Fontina PDO: The Melting Queen of the Aosta Valley

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

Country	Italy
Region	Aosta Valley
Designation	European PDO since 1996 (lovevda.it, the Region’s tourist board), national designation of origin since 1955 (Domani, June 12, 2024)
Milk	cow (Valdostana breeds Pezzata Rossa, Pezzata Nera, Castana), raw and whole, from a single milking
Texture	semi-cooked pressed curd
Aging	80 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
Size	wheel of 7.5 to 12 kg (consortium), about 9 kg on average
Taste	mild to fruity (bolder in Lunga Stagionatura)
Melt	5/5: 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.

The best known

The brands you come across in stores.

The most renowned

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

The small local producers

Farms, high pastures and village dairies.

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

Follow on social media

• Fontina PDO Consortium (Instagram)

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?

Sources

• Consortium: address, phone, email, social media, 7.5 to 12 kg sizes, 400,000 marked wheels, three versions: fontina-dop.it
• Official list of agers and packers 2025 (contacts Frères Diémoz, Nicoletta, Vallet, CPLF, Bagnod address): fontina-dop.it/stagionatori-confezionatori-2025
• Consortium member pages: fontina-dop.it/consorziati
• PDO 1996, raw milk from a single milking, 80 and 180 days, taste: lovevda.it/en/database/10/milk-and-dairies/valle-d-aosta/fon
• History: 1270, Issogne frescoes, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1996, three labels in 2024: editorialedomani.it/fatti/storia-della-fontina-dop-dagli-aff
• 410,000 wheels in 2022, about 70,000 of them in the high pastures: en.ilsole24ore.com/art/fontina-vale-oltre-42-milioni-l-oro-b
• CPLF medals at the Oviedo 2021 World Cheese Awards: rivistadiagraria.org/news/formaggi-italiani-cheeseitaly-fann
• Modon d’Or 2021: ten best high-pasture Fontina: ao.camcom.it/sites/default/files/contenuto_redazione/notizie
• Modon d’Or 2026 competition rules: regione.vda.it/allegato.aspx?pk=127044
• Saint-Christophe cooperative: contact, 250,000 wheels, 200 members: fontina-valledaosta.it
• La Borettaz: contact and distinctions: laborettaz.it
• Nicoletta: contact and history: nicolettasrl.com
• Fromagerie Haut Val d’Ayas: contact and figures: fromagerie.it
• Vallet Pietro: contact: caseificiovalletpietro.it/home.html
• Vallet Pietro: tourism listing: lovevda.it/it/banca-dati/4/aziende-formaggi/donnas/caseifici
• Bagnod: contact and high-pasture Fontina: aziendaagricolabagnod.it