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Cheese made from whole cows' milk, semicooked, medium-mature and cylindrical in shape.

Geographical area: the entire territory of the autonomous region of Valle d'Aosta.

From the 18th century references are found to the name Fontina to indicate a particular type of cheese obtained in the valleys of the region from cows' milk from the indigenous breed "pezzata rossa valdostana", This breed has been reared for a long time and the milk has characteristics directly connected with feeding with fodder essences found in the alpine area.

After calf's rennet has been added to the milk from a single milking, the curds are cooked at a temperature exceeding 36°C and then dry salted followed by a ripening period of on average 3 months.

The natural factors are connected with the typical mountainous environment of the region giving particular qualities to the raw material which are reflected directly in the characteristics of the cheese. As for the human factors, there is the traditional rearing of the indigenous "pezzata rossa valdostana" breed as well as the continuity of the technique used to make the cheese, with the product mainly being distributed and consumed in Northern Italy.

"Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina Soc. Coop a r.l."