Fainting Goat Gelato's array of rich flavors will make you swoon

Summer's still here, but you don't need a season or a reason to enjoy a cool treat from Wallingford's Fainting Goat Gelato.

The roomy and amiable shop, which opened in June, handcrafts over 30 kinds of rich, dense and creamy gelatos on-site, with an eye for quality ingredients such as local and organic dairy from Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy and Grace Harbor Farm, plus organic sugar and seasonal fruits.

They're also keen on using other authentic ingredients, such as imported Sicilian pistachios, which add just a whiff of floral to the pistachio gelato along with a delicate crunch.

For the lactose-intolerant, there's goat's milk gelato and refreshing, dairy-free sorbettos for vegans. And a word to the body-conscious: Gelato actually has about 10 percent less fat than ice cream.

When it comes to deciding what you want, good luck. They keep about 18 different flavors of gelato in the front case and you may end up spending a lot of time going back and forth, like Robynne Raye, a well-known local graphic designer, devoted customer and pithy observer of all things gelato.

According to Raye, the rum raisin, studded with plump raisins and soft, buttery rum infusion was "sweet and a little naughty," while the cool green casaba melon gelato "tasted like summer."

You'll have to choose, but in the meantime, don't miss out on the chocolate -- it's deep, dark, intense and smooth, almost like "whipped cream," said Raye. There's also Stracciatella: light sweet cream, laced with rivers of bitter chocolate that burst in your mouth just at the right moment. You'll probably want to take home a pint of that, as well as a pint of chocolate and the creamy burnt-sugar caramel. Or maybe the lemon ginger, which would pair nicely with some fresh peaches on top.

If you don't see what you want up front, ask for it -- they keep about 26 to 28 flavors in store all the time, constantly rotating what's on display.

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