Sartori Co., Plymouth, Wis., has released its limited-edition Cognac BellaVitano cheese for the holiday season. A 20-pound wheel was put up for auction on eBay on Nov. 21, and another auction will begin Nov. 26. Each auction runs for 10 days, and the proceeds will be donated to local food banks.

The remaining wheels are to be sold by specialty retailers at a suggested retail price of $75 per pound. A limited supply of 4-ounce wedges are available from the company website, www.sartoricheese.com.

Cognac BellaVitano is an extension of the company’s award-winning line of BellaVitano cheese varieties. BellaVitano is said to be a unique, creamy, fruity cheese that finishes with a sweet, tangy bite. Sartori master cheesemakers soak and hand rub the rind of BellaVitano Gold with unique spices like hand-crushed black peppercorn and roasted espresso beans, and liquids like aged European balsamic vinegar and merlot wine.

The cheese matures for at least 18 months. After the aging process, it is submerged in a premium cognac until master cheesemakers believe it is just right. Each finished wheel is signed and numbered by master cheesemaker Mike Matucheski.