Robiola

Soft, creamy cheeses made from almost any variety of milk? Today, we're talking Robiola.

These lush varieties hail from northern Italy, the regions of Piemonte and Lombardia in particular. They are raw-milk cheeses meant to be eaten while they're young.

(The best of them aren't even exported to the United States, thanks to the USDA and its ridiculous rules on mandatory aging minimums. The feds won't allow unpasteurized cheese into the country unless it has been aged for 60 days or more. So any Robiola that is sent here must be a little older than it should be.)

Generally, Robiola involves a blend of cow's milk and sheep's milk. It has a high fat content -- which naturally contributes to its lush taste-texture combination.

Like other young, creamy cheeses, Robiola is not designed for complexity. There simply isn't time for it to take on the complicated swirl of flavors that develop during the aging process. Instead, what you get is a rich mouthfeel, and an aroma that has just the slightest hint of mushrooms. Texture varies from brand to brand, but the best Robiola often has a silkiness to counterbalance the cream.

PAIRINGS: Medium-bodied red wines from the north of Italy, such as Dolcetto or Valpolicella, go wonderfully well. So do white wines like Pinot Grigio.