A guide to Ubriaco — the Italian "drunken cheese" aged in wine and grape must. How the process works and what it tastes like.
Ubriaco is one of Italy's most romantic cheeses — its name means "drunken," and it earns it by being soaked and aged in wine and grape must. The result is a cheese stained purple at the rind, infused with the aroma of the vineyard, and full of character.
What Ubriaco Is
Ubriaco (sometimes Ubriacone) is a cow's-milk cheese from the Veneto and Friuli regions of northeastern Italy, in the heart of wine country. Rather than referring to one specific cheese, "ubriaco" describes a method: a firm cheese is bathed and aged in wine, grape skins, and grape must (the pressed pulp left from winemaking). This wine-aging tradition reportedly began as a way to hide and preserve cheese during difficult times, and it became a prized specialty.
Aged in Wine
The defining feature of Ubriaco is its wine aging. Wheels of cheese are immersed in wine and grape must for a period during maturation, which dyes the rind a deep purple-red and infuses the cheese with the flavors and aromas of the wine. Different wines — often local reds like those from the Veneto — produce different results, and the grape must adds a fruity, tannic dimension. The rind takes on the color and scent of the vineyard.
Flavor and Texture
Ubriaco has a firm, dense paste, pale within its wine-stained rind. The flavor combines the savory, slightly tangy character of the base cheese with fruity, winey, tannic notes absorbed during aging. Depending on the cheese and wine used, it can range from mild and fruity to sharper and more intense. The wine aging adds aroma and complexity, and the purple rind carries the strongest winey flavor. It's a distinctive, conversation-starting cheese.
How to Use Ubriaco
Ubriaco is a natural cheese-board centerpiece, its purple rind striking against other cheeses, served with crusty bread, fruit, and — fittingly — a glass of the kind of wine it was aged in. It pairs beautifully with grapes, figs, honey, and nuts. Its firm texture lets it be sliced or shaved, and its winey flavor makes it a memorable addition to antipasti and tasting plates.
Pairings
Ubriaco pairs naturally with red wines, especially those of the Veneto and northeastern Italy, echoing the wine used in its aging. On the plate, grapes, figs, honey, walnuts, and crusty bread complement its fruity, winey character.
Buying and Storing
Ubriaco is sold in wedges showing its distinctive purple-stained rind, at specialty cheese shops. Store it wrapped in wax paper in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving. Its firm paste keeps well for a couple of weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ubriaco called "drunken cheese"?
Because it's soaked and aged in wine and grape must, which gives it a wine-infused flavor and a purple-stained rind — "ubriaco" means "drunken" in Italian.
What does Ubriaco taste like?
Savory and slightly tangy from the base cheese, with fruity, winey, tannic notes absorbed from the wine aging.
How did wine-aging cheese begin?
Tradition holds it started as a way to hide and preserve cheese during hard times, later becoming a prized specialty.