Pecorino Affinato in Vino Chianti DOCG Busti

The Pecorino Affinato in Vino Chianti DOCG Busti is the most authentic expression of a territory where two great Italian traditions — sheep farming and winemaking — have coexisted side by side for centuries. Produced by Caseificio Busti in the heart of Tuscany, this pecorino follows a wine-ageing technique rooted in local peasant culture: the wheels are immersed in or treated with Chianti DOCG during maturation, acquiring an intense bordeaux-purple rind and an aromatic profile enriched by the notes of Sangiovese. Chianti DOCG — one of Italy's most celebrated and protected red wines, produced in the provinces of Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato and Livorno — carries centuries of Tuscan winemaking history, and its encounter with the artisan Pecorino Busti creates a unique, recognisable product with a precise and verifiable territorial identity. The technique of ageing cheese in wine is not a gastronomic artifice but a historical practice documented across several areas of central and northern Italy.

Storage:

• Temperature: 4–8 °C in the fridge; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving
• The bordeaux rind is an integral part of the cheese: do not remove it before tasting
• Wrap in cheese paper or a damp cloth; do not seal in cling film
• Use within 3–4 weeks of purchase; medium ageing ensures good keeping quality

In the kitchen: On a board with chestnut honey, fig mostarda or toasted walnuts. With Tuscan charcuterie — finocchiona, lardo di Colonnata — for a regional antipasto. Melted over warm bruschette or as a finishing touch to ribollita. Grated over pasta with wild boar ragù or pici all'aglione at more advanced ageing. Natural pairing with Chianti DOCG Classico, Morellino di Scansano or Rosso di Montepulciano.

The wine used for ageing is Chianti DOCG, one of Italy's oldest and most prestigious controlled and guaranteed designations of origin, protected by the Consorzio Vino Chianti. Caseificio Busti operates in compliance with European regulations on the production and marketing of cheeses. The base pecorino is produced from pasteurised whole sheep's milk from selected Tuscan farms.

• Allergens: sheep's milk; sulphites (from Chianti wine — check label)
• Lactose: reduced by ageing (60–90 days)
• Gluten: absent
• Rennet: check with producer for exact type
• Pregnancy: produced from pasteurised milk; sulphites to be noted
• Vegan/vegetarian: not suitable (animal rennet in most versions)