PLYMOUTH, Wis., Jan. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sartori Cheese has announced it will be launching Chai BellaVitano this coming January at the Winter Fancy Food Show held in San Francisco.  Chai BellaVitano has already gained international acclaim, having been awarded a silver medal at this year's World Cheese Awards held in the U.K.

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Chai BellaVitano is the newest Sartori Reserve cheese and has been in development for quite some time.  Sartori's Artisan Master Cheesemaker, Mike Matucheski, explains, "It takes a lot of experimenting with different flavors and different combinations to find the perfect blend to marry with our BellaVitano Gold.  We found that the savory notes of the chai tea rub makes for an exotic pairing with the sweet, creamy, and fruity flavors of BellaVitano." 

Chai tea originated in the early 1900s when the English decided to grow their tea in India.  Due to the high cost of black tea, the locals began to add milk, sugar, and extra spices to the drink like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, creating a wonderful and unique drink.  This new version, called "masala chai tea" was favored by the Indians and eventually made its way over to the United States. 

"Chai is now becoming a regular menu item at coffee shops throughout the U.S. and is showing up in lattes, smoothies, and even milkshakes. Chai tea is a great substitute for those who don't like the heaviness and bitterness of coffee.  The spices in chai such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg tend to give people a sense of well-being and also have an abundance of health benefits.  We wanted to deliver a new way of thinking when it comes to Chai, and that was by hand rubbing our BellaVitano cheese with Chai ingredients," states Chief Marketing Officer, Chad Vincent. "This new innovation delivers a unique taste experience with broad appeal."

Sartori Reserve Chai BellaVitano will begin shipping to stores January 21^st and may be purchased at specialty cheese shops and wherever fine cheese is sold.  Additionally, this cheese will be available for sale on the Sartori online cheese shop (www.sartoricheese.com) beginning January 21^st.

About Sartori
Sartori has been producing artisan and premium cheese for seven decades for Specialty, Retail, Ingredient, Restaurant and Food Service markets.  Based in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Sartori has an impressive array of award winning cheese noted for innovative approaches and consistent top quality across their entire line.  For more information, please visit www.sartoricheese.com or call us directly at 800-558-5888.

SOURCE Sartori Cheese