La Meiro, Terre di Castelmagno
Farm at 1,700 m in the upper Valle Grana making Castelmagno DOP (Montagna and Alpeggio), aged in tufa caves. Its locanda serves it at several ageings and has rooms; opening is seasonal.
About Castelmagno
A raw-milk cheese of the high Grana valley, made from whole cow's milk with a small share (5 to 20 per cent) of part-skimmed sheep or goat milk. The curd rests at least 18 hours, is soaked in whey for two to four days, then broken, salted and pressed. Qualigeo says the first wheels date to the twelfth century. Two versions exist: Prodotto di Montagna, from pastures at 600 to 1,000 m, and di Alpeggio, above 1,000 m from May to the end of October. Wheels are 15 to 25 cm across, 12 to 20 cm high and 2 to 7 kg.
Made in: Three communes of Cuneo province: Castelmagno, Pradleves and Monterosso Grana
On the plate
Very crumbly and without eyes. Mild when young, savoury and piquant when aged, when blue-green veins appear. The veining develops on its own with ageing, with no mould inoculated.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Castelmagno
Barolo Piedmont
Our pickQualigeo pairs Castelmagno with full-bodied reds. The crumbly, piquant paste of an aged wheel, with its blue-green veins, meets Barolo's firm tannin and high acidity, which clear the palate between pieces.
Barbaresco Piedmont
Our pickBarbaresco is the kind of full-bodied red Qualigeo suggests for Castelmagno. Nebbiolo's firm tannin and high acidity cut through the crumbly, piquant paste of an aged wheel and keep its salty, savoury edge in view.
The grapes behind these winesNebbiolo
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Stagionature di Valcasotto (Beppino Occelli)
Alpine hamlet above 1,000 m where Beppino Occelli ages cheeses from its Farigliano dairy, and Castelmagno DOP di Alpeggio, in rock cellars on shelves of twelve woods. Shop and booked cellar visits.
Giolito Formaggi
Four-generation family cheese shop in the historic centre of Bra, working as an affineur with its own ageing cells and cellar. It favours raw-milk cheeses and small producers.
Latteria Bera
Turin dairy shop three minutes from Piazza Castello, taken over in 1958 by Romola and her sisters Marta and Bruna and run by her granddaughter Chiara since 2016. It sells Piedmontese specialities and DOP cheeses, and hosts booked tastings in the shop.
Borgiattino Formaggi
Cheese and wine shop under the arcades of Corso Vinzaglio since 1927, known for Piedmontese cheeses such as Castelmagno, Raschera and robiola, alongside Italian and foreign ones.
Cheese experiences nearby
Cheese, Slow Food's cheese festival in Bra
Slow Food's biennial fair of raw-milk cheeses fills the centre of Bra with artisan producers, tastings, workshops and talks. The 2025 edition was the fifteenth.
Cheese Tasting at Giolito
Guided walk through the shop's cold counter, workshop, ageing rooms and the ageing cellar, which holds a small cheese museum, then a tasting in a dedicated room. For larger summer groups a tent can be set up in the courtyard. Contact the shop to reserve.
Castelmagno at the table at La Meiro
The farm's locanda serves Castelmagno in its different types and ageings, and gnocchi al Castelmagno are always on the daily menu, in the valley where the cheese is made. Opening is seasonal.
Cellars and tasting at Guffanti
Cellar visits and a guided tasting route at the Arona ageing house, by reservation. Private tastings in dedicated rooms pair its cheeses with bread and wine; English-language visits are available on booking.
Visit to the Valcasotto ageing cellars
Booked visit to the rock cellars of an alpine hamlet where cheeses rest on twelve kinds of wood, with a company shop on site. Cheeses include Castelmagno di Alpeggio and the Cusiè range.
Tasting in the shop at Latteria Bera
Shop tasting of boards of cheeses and cured meats with handmade bread, grissini rubatà and a glass of wine, with panna and zabaione as an option. Book at least a day ahead.
Castelmagno: questions
Is Castelmagno a blue cheese?
Not by design. Qualigeo says the blue-green veining develops naturally in the more aged wheels, without inoculating any mould.
How long is Castelmagno aged?
At least 60 days under the specification, in cool, humid rooms, according to Qualigeo.
What does Castelmagno go with?
Qualigeo suggests honey and jams at the table, polenta, risotto and beef carpaccio in the kitchen, and full-bodied red wines.
When was Castelmagno first protected?
Italy recognised Castelmagno as a denominazione di origine by presidential decree on 16 December 1982, and the EU registered it as a DOP in 1996.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Piedmont
Plan the trip
Visit Castelmagno country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, www.qualigeo.eu, it.wikipedia.org. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.