Ubriaco Cheese: Italy's Drunken, Wine-Soaked Cheese

"Ubriaco" means "drunken" in Italian. The wine tints and flavors the rind, while the paste inside stays pale and mild.

The name describes a method more than one recipe, so each Ubriaco tastes a little different. The wine, the base cheese and the length of the soak all change the result.

Ubriaco cheese at a glance

Here is Ubriaco cheese at a glance, based on the Culture magazine listings for two Veneto versions.

What Ubriaco cheese is

Ubriaco cheese is any firm cheese bathed in wine or the leftovers of winemaking. Wine must is the freshly crushed grape juice with skins, seeds and stems; marc, or pomace, is the pressed residue left after the juice is drawn off. Wine-washed cheeses in general are typically immersed or brushed for about two months, up to a year, then aged, as The Nibble explains.

Producers vary the liquid. One version soaks wheels in grape must from Cabernet, Merlot and Raboso grapes, then again in a brandy made from pressed black-grape residue at about three weeks of age. Another, Ubriaco di Raboso, steeps wheels in Raboso wine and marc for several weeks after the first six months of aging.

The story behind Ubriaco cheese

The story behind Ubriaco cheese says it began as a hiding trick. Atlas Obscura reports that after the Austrian army's win at Caporetto in 1917, residents of Treviso hid their cheese in barrels of wine pomace. When the raids ended, they found the cheese had a thick purple crust and a pleasant wine flavor.

It is only a story, and Atlas Obscura notes other versions: an accidental discovery of preserving with pomace, or a farmer hiding his cheese from a landlord. The Nibble's wine-washed overview traces alcohol baths further back, to medieval monks. Treat all of them as folklore.

Ubriaco cheese flavor and texture

Ubriaco cheese flavor is gentler than the purple rind suggests. The Raboso version is described as gentle yet full-bodied with an aftertaste of red fruits, in a pale yellow, semi-hard paste with small holes. The grape-must and brandy version is delicate and fragrant, with alcohol notes and a faint pineapple-like bite, in a firm, moist, slightly crumbly paste.

Most of the winey character sits at the rind and just under it. Cut a wedge and the outer band tastes the most like wine, while the center tastes like the base cheese.

How to serve and use Ubriaco cheese

Serve Ubriaco cheese at room temperature as a board centerpiece, because the purple rind makes it stand out next to pale cheeses. In Treviso, locals eat it with bread or cold cuts or add it to dishes such as risotto, Atlas Obscura says. Culture suggests grating it over bresaola and fresh arugula.

For drinks, the Raboso maker suggests Cabernet, Raboso Piave, Sauvignon Blanc or Incrocio Manzoni, so both reds and a crisp white work. The Nibble's wine-washed guide suggests dried figs and spiced nuts with red wine-washed cheeses. The red wine and cheese guide and the cheese board guide have more ideas, and honey also fits, as in the cheese and honey guide.

How to buy Ubriaco cheese in the US

Buying Ubriaco cheese in the US means shopping by label, since "ubriaco" is a style and not a protected name. Look at the maker and the soak: "al vino", "al Prosecco", "di Raboso" and "rosso" all describe different wine treatments. Ask for a wedge that includes the colored rind so you can see the stain, and ask how long it was aged.

Wheels are big, about 13 pounds, so most shops sell cut pieces. Wrap a leftover wedge in wax paper and keep it in the fridge; the storing cheese guide covers wraps.

Ubriaco cheese substitutes

Ubriaco cheese has no direct stand-in, but a good substitute depends on the job. For the base flavor, Montasio is the closest, since Atlas Obscura says the traditional base is mostly Montasio. For a firm, grateable Italian cheese, Asiago works. To get the wine effect yourself, brush a plain firm cheese with red wine on a board and serve it with figs. The Substitute Finder has more swaps.

What most Ubriaco advice gets wrong

Most Ubriaco advice treats the wine as a gimmick and skips what it does to the cheese.

Ubriaco is not one specific cheese

Ubriaco is not one specific cheese, because the word covers any cheese washed in wine, must or marc. Two wheels sold as Ubriaco can differ in base cheese, age and wine.

Ubriaco rind is flavored, not decoration

Ubriaco rind is flavored, not decoration. The wine soak colors and flavors the rind, so taste a sliver before cutting it off. If it is gritty or bitter, trim it. The general rules are in the guide to eating cheese rind.

Ubriaco is not an alcoholic dessert cheese

Ubriaco is not a sweet dessert cheese. The wine adds fruit and aroma, but the base cheese is savory, so it belongs with cured meats and risotto as much as with figs.

Questions about Ubriaco cheese

These are the questions about Ubriaco cheese that come up most.

Why is Ubriaco called drunken cheese?

Ubriaco is called drunken cheese because "ubriaco" means "drunken" in Italian and the wheels are soaked in wine, must or marc.

What does Ubriaco taste like?

Ubriaco tastes gentle and savory like its base cheese, with a fruity red-wine aftertaste, and the rind carries the most wine.

What is Ubriaco cheese made from?

Ubriaco is made from cow's milk, and one account says the base is mostly Montasio.

Can you eat the rind of Ubriaco?

Ubriaco rind is flavored by the wine soak, so try a small piece first and trim it if you find it gritty or bitter.

How did Ubriaco cheese start?

Ubriaco cheese is said to have started in Treviso in 1917, when residents hid cheese in wine pomace, but that is a legend.

Your first Ubriaco cheese

For your first Ubriaco cheese, buy a small wedge with the purple rind, serve it at room temperature with figs and bread, and pour a glass of the same red you would drink with dinner. Then grate a little over arugula and bresaola to see how it works in the kitchen.