The 2026 Winter Olympics are right around the corner! This year's Olympic Games will take place from February 6th to February 22nd, and will be based out of the cities of Milan and Cortina in Italy. We know many folks will be watching from home, so here are some delicious North Italian cheeses to snack on with your friends and family! (Click the cheese name to shop each selection!)
Grana Padano
Grana Padano has been made throughout the Po River Valley in Northern Italy since the 12th century. Invented by local monks, this cheese was able to be aged for years, with the thick rind forming a natural seal.
"Grana" means "grain" in Italian, referring to both the crunchy crystalline texture and the curd size needed to achieve it. When cheesemaking, the smaller the curd, the harder the final cheese. Monks would cut the curd down to the size of a grain to yield a rock hard exterior. As the cheese ages, amino acids are broken down and reassembled. The amino acid tyrosine will start to crystalize after the first twelve months of aging, giving Grana Padano its signature granular texture.
Grana Padano does equally well served on a cheese board—ideally accompanied by something sweet—as it is shaved over pasta and salads.
Taleggio
Taleggio hails from the Lombardy region of Italy as far back as the 11th century. It is a "stracchino" cheese, meaning "tired." Stracchino refers to cheeses made at the beginning of autumn, when cows returned to the village after a summer of hiking mountain pastures. The autumn milk was fattier, and cheesemakers believed it was because the herd was fatigued from their journey. Now we know that it was because the herd's diet had changed, from green pasture forage to the calorie dense hay and grain of autumn stables.
Taleggio is pudgy, creamy, and lightly funky. It has notes of sweet hay and sourdough bread, and is lovely melted over crostini with a drizzle of honey.
Robiola Bosina
Robiola originates in the Piedmont Region: the northwest corner of the boot where Italy borders France and Switzerland. These soft ripened cheeses must be mixed milk (cow and sheep), the result of the mountain communities pooling resources so that everyone could eat. The rind is paper thin, so it is ideal for folks who want to try brie but are put off by a thicker exterior crust. Best served with honey and toasted hazelnuts (which are native to this region).
Robiola Bosina is made by Caseificio Dell'Alta Langa, which has been family owned and operated since 1880. They use indigenous microflora to culture their cheese, cultivating delicate flavors and textures that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Alta Badia
Alta Badia is similar to Alpine styles like Gruyère or Comté. It is made by Mila, a cheese company that works exclusively with a co-op of dairy farmers in Tyrol. This Northern Italian province is home to the Dolomite mountains, known for dramatic pale limestone peaks, sheer cliffs, and deep valleys. “Alta Badia” is named for one of these valleys. The town of Cortina is located in the heart of the Dolomites!
Most of the farms are being managed by the third or fourth generations of their family; and 30% of the farms that Mila works with have been dairying in the area for over 200 years. Farming in steep mountain terrain is often incompatible with machinery, so the farming is still done by hand, with an average herd size of only 14 cows. Alta Badia is aged for 12-16 Months, developing a deep, savory flavor.
Fontina Val D'Aosta
The original Fontina was first documented in 1270 ACE in the Italian Alps. Val D'Aosta is the smallest Italian province, yet it is home to some of the best known Alpine peaks, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Fontina is a semisoft, washed-rind unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese aged 3-6 months. A rich and buttery cheese, Fontina finishes with an earthy flavor and a light funk.
It is contested as to where the name came from: either the local town of Fontinaz, the noble family of de Funtina, or the Italian root word 'fondere' meaning 'to melt.' We prefer the final theory, as Fontina is prized for it's melting capabilities. It’s excellent for fondues and au gratin dishes.