Fontina cheese and wine pairing experience

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1

   Find the Village That Named a Dish 1,000 Years Ago

   history Free

   You're standing in the place that named one of the Alpine world's most ancient dishes. 'Seupa à la Valpellinentze' — Zuppa alla Valpellinese — is named after this exact valley. Peasant farmers here invented it to use stale rye bread during mountain winters: layers of bread + caramelized onions + blanched cabbage + Fontina + beef broth, baked until a bubbling crust forms on top. This dish is as old as the valley's cheese-making tradition, which goes back to 1270 — the year Fontina was first documented in writing. Walk the village center of Valpelline (13 km north of Aosta on SP15) — it takes 10 minutes. Look north toward the road to Ollomont leading to the Cooperative Visitor Centre in Frissonière, 3 km further up at 1,147 metres altitude.

   BACKUP: Even if the visitor centre is closed, the village walk is always free and gives essential context for the cheese and wine tasting that follows.

   Log Memory
2. 2

   Descend into the Mine Where 60,000 Fontina Wheels Sleep

   adventure Price: low

   A disused copper mine closed in 1946 became the ideal natural aging environment when the Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina discovered its constant 10°C temperature and 90% humidity. Today, 60,000 Fontina wheels sleep in rock tunnels at the Centro Visitatori Fontina (Frazione Frissonière), aging on spruce pine planks for a minimum of 80 days. Each wheel weighs ~9 kg and was made from raw milk of a SINGLE milking of Valdostana cows — no blending milkings, no pasteurisation. The tour descends into carved rock tunnels where you walk past thousands of wheels in the dark, damp mountain air. Entry €5/person, guided tours Mon–Fri at 10:00, book 24 hours ahead via +39 016573309. Buy both standard and Alpeggio Fontina versions at the shop — taste them side by side.

   BACKUP: If guided tours are unavailable, the shop at the visitor centre sells both Fontina versions. Check fontina-dop.it/en/visit for current booking details.

   Log Memory
3. 3

   Taste the Wine That Academics Declared Too Humble to Survive

   wine Price: moderate

   Grosjean is the oldest winery in Valle d'Aosta and the family most responsible for saving Fumin from extinction. In the 1960s, academics declared this 1785-documented grape 'not noble enough' and farmers ripped it out. By the 1970s it had nearly vanished. Because of altitude, phylloxera never arrived here — the vines at Grosjean (Frazione Ollignan 1, Quart) grow on ORIGINAL UNGRAFTED rootstock, almost unique in Europe. Sales point open Mon–Sat 8:30–12:30 & 14:00–18:00, no reservation needed. Winery visit + tasting requires reservation, phone +39 0165 775791. Options: 3 wines €10 | 5 wines €15 | 5 wines + local products €25. Ask for the Fumin and the Torrette — pair both with the Fontina you bought in Valpelline.

   BACKUP: If Grosjean is closed, Château Feuillet in Saint-Pierre makes excellent Fumin and Torrette exported by Kermit Lynch — their wines are among the few Valle d'Aosta bottles reaching international markets.

   Log Memory
4. 4

   Eat the Fondue That Has Fed This Valley Through 600 Winters

   wine Price: moderate

   Nando has been at Via Sant'Anselmo 99, Aosta since 1957. Michelin Guide listed. Order 'Fonduta alla Valdostana': pure Fontina DOP melted with egg yolks and milk — the opposite of Swiss fondue, single cheese, nothing else. The concentrated nuttiness and floral sweetness speaks alone. Pair it with a glass of Torrette — the tart Petit Rouge cuts through the richness in exactly the way centuries of farmers knew it would. Tell the sommelier you've come from Valpelline and Grosjean; he'll know exactly what you're after. If visiting June–September, ask whether any dishes use Fontina di Alpeggio — the summer-mountain version made above 2,000 metres when cows graze on wild flowers. Hours: 12:00–14:00 and 19:30–22:00, closed Tuesday all day, Wednesday lunch.

   BACKUP: Trattoria Praetoria (Via Sant'Anselmo 9, Aosta) serves the same regional classics including Valdostana fondue — it's two doors down the same pedestrian street if Nando is fully booked.

   Log Memory

Insider Tips

• Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina in Valpelline offers cave tours and tastings

• The local dish Fonduta Valdostana (fondue) is best paired with Torrette DOC red

• Buy fontina directly from farms in Valtournenche for best quality and value