CHEESE

Fontina

Fon-tee´-nah
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Lucky for us, this centuries-old cheese from Italy’s Alpine Aosta Valley came with cheesemakers that emigrated from northern Italy to Wisconsin at the end of the 19th century. Once here, they quickly began putting a Wisconsin spin on this Italian classic through trial and error and, in time, with creative rubs and flavor infusions. Wisconsin fontina has a full, yet gentle flavor, with a touch of tartness that ramps up with age. If you want a versatile cheese that performs as well cooked as it does on a cheeseboard, Wisconsin fontina will always do you right.

Appearance

Ivory to pale gold

Texture

Semi-firm, supple and sometimes with very small holes (or “eyes”)

Flavor

Mild and nutty with a slight earthiness

115

Cheese Image

Performance Notes

Fontina is best served at room temperature with a sturdy knife.

Pairing Notes

With fontina, we love to drink vouvray, chardonnay, riesling, chianti, montepulciano and cabernet sauvignon. If beer sounds better, we recommend bocks, saisons and lambics.

Beer & Cider

Bock

Saison Ale

Sour Ale

Liquor

Rum

Red Wine

Beaujolais

Pinot Noir

Rosé

White Wine

Chardonnay

Riesling

Serve

Fontina is one of the world’s most versatile cheeses, so we love to feature it as a snack, dessert or any-time cheese. We also love to cook it in all sorts of dishes, Italian or otherwise. Polenta loves Wisconsin fontina! Layer thin slices of fontina between cooked slices of polenta, top with marinara and grated fontina and bake until the cheese melts.. Other yummy fontina dishes: pasta, pizza, quiche, gratins, sausage and bell pepper strata and warm chicken sandwiches.