In short: Fontina PDO is the emblematic cheese of the Aosta Valley, made from the raw whole milk of a single milking from Valdostana cows. It isn’t a raclette in the Swiss sense, but it melts so obligingly that it deserves a place of honor under the grill.

Profile checked on November 2, 2026 against the producers’ and trade bodies’ official websites. Do you make this cheese? Write to us to be listed in the directory.

Fontina PDO at a glance

CountryItaly
RegionAosta Valley
DesignationEuropean PDO since 1996 (lovevda.it, the Region’s tourist board), national designation of origin since 1955 (Domani, June 12, 2024)
Milkcow (Valdostana breeds Pezzata Rossa, Pezzata Nera, Castana), raw and whole, from a single milking
Texturesemi-cooked pressed curd
Aging80 days minimum for Fontina PDO, 180 days minimum in the cellar for Fontina PDO Lunga Stagionatura; Fontina PDO Alpeggio is made in the high pastures from June to September
Sizewheel of 7.5 to 12 kg (consortium), about 9 kg on average
Tastemild to fruity (bolder in Lunga Stagionatura)
Melt5/5: stretchy, melting texture, it’s the historic base of the Valdostan fonduta, it coats without separating

Its history

The word fontina appears as early as 1270 in a Valdostan document, but it refers to a plot of land, not a cheese. It wasn’t until the 18th century that it moved into the cellar. In the meantime, at the end of the 15th century, the frescoes of Issogne Castle already show wheels that look uncannily like today’s: proof that visual marketing existed before Instagram. As for the origin of the name, historians hesitate between the Fontin alpine pasture, the village of Fontinaz, a surname, or the old French “fondis”, which evokes melting. We like that last theory, for obvious reasons. The producers’ consortium was born in 1952, the national designation of origin followed in 1955 and Europe granted the PDO in 1996. Since 2024, three labels coexist: Fontina PDO, Fontina PDO Alpeggio and Fontina PDO Lunga Stagionatura. In 2022, the valley produced about 410,000 wheels, nearly 70,000 of them in the high pastures, according to Il Sole 24 Ore. A small region, a big cheese.

Video: © Consorzio DOP Fontina (channel linked from fontina-dop.it), watch on YouTube

Taste and melt: what happens in the raclette pan

What stays with you about classic Fontina PDO is its sweetness: milk, butter, a hint of hazelnut and that feeling of melting before it has even been heated. The paste is pale yellow in winter, when the cows eat hay, and deeper in color in summer. The Alpeggio version, made between June and September on pastures that climb up to 2,700 meters, brings notes of fresh grass and mountain flowers, according to the consortium. The Lunga Stagionatura, aged at least 180 days in the cellar, becomes more vegetal and lingers longer on the palate. Under the grill, Fontina behaves like a model student: it flows, it coats, and it doesn’t release oil unless you torture it. It’s also the base of the Valdostan fonduta, the Italian cousin of fondue thickened with egg yolk. For a raclette, the classic or Alpeggio version is ideal. The long-aged one is more interesting for tasting, or blended with a younger cheese for those who like their cheese to have character and a bit of an opinion.

On the nose and palate: mild, milky, buttery, hazelnut notes; fresh grass and mountain flowers for the Alpeggio; more vegetal and lingering after a long aging

How to serve it

Plan on 200 to 250 g per person for a full raclette meal, a bit less if Fontina shares the grill with other cheeses. Take it out of the refrigerator an hour ahead and cut slices 3 to 4 mm thick: thinner, they burn; thicker, they test your guests’ patience. The thin brown rind is fine to eat from the pan. For a half wheel under a raclette heater, Fontina flows fast: heat gently and scrape often. For sides, potatoes in their skins, grilled polenta, pickles and Jambon de Bosses PDO do the job. A mountain white like Petite Arvine from the Aosta Valley or a light red like Fumin keeps up the conversation without shouting.

Pairings

  • Wines: Aosta Valley Petite Arvine, Aosta Valley Fumin, Torrette (Aosta Valley), Swiss Chasselas
  • On the table: potatoes in their skins, polenta, Valdostan fonduta with eggs, pickles and pearl onions, Jambon de Bosses PDO

Our recipes with this cheese

  • Raclette pizza
  • Traditional raclette, the basic recipe
  • Raclette-stuffed mushrooms

How much should you plan? Our guide to raclette cheese quantities per person does the math, and our comparison of the best raclette cheeses pits it against the others.

