Aosta Valley

The Mountain

The mountains of Valle d'Aosta: the perfect “terroir” for the birth of Fontina PDO

Fontina PDO is an artisanal product that originates in the mountainous area of Valle d'Aosta, a regulated production zone with unique characteristics.

The Aosta Valley is the mountain territory par excellence, with just 20% of its surface area below 1,500 metres. Its history goes back thousands of years: the majesty of its peaks, many of them above 4,000 metres, first made it an impenetrable barrier in defence of Rome, then a communication hinge with the countries beyond the Alps and then a crossroads of communication, trade, cultures and ideas.

The mountains have always provided man with quality raw materials, both vegetable and animal, on which to base his livelihood and to practice, over the centuries, activities centred on breeding and milk processing.

The Hay

From territorial characteristics to a unique cheese

The geographic and climatic peculiarities of the Valle d'Aosta region make it perfect for the production of a cheese with distinctive characteristics. The secret is the quality of the milk, which depends on the breeds of cattle reared, the feeding of the animals, the characteristics of the territory and the climate.

The Aosta Valley can boast an extraordinary botanical wealth. In the meadows and pastures, more than 100 different species can be found, including mazzolina grass, white clover, sainfoin, ambrette, wild chervil and many others, while in the alpine pastures, different vegetation rich in highland species coexist.

The unique characteristics of this territory make all the difference: acting as a barrier, the Alps contribute to the typical endo-Alpine climate and favour the presence of unique forage essences, which make the aroma and flavour of Fontina PDO special and inimitable.

Cows

Breeding selection in the Aosta Valley mountains

Over the centuries, the mountains of the Aosta Valley have become the ideal environment in which to breed dairy cattle: the Valdostana Pezzata Rossa, the Valdostana Pezzata Nera and the Castana.

The people of the Valle d'Aosta have progressively selected cattle that are able to live best in non-simple conditions (climatic and orographic). The animals that today graze at high altitudes, in the alpine pastures of the Valle d'Aosta, are the descendants of this selection and have special characteristics, such as a great locomotor capacity even on impervious slopes, as well as being very resistant to the difficult climatic conditions of the Alpine mountains.

The Specification for Fontina PDO therefore stipulates that the milk must be produced in Valle d'Aosta and come exclusively from cows of the Valdostana breed, fed with local fodder essences.