Puzzone di Moena - pair the 'Big Stinky' cheese with indigenous wines

How to Complete

4 steps curated by Wine Memories

1. 📜 1

   Decode Why 'Big Stinky' Isn't an Insult - It's a Badge of Honor

   history Free

   Learn how washed-rind cheesemaking in Val di Fassa created the 2022 Italian Cheese Awards winner

   Before visiting cheese shops, research at your hotel or ask locals: 'Tell me about Puzzone di Moena's name.' 'Puzzone' literally translates to 'Big Stinky' in Italian — but in Ladin language (Val di Fassa's native tongue), it's called 'Spretz tzaorì' meaning 'tasty pressed cheese.' The STINK comes from washed-rind aging: after WWI, malgarians (alpine dairymen) began washing their 'nostrani' cheeses with salt water. This creates orange-brown rind bacteria that smell PUNGENT but taste sweet, with hints of grass, ripe fruit, hazelnut. Ask ANY cheese counter staff in Trentino: 'Why is Puzzone called Big Stinky?' They'll laugh and explain the washed-rind process. The smell is STRONG (think funky gym socks). The taste is MILD, sweet, nutty. This disconnect — intimidating smell, delicious flavor — is the whole point.

   🔄 BACKUP: If no one can explain, read the PDO label on any Puzzone package. It details Val di Fiemme, Fassa, and Primiero as production zones — these valleys birthed washed-rind tradition centuries ago.

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2. ⛰️ 2

   Hunt Puzzone at a Local Cheese Shop or Mountain Rifugio

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   Find the real PDO Puzzone, not imitations - check for certification seal

   True Puzzone di Moena has PDO certification (granted March 2013) — made from RAW cow's milk in Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme, Valle di Primiero. Semi-hard pressed paste, washed rind, yellow-ochre to light brown color. Smell: pungent, funky. Taste: sweet, grassy, hazelnut, ripe fruit. At cheese shops in Madonna di Campiglio town center OR rifugi serving cheese platters (Graffer, Brentei), request: 'Puzzone di Moena DOP - il vero, per favore' ('the real one, please'). Check for PDO seal on label. Ask to SMELL it first (the funk is part of the experience). Buy a 200-300g wedge for pairing (€8-12 for 500g). If at rifugio, order 'tagliere di formaggi' (cheese board) and confirm Puzzone is included.

   🔄 BACKUP: If local shops don't stock it, Puzzone's production zone (Moena, Predazzo) is 45 min drive from Campiglio. Visit Caseificio Sociale di Predazzo e Moena directly — they have a shop and tasting room.

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   Pair Puzzone With Teroldego - Match the Funk to the Fruit

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   Taste how washed-rind pungency meets Teroldego's dark berry and violet notes

   Puzzone's washed-rind funk + sweet hazelnut NEEDS a wine with acidity and fruit to cut through. Teroldego Rotaliano delivers: ruby red, floral bouquet, blackcurrant, sour cherry, violet, balanced tannins. The wine's acidity CLEANSES the cheese's richness. The cheese's nuttiness SOFTENS the wine's tannins. At your hotel, a wine bar (Ferrari Spazio Bollicine works), or rifugio terrace, pour Teroldego first. Smell for violet and dark fruit. Taste — note the acidity. NOW take a bite of Puzzone (rind included — that's where flavor concentrates). The funk hits first. Chew. Hazelnut emerges. Swallow. IMMEDIATELY sip Teroldego. The wine EXPLODES — fruit intensifies, acidity cuts, tannins smooth. They're dancing.

   🔄 BACKUP: If Teroldego isn't available, substitute Marzemino (also recommended for Puzzone — ruby red, floral, indigenous to Trentino). Both are traditional pairings from the same Alpine terroir.

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4. 🍷 4

   Contrast Puzzone With Nosiola White - Test the Hazelnut Mirror

   Optional

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   Compare how Nosiola's hazelnut aroma MIRRORS Puzzone's hazelnut finish

   Nosiola is Trentino's iconic WHITE grape (named for 'nocciola' — hazelnut). Pale straw yellow, toasted hazelnut aroma, crisp acidity, pear, apple, mineral. Puzzone also has hazelnut notes in its finish. Question: does MATCHING flavors (hazelnut + hazelnut) work better than CONTRASTING flavors (funk + fruit)? After tasting Puzzone + Teroldego (red), RESET your palate with water and bread at your tasting setup. Now pour Nosiola (white) from Valle dei Laghi. Smell for hazelnut — it's subtle but THERE. Taste Puzzone again (fresh bite). Chew. Notice hazelnut emerging. Sip Nosiola. The hazelnuts MIRROR each other — cheese and wine singing the same note. It's harmonious but... less exciting than Teroldego's contrast. Which do YOU prefer?

   🔄 BACKUP: If Nosiola is unavailable (it's less common than Teroldego), try ANY crisp white with hazelnut notes. The experiment works with Verdicchio, Cortese, or even Chablis — though the Trentino terroir connection is lost.

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