Spressa delle Giudicarie

Spressa delle Giudicarie is a cylindrical, medium-hard, partially skimmed cow's milk cheese produced in the Giudicarie, Chiese, Rendena and Ledro valleys of the province of Trento. Its rind is brownish-grey or dark ochre; the interior is white or pale straw in colour with small to medium-sized holes. The taste ranges from sweet to savoury, tending toward a barely perceptible bitterness as the cheese matures.

About this designation

Spressa delle Giudicarie holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-IT-0252 and identified in the EU register by eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013556, with EU protection granted on 11 April 2003. The production area is defined as the Giudicarie, Chiese, Rendena and Ledro valleys and comprises a specific list of municipalities in the province of Trento. Milk production, curdling and all cheese treatment through the end of ripening must take place within this area. The cheese is made from the raw milk of Rendena, Bruna, Grigio Alpina, Frisona and Pezzata Rossa cattle breeds. Milk is drawn from two or three successive milkings and is partially skimmed by natural surface skimming. Cows are fed on permanent pasture hay, mainly grasses; milk from cows fed exclusively on grass or fed any type of silage is excluded from use. The specification sets the fat content as a percentage of dry matter at a minimum of 33 % and a maximum of 43 %. Moisture content ranges from 32 % to 40 % for a young cheese and from 28 % to 38 % for a mature product, with minimum ripening periods of three months and six months respectively. Wheels weigh between 7 kg and 10 kg, with a diameter of between 30 cm and 35 cm and a heel height of between 8 cm and 11 cm. Authenticity is established by the wording 'Spressa delle Giudicarie' stamped one or more times on the heel, which must be larger than any other wording on the product, together with a marking indicating the dairy number or reference code and the production batch. The designation is overseen by the Consorzio volontario per la tutela del formaggio DOP Spressa delle Giudicarie.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 11 April 2003 under file number PDO-IT-0252 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013556).
• Milk from cows fed any type of silage is expressly excluded from use in production.
• Five permitted cattle breeds are named: Rendena, Bruna, Grigio Alpina, Frisona and Pezzata Rossa; no other breeds are specified.
• The fat content as a percentage of dry matter must fall between 33 % and 43 %; the earliest historical reference to the cheese dates to the 'Regola di Spinale e Manez' of 1249.

Tasting notes

Trentino cow's milk semi-hard cheese from Giudicarie valleys, aged 3+ months. Pale yellow paste, firm texture, mild grassy-savory alpine flavor.

HoReCa use

Sliced on Trentino cheese boards; melted into polenta; paired with local cured meats.

Packaging

• wheel-full-7-10kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g