CASTELLANZA DRUNKEN CHEESE “UBRIACONE”

WHAT IT TASTES LIKE: Fragrant, fruity, fresh, intense and piquant with a winey aroma. WHERE IT COMES FROM: Ubriaco in Italian means drunk, and this cheese gets its name from being submerged in crushed black grape pomace for up to six months during its one-year maturation. Drunken cheeses are a feature of northern Italy’s Veneto region, said to have started when local farmers hid their cheeses in vats of wine from hungry soldiers during the First World War. Formaggio Ubriacone was a gold medal winner at the World Cheese Awards in 2007.