Culture Magazine

46 culturecheesemag.com BEGINNINGS 2024 A bit farther southwest, Phil Giglio, an attorney once based in Chicago and New York, has a herd of 400 water buffalo and makes mozzarella and gelato in the Texas Hill Country. "We are the first and only water buffalo creamery in the state of Texas," says Giglio of OroBianco Italian Creamery, where he sells gelato, cheese, and pizza out of his Blanco-based brick-and-mortar store. Brought up on a farm in upstate New York, Giglio began to recall a visit to Italy and imagine a more agrarian lifestyle that would bring him closer to the land. He settled on making buffalo mozzarella. After reading countless books, the lawyer-turned-rancher purchased a herd of water buffalo in 2018 and learned how to make mozzarella. But it turned out to be much harder than he anticipated. So, Giglio teamed up with a professional cheesemaker who perfected the recipe, and in the process, discovered that it was easy to make delicious gelato with the rich, high-fat milk (and the margins were better, too). In 2020, Giglio purchased a building that previously housed a dry cleaner and transformed it into a creamery. They weathered COVID by turning their storefront into more than a creamery and sold pizza, wine, cured meats, and other retail items. They also developed relationships with chefs and pizzerias, selling their small batches of mozzarella to hand-picked restaurateurs from around the region and in Austin. OroBianco currently has three cheeses in their case: Blanco Fresco, Bufaletta, and Bluebonnet. Their production is small so they don't offer shipping—their cheese can only be purchased in their store. But there are three OroBianco creameries throughout Texas, and according to Giglio, another one is in the works. While he hasn't entirely quit his day job, Giglio still spends much of his time in Texas' Hill Country, managing his operation as it continues to expand. Giglio refers to his products as traditional Italian–influenced cheese handcrafted in Texas—aka Italian inspiration, Texan terroir. OROBIANCO ITALIAN CREAMERY Blanco, Texas—Phil Giglio After reading countless books, the lawyer-turned-rancher purchased a herd of water buffalo in 2018 and learned how to make mozzarella. Above: Chocolate gelato from OroBianco Italian Creamery. This photo: Phil Giglio on his ranch in Texas.

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