Castelmagno

Castelmagno is a PDO-protected Italian cheese produced exclusively in the municipalities of Castelmagno, Pradleves, and Monterosso Grana in the province of Cuneo. Made from raw cow's milk, to which sheep's and goat's milk may be added, it undergoes a minimum of 60 days' ripening and may develop greenish-blue veining naturally or through traditional piercing with iron prongs.

About this designation

Castelmagno holds PDO protection registered under file number PDO-IT-0006, with EU protection dating from 2 July 1996. Production is confined to the municipalities of Castelmagno, Pradleves, and Monterosso Grana in the province of Cuneo. The staple diet of the cattle — and, where relevant, sheep and goats — must consist predominantly of green or hay fodder originating from those same municipalities; the use of maize silage is prohibited. Milk may not be pasteurised or thermised, and the use of enzymes is prohibited. Coagulation is achieved with liquid calf rennet containing at least 70% chymosin, at a temperature of 30°C–38°C over 30 to 90 minutes. After curd preparation, the cheese ripens for a minimum of 60 days at a temperature of 5°C–15°C and humidity of 70%–98% in cool, damp natural caves or premises replicating those conditions. Greenish-blue veining may develop naturally or result from piercing with iron prongs using the traditional technique. Cheese produced entirely above 1,000 m above sea level, using milk from animals fed at pasture with at least 90% local flora between the start of May and the end of October, may bear the additional wording 'di Alpeggio'. All Castelmagno is produced above 600 m and may carry the wording 'prodotto della montagna'. The conformity mark, known as the 'sventolina', is a circular paper label of 18 cm diameter affixed prior to marketing. The inspection body is INOQ — Istituto Nord Ovest Qualità, based in Moretta, Cuneo. The applicant group is the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Castelmagno.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 2 July 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0006; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012988.
• Pasteurisation, thermisation, and the use of enzymes are all prohibited by the specification.
• Cheese bearing the additional wording 'di Alpeggio' must be made above 1,000 m above sea level from milk of animals fed at pasture with at least 90% local flora.
• The conformity mark, the 'sventolina', is a circular paper label of 18 cm diameter placed on the same face as the origin mark before marketing.

Tasting notes

Piedmontese cow-(and sometimes goat/sheep) milk blue-veined alpine cheese, aged 60-180+ days. Crumbly white-yellow paste with natural blue veining when extra-aged, intense complex flavor combining alpine herbs, mushroom notes, and gentle blue piquancy.

HoReCa use

Centerpiece of Piedmontese cheese course; classic with chestnut honey and walnut bread; melted into Castelmagno fonduta with truffle.

Packaging

• wheel-full-2-7kg
• wheel-half-1-3kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g