Shopping in Valle d’Aosta with the Taste of Fontina and Fromazdo

Among the many fine addresses, one stands out in the capital Aosta, La Maison de la Fontine, one of the oldest cheesemongers and the only shop-affineur in the city. The underground rooms, cool and kept at a constant humidity, host small and selected productions from the St.Oyen alpine pastures, the Col Collon at 2700 meters, and the Alta Val Peline. Right here, in the Frissionière area, another outstanding address is nestled: The Cooperative of Milk and Fontina Producers, founded in 1956, which gathers 300 members and markets a large part of the Aosta Valley Fontina. Worth a visit is its aging center inside the old copper mine of Preslong, active until the late 1940s, 6 km long, whose temperature and humidity conditions have proved optimal for cheese maturation. At the entrance, a visitor center has also been set up, with exhibition areas about history, environment and processing, multimedia stations, and a convenient sales point where you can purchase not only Fontina, but also Fromazdo, the second regional PDO, an equally flavorful cheese, but a bit less fatty than its famed “cousin”.