About

Gioia Cheese Co., President, Vito Girardi

About Us

Since 1993, Gioia Cheese Co. has been committed to providing our customers with authentic, fresh Italian cheeses. We hold true to the artisanal cheese making methods that have been handed down through four generations of our family, while implementing a dedicated and constantly modernized approach to food safety.

What sets us apart

Our cheeses are made fresh to order everyday, using all natural ingredients and absolutely no preservatives. Although this renders them perishable with short shelf lives ,the authentic quality can not be beat. Our soft cheeses consist of smooth, creamy, milky flavors with light hints of salt, while our low moisture cheeses range from smoky and robust to mild to sharp. We proudly hold our slogan to be "The original taste of Italy."

Our History

Francesco Girardi Senior, 2nd. Generation Cheesemaker

       Our story begins in the old country of Italy in the southern region of Puglia, province of Bari, in a small town called Gioia Del Colle. In the same respect of Wisconsin being known in the USA for its fine cheddars, Gioia Del Colle is the land of Fresh Mozzarella in Italy.

      Back in the 1930’s, the first generation of cheese makers in the Girardi family began making fresh Mozzarella, not knowing of course that it would become the family trade. As a matter fact, it carried on unforeseeably to current day, where the 4th generation of the Girardi family is currently being groomed to continue this exceptional legacy.

      The family’s operations had always been based in Gioia Del Colle until Vito Girardi, 3rd Generation cheese maker, had a vision of bringing this art to an uncharted territory. In 1992, at age 35, Vito took on the adventure of moving to California along with his family in pursuit of establishing his own cheese factory. His dream was to introduce the American pallet to a truly fresh and authentic Mozzarella. With little to nothing in his name, he immediately began the recreation of the family recipe, whilst having to adapt to similar ingredients that he could find here in the states.With the help of his father, Francesco Girardi, 2nd generation cheesemaker, the original Girardi family recipe was almost instantly brought to life and would be immediately introduced to the Los Angeles market.

     In 1993, under the original name, Caseificio Gioia Mozzarella was born! The name would later be adapted to their current dba of Gioia Cheese Co., Inc. Despite what our competitors may claim about their origins, our name has been known throughout the industry since our inception. Today, Gioia Cheese Co. is a nationally known brand and is continuously sought out for its authenticity and true old world quality.