The cheese aged in a cave
Fontina is the king of Aosta Valley cheeses, a DOP cheese with a history of at least eight centuries, produced only in the Aosta Valley with the whole raw milk of cows of the local Valdostana breed, from a single milking, processed within two hours, and fed on fresh grass and hay of the region. In summer, many cows are taken up to the alpages, the high mountain pastures, where the herdsmen produce Fontina d'alpeggio, considered the most precious, with the scent of alpine flowers and herbs. Fontina has a soft, elastic paste, with a sweet and delicate flavour that becomes more intense with ageing, and it melts perfectly, which makes it the main ingredient of the famous fonduta valdostana, a melted cheese cream with milk and egg yolks, served with croutons or polenta, and of many other traditional dishes.
The most fascinating place to discover Fontina is the Valpelline, a wild valley north of Aosta, where, in the village of Valpelline, the cheeses are aged in a disused copper mine: in the long tunnels dug into the rock, at a constant temperature of about 10 °C and very high humidity, thousands of wheels of Fontina rest for at least 80 days on wooden shelves, turned and brushed by hand, acquiring their characteristic aroma and crust. The ageing warehouse can sometimes be visited, offering a unique experience. The Valpelline is also beautiful for its landscapes, with the artificial lake of Place Moulin, glaciers and trails, and in the village of Valpelline the Fontina festival is held in summer.
Tip: taste a fonduta with Fontina d'alpeggio; ask about visits to the ageing caves of Valpelline.
Where it is
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