From the Cheese Portraits series.

In a northern Veneto town, just above Venice, Italy, Moro Formaggi makes this magical blue cheese. The family makes an assortment of incredibly beautiful cheeses. Sergio and Susi Moro's son, Giovanni , came up with the idea to bring cheese and cocktails together. This cheese they call "Negroni" is soaked in gin, sweet red vermouth and bitter liquor and covered with a mandala of candied orange slices. Negroni is the national cocktail symbolizing Italy and when I saw an image of it online, I knew I had to taste some. When I first learned of this blue cheese, I contacted the only person I knew that had access to it, Michele Buster of Forever Cheese co. in NYC. She was extremely generous to send me this wheel so I had a chance to include it in my next cheese calendar.

Opening this wheel engulfed me in fragrant Negroni perfume that woke my senses. The first taste was like fireworks for me. It's intensely good. I have to confess; I'm a HUGE Negroni fan and a HUGE blue cheese fan - so I was in bliss.

Negroni is meant to be a creamy cheese, I was surprised how soft and loose the curds appeared, but one taste and I understood that was key to the consistent flavor and creaminess. It's a dessert cocktail cheese. With the alcohol absorbed by the cheese, the flavor of a Negroni is incredible. To me, this is what I expect it would be like if Chiriboga Blue and Rogue River Blue had a baby.

Origin: Italy

Price: $900