Fontina PDO producers: the directory

Four families of producers, from the giant to the small high pasture. Contact details taken from their official websites; logos are displayed from those sites, with credit.

The biggest producers

The largest volumes: industrial producers and big cooperatives.

Logo Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina

Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina

Saint-Christophe, Italy

Founded in 1957, the cooperative ages and sells about 250,000 wheels a year for some 200 members, with Fontina PDO, Valdostan fonduta and slices of Fontina.

Logo: © Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina, displayed from its official website.

The best known

The brands you come across in stores.

Logo Caseificio Nicoletta (Nicoletta Srl)

Caseificio Nicoletta (Nicoletta Srl)

Donnas, Italy

House founded in 1988, an approved ager and packer of Fontina PDO (2025 consortium list), with shops in Donnas, Aosta and Como.

Logo: © Caseificio Nicoletta (Nicoletta Srl), displayed from its official website.

Logo Fromagerie Haut Val d'Ayas

Fromagerie Haut Val d'Ayas

Brusson, Italy

Village cooperative founded in 2002, about 40 milk suppliers and more than 2.6 million kg of milk a year, house-made Fontina PDO and guided tours of the production.

Logo: © Fromagerie Haut Val d'Ayas, displayed from its official website.

The most renowned

Medal winners, prize winners or renowned agers, with a sourced distinction.

Logo La Borettaz

La Borettaz

Gressan, Italy

Family farm that makes its Fontina PDO Alpeggio at the La Pierre high pasture (Aymavilles) and sells fontina and fonduta at its shop in Gressan.

  • Address: Fraz. Borettaz 24, 11020 Gressan (AO), Italy
  • Phone: +39 333 3047500
  • Email: info@laborettaz.it
  • Website: laborettaz.it
  • Distinction: First prize for the best high-pasture Fontina PDO in the Aosta Valley (summer 2023) and Grande Médaille d’Or 2015, according to the producer’s website (https://www.laborettaz.it/)

Logo: © La Borettaz, displayed from its official website.

Société agricole Frères Diémoz

Saint-Christophe, Italy

Family of breeders who make Fontina PDO Alpeggio at the Lo Baou high pasture and are among the consortium’s approved agers.

  • Address: Fraz. Champ D'Hone 8, 11020 Saint-Christophe (AO), Italy
  • Phone: +39 0165 541375
  • Email: freresdiemoz@gmail.com
  • Distinction: Among the ten best high-pasture Fontina PDO at the Modon d’Or 2021 competition (Lo Baou high pasture, Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses), Aosta Valley Region press release of November 24, 2021

The small local producers

Farms, high pastures and village dairies.

Caseificio Vallet Pietro e Figli

Donnas, Italy

Family dairy launched in 1975, the only Fontina PDO producer in the municipality of Donnas according to its website, which invites you to visit the dairy and taste its products.

Azienda Agricola Bagnod

Ayas (high pasture) / Piverone, Italy

Family present since 1946 that produces high-pasture Fontina PDO in the Ayas Valley, at the La Tchavana high pasture.

Pinterest pin : Fontina PDO: The Melting Queen of the Aosta Valley
📌 Pin this page on Pinterest so you can find it on raclette night.

Where to buy it

You’ll find Fontina PDO at cheesemongers, in Italian supermarkets and online. To spot the real thing, look at the heel of the wheel: it bears the word Fontina and the consortium’s logo, a stylized mountain. On a pre-packed portion, the words Fontina PDO and the yellow and red European logo must appear on the label. Beware of similarly named cheeses sold without a PDO, often industrial and made elsewhere. For the Alpeggio, the label specifies production in the high pastures. On site, the Saint-Christophe Milk and Fontina Producers’ Cooperative and village dairies sell directly.

More addresses in our guide where to buy a good raclette cheese.

Video: © Consorzio DOP Fontina, watch on YouTube

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Frequently asked questions

Is Fontina PDO a raclette cheese?

It isn’t a raclette in the sense of the Valais designation, but it melts perfectly and works very well in the raclette pan or as a half wheel.

What’s the difference between Fontina PDO, Alpeggio and Lunga Stagionatura?

Fontina PDO is produced all year round. Alpeggio is made in the high pastures from June to September. Lunga Stagionatura is aged at least 180 days in the cellar, according to the consortium.

Is Fontina PDO made from raw milk?

Yes, the specification requires raw whole milk from Valdostana cows, from a single milking.

Read also: all raclette cheeses, the secrets of a perfect raclette and what is raclette?

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