Oi vai iz mir! (Umbriaco)

Umbriaco
region: Lombardy, Italy
type: cow's milk

Recalling my love of wine-soaked rind cheeses (i.e. Drunken Goat), Umbriaco seemed like an exciting find. Days later, I sat down to enjoy what I thought would be an often-honored treat and immediately wondered, "What was I thinking? Perhaps I was slightly inebriated during my visit to the Cheese Shop?" While the wine soaked rind makes a cheese like Drunken Goat slightly interesting in character, it simply makes Umbriaco a well-textured cheese overlapped by an intensely sweet fruity flavor. (Who knew Manischewitz was big in Lombardy, Italy?!) If you are one who thinks of Jolly Ranchers, Blow Pops or SweetTarts as a delicacy, Umbriaco might just strike your fancy.