Fontina cheese and wine pairing experience

Fontina DOP cheese has been made in Valle d'Aosta since at least the 12th century. The pairing with local Petit Rouge and Fumin wines is sublime. Visit a cooperative to see the aging caves and taste cheese aged 3-18 months alongside appropriate wines.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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