Tuscan blue aged in Passito wine—sweetness and funk in one soft cheese
Tuscan cow's milk blue aged in Passito wine must and raisins. Fruity, tangy, with a slow earthy finish. Order online.
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A cow's milk blue from the De'Magi affineurs in Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany, aged in the must of Passito, the Italian dessert wine, with raisins pressed into the rind. One of Dom's favorite blues right now.
The paste is soft and yielding, stained a deep purple-red along the outer edge where the wine must has soaked in. The first taste is all fruity sweetness, raisin and dessert wine right up front, before the blue underneath opens up with a tangy savory pull and a gentle earthy weight. There's a subtle nuttiness running underneath and a slow warming spice on the finish that lingers well past the swallow.
This is a blue for someone who wants the fruit and the funk in the same bite. The Passito must does most of the talking on the front end, the blue holds the middle, and the finish stays sweet and savory at the same time. It sits in its own category, somewhere between a wine-washed table cheese and a proper aged blue.
Soft and yielding, with a paste that gives easily under the knife and a sticky, fruit-pressed rind on the outside.
Leads with fruity sweetness from the Passito must and raisins, then opens into the blue underneath, tangy and savory with a warm finish.
The wine and raisin sweetness sticks around well past the swallow, with a slow earthy and lightly peppery pull from the blue underneath.
A buttery cow's milk base sits underneath the fruit and blue, holding the whole cheese together with a soft creamy weight.
A faint nuttiness on the back end, more of a supporting note than a dominant flavor.
Earthy undertones come through once the initial sweetness fades, classic of a blue paste that's been wine-soaked and slow-aged.
A gentle peppery lift on the finish from the blue veining, more warming than sharp.
Natural rind
The rind is pressed with raisins and stained dark from the Passito must, fruity and sweet and edible, carrying the wine character right onto the paste.
Briacacio stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
Dessert wines echo the Passito must the cheese is aged in, and a sweet fortified red like Port matches the fruit and supports the blue without overpowering it.
Soft sweet fruits and honey lean into the raisin and wine character on the rind, while saba ties back to the grape must the cheese is finished in.
Video represents style and type of cheese - may not be an exact match in all cases.
Real reviews from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills Google Business Profile. Curated by Dom and his team since 1967.
Domenico and his team are fantastic. I’m a chef and I often get my supplies from The Cheese Store — unique products, carefully selected, from top Italian and French cheeses to excellent local ones.
Absolutely loved the cheese store! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Lena helped us — she was very knowledgeable on all the cheeses: where they came from, what the region is like, what they are known for. It was like wine tasting for cheese.
Ordered several cheeses from them and the wrong items were delivered. Contacted the store and they recognized the error and immediately sent the correct order the next day without any fuss. Really appreciate the promptness and professionalism.
“De'Magi is an affineur operation — Andrea Magi sources young wheels from trusted Italian producers and finishes them in his own Tuscan cellars with wine soaks, herb and pollen treatments, and extended cave aging.”
Cellar affinage in Castiglion Fiorentino — wine-and-must burial for Briacacio, fennel-pollen drilling for Buhaiolo, and extended cave maturation for the green-label Taleggio and Antani.
Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
