Zona Alpi, La Malga in Città
Cheese shop in the historic centre of Brescia. Since 2015 Marzia and Bruno select, age and sell the mountain cheeses of the Brescia valleys, and deliver to Bassa Franciacorta.
About Bagòss
A hard cheese from raw, partly skimmed milk of Brown Alpine cows, made only in the commune of Bagolino, in the Val di Caffaro in Brescia province, and listed by the Franciacorta consortium among its typical products. The cheesemakers add a teaspoon of saffron to the broken curd, cook over a wood fire in copper vats and oil the rind with linseed oil during a long ageing. It is a Slow Food presidium and not a DOP; a mark pressed on the side of the wheels since 2004 identifies those of the producers' cooperative. Italian Wikipedia gives a wheel about 40 cm across, 12 to 15 cm high and around 18 kg. Slow Food says locals call it the grana of the poor, but it is above all a table cheese.
Made in: Commune of Bagolino, Val di Caffaro, Brescia province
On the plate
From 10 to 12 months the paste turns granular and breaks into flakes. The nose is spicy with saffron over green notes of pasture and hay, then a touch of almond and a slightly peppery finish that grows with age, per Slow Food.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Bagòss
Franciacorta Brut Millesimato or Riserva Franciacorta
Our pickThe Franciacorta consortium's pairing guide lists polenta with Bagòss under Brut and marks it best with a Millesimato or Riserva. Longer time on the lees gives these wines depth, and their high acidity meets aged Bagòss, flaky and saffron-scented.
Franciacorta Pas Dosé and Extra Brut Franciacorta
Our pickAged Bagòss is flaky and saffron-scented, with a touch of almond and a peppery finish that grows with age. A Franciacorta with little or no dosage meets its salt and spice with high acidity and a dry finish, with no sweetness to jar.
The grapes behind these winesChardonnay
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Gastronomia Gigola
Family-run delicatessen in Brescia selling Bagòss, Nostrano Valtrompia and formaggelle di Crocedomini beside Grana Padano Riserva and French cheeses, with a wine range that includes Franciacorta.
Cheese experiences nearby
Malghe Aperte Silter DOP
Silter consortium programme on set days each summer: alpine dairies in the Val Camonica, north of Lake Iseo, show visitors the herd at pasture, the milking and the making of Silter DOP, with Silter to taste.
Laboratori del Casaro at Cà de Bì
Cheesemaker workshops on a goat farm at Ome, in the Franciacorta hills, where visitors learn to make fresh cheeses. Phone the farm ahead for dates, length and price.
Mercato Agricolo Coperto Campagna Amica, Brescia
Covered farmers' market in Brescia where producers of the province sell direct. Il Colmetto, the goat farm at Rodengo Saiano, sells its goat cheeses, yogurts and puddings at its stall here.
Merende in Fattoria at Cà de Bì
Tastings of the farm's goat cheeses and local products on a goat farm at Ome, in the Franciacorta hills. Phone the farm ahead for dates and price.
Bagòss: questions
Is Bagòss a DOP?
No. Slow Food lists it as a presidium and Italian Wikipedia as a traditional agri-food product (PAT); the Slow Food page describes a cooperative mark pressed on the side of the wheels since 2004.
How heavy is a wheel?
Italian Wikipedia gives about 18 kg, 40 cm across and 12 to 15 cm high.
Where is it made?
Only in the commune of Bagolino, in Brescia province, per Slow Food.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Franciacorta
Plan the trip
Visit Bagòss country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Franciacorta
Franciacorta: Guided Winery Tour and Tasting Experience
All 135 experiences in FranciacortaBooking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: www.fondazioneslowfood.com, franciacorta.wine. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.