950s. Norcia.net lists cheese tastings in the programme and live cheese-making demonstrations among the side events.
Cheese-making course at Le Case di Quarantotti
Course on a farm stay near Norcia that takes guests through each step of making cheese, from curd to ageing, with traditional methods. Guests take home what they make. The farm publishes no dates or price.
Pecorino di Norcia: questions
Is Pecorino di Norcia a protected name?
No. It is a traditional agri-food product (PAT) of Umbria, not a DOP or IGP; the protected cheese of Norcia is the mixed-milk Caciottone di Norcia.
How big is a Pecorino di Norcia?
A cylinder 15 to 24 cm across and 8 to 14 cm high, weighing 3 to 5 kg, according to the Atlante Caseario sheet.
What gives it a light smoky note?
Atlante Caseario says each shepherd makes his own rennet and dries it near the fire, which gives every cheese a slight smoky note.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Umbria
Plan the trip
Visit Pecorino di Norcia country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: www.atlantecaseario.com, it.wikipedia.org. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.