Caseificio Dicecca Travel Guide

Nestled on Via Bari in Altamura, Caseificio Dicecca represents four generations of the Dicecca family's dedication to handmade cheese production. Starting each day with up to 1,500 liters of fresh cow, goat, and sheep milk, the siblings—Vito, Paolo, Angelo, Vittoria, and Maristella—transform it into an array of classics like mozzarella in shapes from nodini to treccine, creamy burrata, stracciatella, ricotta, scamorza, caciocavallo, and pecorino. They emphasize handmade cagliata, rejecting industrial curds for superior taste and texture.

Beyond tradition, the Diceccas innovate with global influences from their travels. Standouts include Amore Primitivo, a blue goat cheese soaked 100 days in local Primitivo wine, topped with macerated cherries; Dicecca Gold, an aged grating cheese; herb-crusted goat wheels; and flavored yogurts. These experimental cheeses, like charcoal-hued grano arso bread pairings and wild oregano drizzles, showcase Puglia's respect for heritage fused with bold creativity.

The signature Cheese Experience immerses visitors in this world. Begin at the dairy for live cheesemaking demos and tastings of premium cheeses with paired wines. Stroll Altamura's historic center: visit the oldest bakery for focaccia, the Monastery of Santa Chiara, and a pastry shop for "tette delle monache" (Sospiri Pugliesi) sweets with Padre Beppe Elixir. Drive 13km to Baby Dicecca in Mercadante forest for a cheese-focused lunch amid nature's symphony.

In Alta Murgia Park's Mercadante forest, Baby Dicecca's wooden kiosk offers tastings of fresh-to-mature cheeses, blues, wines, and Apulian delicacies like burrata-draped focaccia and calzoncello ravioli in mozzarella whey. Outdoor seating for 40 emphasizes slow-paced meals in wilderness, with private events available. Open seasonally for lunch or dinner.

Paired perfectly with famed Pane di Altamura—Puglia's DOP semolina bread praised since Horace—these cheeses elevate local cuisine. The dairy operates Monday-Saturday with split hours, producing over 200kg daily, most sold fresh. A destination for food heritage explorers.