Puzzone di Moena - pair the 'Big Stinky' cheese with indigenous wines
Puzzone di Moena won 2022 World Cheese Awards. Its name literally means 'Big Stinky.' Paired with Trentino indigenous wines - Teroldego, Nosiola, Marzemino - the washed-rind pungency meets mountain fruit in ways that only work at altitude.
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.
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.
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.
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.