Any winery stop in Tuscany will likely include a plate of sliced Pecorino, a sheep’s milk cheese known for its lovely flavors and ability to pair beautifully with the region’s wines. Caseificio Busti is a family-run producer of Pecorino in the Strade del Vino Colline Pisane. A tour and lunch that should be on your itinerary for a memorable experience.
Famiglia Busti, Marco Busti and his mother, Benedetta
The family business was started in 1955 by two shepherds from the nearby Alta Garfagnano region, Alessandro Busti and his son, Remo Busti. Now run by the third generation, Busti celebrated 70 years in business 2025 and continues to be a major supplier of Pecorino. Busti produces more than 5000 shapes of cheese daily and more than 1.8 million annually. On average Busti produces sixteen different types of cheese. Most are made from sheep’s milk sourced from select Tuscan farms. In addition to Pecorino, Busti also produces goat cheeses, one cow-sheep cheese, a sublime ricotta, and a lactose-free line of cheeses.
Production is entirely organic and carefully protected for quality and food safety. We saw this firsthand when we suited up in protective gowns, shoes, hats and masks for a private tour to learn the time-honored process of making Pecorino DOP cheeses. Tours are available by appointment to the public on Mondays and Fridays, and the occasional Saturday (as we experienced) during the month of May.
Each wheel of Busti cheese has a special label featuring a uniquely Tuscan image
After our tour we had lunch at Caseificio Busti’s on-site restaurant, Il Rifocillo (also open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday). There is a large retail store which was quite busy during our Saturday visit. Naturally, lunch featured local wines. We were joined by family-producer, Guido Rambelli, of Agricola Vigne in Chianti (Castellina in Chianti), a winery dating to the 17th century. Guido brought two wines to pair with our meal:
Magnatum Pico Bianco Bianco 2019 IGT is a blend of Chardonnay (60%) and Vermentino (40%) aged 19 months in barrique and one year in large Slovenia oak. This is a very aromatic white wine with notes of saffron, lemon peel, and kumquat.
Negro Pregiato 2019 Rosso 2019 Chianti IGT Toscana is a blend of Sangiovese (50%) Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Merlot (25%) aged one year in cement tanks and two years in large Slovenian barrels. This wine had notes of red cherry, bark, and walnuts.
A Pasticceria Artigianale Worth a Detour
We did not make it to the town of San Miniato, which is not far. But it would be worth the detour to visit Il Cantuccio di Federigo, an artisanal producer of baked goods which include a heavenly cantucci, the popular crescent shaped almond cookie often served at the end of meal with vin santo (sweet) wine. Paolo Gazzarrni’s family has been producing their traditional recipe for cantucci for centuries in this historic medieval town.
Information on Tuscan Wine and Food Trails in this region can be found at these websites: