Brillo translates from the Tuscan dialect as “high-spirited” or “merry”, and merry you’ll be once you’ve tried this cheese! It is said that the practice of aging cheese in wine began as the farmer’s way of concealing his cheese from invading armies during times of war. To make Brillo, the cheesemakers at Il Forteto select 4- month aged wheels of their Pecorino Toscano and submerge them in terra cotta pots filled with local wine for an additional four weeks. The result is a semi-soft cheese with a gorgeous, purple rind, the tangy taste of sheep’s milk and a biting zing from the wine. The flavors of the cheese and the wine both balance and accentuate each other in this delightful wheel.