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Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Fontal

Fontal

Alpine · Cow Milk · Aged 60-90 days

Supple and friendly, with quiet nutty warmth for everyday melting.

Say it like a localFOHN/tahlFirst syllable gets the stress — Italian name meaning 'fountain.'
4.7(428 Google reviews)
Hand-cut to orderCold-ship 2-day overnight
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The Tasting

How it lands on the palate

Semi-soft cow's milk Fontal from Valle d'Aosta. Mild, buttery, with toasted almond notes. Great for melting, panini, and easy cheese boards.

Fontal tasting profile
Deep Dive

A closer look

Fontal is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Valle d'Aosta in northern Italy, made in the broader Fontina family but as a milder, more accessible pasteurized version. Think of it as the gentle cousin in the alpine lineup, built for everyday eating and melting rather than big aged flex.

The paste is pale straw, smooth, and supple, slicing cleanly with a soft give under the knife. Aged just a couple of months, the flavor stays on the gentle side: warm fresh-cream and butter on the front, a quiet toasted almond and hazelnut note through the middle, and a clean milky finish that fades fast. Nothing barnyardy, nothing sharp, just a really pleasant easygoing alpine cheese.

This is the wheel to reach for when you want a cow's milk cheese that disappears into a grilled sandwich, blankets a pan of polenta, or rounds out a board for guests who don't want anything stinky. Mild does not mean boring here, just friendly.

The Tasting Notes

Texture

Semi-soft and supple, slices cleanly with a gentle pliability. The paste is smooth and pale straw, melting easily on the palate.

Intensity

Gentle and approachable, with quiet nutty sweetness up front and a clean milky finish. Mild end of the alpine family, not assertive.

Finish

A short, clean finish that fades within a few seconds, leaving a faint toasted-nut warmth before the palate resets.

Lactic

Soft fresh-cream and warm milk notes carry the middle of the bite, buttery without going tangy.

Nutty

Quiet toasted almond and hazelnut through the middle, the kind of nuttiness that builds slowly rather than announcing itself.

Earthy

Very little earthy character, just a whisper of cellar from the natural rind. The paste stays clean and milky.

Spicy

No heat or pepper. This is a mild cheese, built for melting and easy snacking.

The Rind

Natural rind

Thin natural rind, a soft cellar note at the edge but mostly there to protect the paste. Trim or eat, your call.

The Pairing

What to pour. What to put alongside.

Fontal stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.

Wine glass — The Sip
The Sip

Pinot Grigio · Dolcetto · Lager · Prosecco

  • Pinot Grigio
  • Dolcetto
  • Lager
  • Prosecco

The cheese is mild and milky, so it wants something equally easygoing. A light Italian white or a crisp lager keeps the focus on the nuttiness without bulldozing it.

Fresh fruit — The Bite
The Bite

Bartlett pears · Honeycrisp apples · Green grapes

  • Bartlett pears
  • Honeycrisp apples
  • Green grapes

Fresh autumn fruit and a touch of honey lift the toasted-nut notes. The cheese also takes well to mustard when you're building a panino.

Honey — The Sweet
The Sweet

Acacia honey · Fig jam · Whole grain mustard

  • Acacia honey
  • Fig jam
  • Whole grain mustard
Top Recipe

Fontal panini with prosciutto

Reviews

What our customers say

Real reviews from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills Google Business Profile. Curated by Dom and his team since 1967.

4.7
★★★★★
Based on 428 verified Google reviews
G · Google Reviews
★★★★★

Top Italian and French cheeses, carefully selected

Domenico and his team are fantastic. I’m a chef and I often get my supplies from The Cheese Store — unique products, carefully selected, from top Italian and French cheeses to excellent local ones.

CT
Chef Tommaso
11 months ago · ✓ Google Local Guide · 66 reviews
★★★★★

Like wine tasting, but for cheese

Absolutely loved the cheese store! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Lena helped us — she was very knowledgeable on all the cheeses: where they came from, what the region is like, what they are known for. It was like wine tasting for cheese.

A
Amandarina
4 months ago · ✓ Google Local Guide · 34 reviews
★★★★★

Excellent customer service on a shipped order

Ordered several cheeses from them and the wrong items were delivered. Contacted the store and they recognized the error and immediately sent the correct order the next day without any fuss. Really appreciate the promptness and professionalism.

SD
Stephen Duffy
2 months ago · ✓ Google Local Guide · 83 reviews
The Origin

From the hills, Italy

Fontal origin map
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