Mila Bergmilch Südtirol
Dairy cooperative of about 2,100 mountain farms, founded in 1962, with its works in Bozen and its cheese dairy in Bruneck. The shop at the Bozen works sells the whole range, including the Stilfser PDO.
About Stilfser
Stilfser, Stelvio in Italian, has been an EU protected designation of origin (PDO) since 2007, and Mila calls it the only South Tyrolean cheese with that protection. It is a cylindrical cow's milk cheese made entirely in the province of Bolzano, from milk that Italian Wikipedia says is heat-treated at 72 degrees C. The EU publication of the specification gives a flat-faced wheel 34 to 38 cm across and 8 to 11 cm high, weighing 8 to 10 kg, with at least 50 percent fat in the dry matter, so the figures recorded here are midpoints. It ripens at least 60 days on wooden boards, turned and washed with a salt solution that carries the bacterial flora giving the rind its yellow to orange-brown colour. Qualigeo dates its origins to the 13th century, citing land registers in which the cheese was used to pay dues to landowners.
Made in: 84 municipalities of the autonomous province of Bolzano, the city of Bolzano among them, in the Vinschgau, Burggrafenamt, Salten-Schlern, Pustertal and Eisacktal districts
On the plate
Qualigeo describes a compact, soft and elastic paste with a strong, spicy aroma and an intense flavour. German Wikipedia calls the taste aromatic and pronounced, at times sharp; Mila adds a slightly nutty note with fine wood tones.
Rind: washed, orange and sticky
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Stilfser
Alto Adige Pinot Nero Alto Adige
Local traditionQualigeo lists Alto Adige Pinot Nero as the other usual partner. Its ripe fruit, fresh acidity and medium, fine tannin set off the strong, spicy paste without burying the slight nuttiness Mila finds in the cheese.
Alto Adige Schiava (Vernatsch) Alto Adige
Local traditionQualigeo lists Alto Adige Schiava among the usual partners of Stilfser. These run from light to medium body, with almond, red fruit or violet and low to medium tannin, so the cheese's spicy aroma and intense flavour stay in front.
Alto Adige Lagrein Alto Adige
Local traditionFor the more aged wheels Qualigeo recommends Alto Adige Lagrein. Its medium to full body and medium to firm tannin give a longer-aged, stronger cheese a wine of matching weight, and the fat of the paste softens its grip.
Alto Adige late-harvest (Vendemmia Tardiva) Alto Adige
Our pickStilfser's washed rind gives a strong, spicy, intense flavour. A sweet late-harvest Alto Adige wine sets its sweetness against that salt and spice, and its high acidity keeps the pairing from cloying.
The grapes behind these winesLagreinPinot NeroPinot NoirSchiavaMoscato RosaGewuerztraminer
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Degust
Affineur's shop founded in 1994 by Hansi Baumgartner, a trained cook, which selects cheeses from small dairies and finishes them, ripening them in a former military bunker. The counter in Vahrn offers tastings of 12 cheeses (EUR 24) or 15 (EUR 30), with drinks charged extra.
Pur Südtirol Genussmarkt Meran
Pur Südtirol's first market, in the Meran Kurhaus since 2010. A cheese sommelier, a wine academy graduate and a meat sommelier advise; the speck ripening cellar is downstairs, and there is a wine bar and a sunny terrace on one of Meran's shopping streets.
Mila Shop Bruneck
Mila's shop in Bruneck, where its cheese dairy is, with the whole range and other South Tyrolean specialities. The Senni Bar at the same address opens at 6:00 on weekdays and from 7:00 to 13:00 on Sunday, when the shop lists no hours.
Sennerei Drei Zinnen shop, Innichen
Branch of the Sennerei Drei Zinnen at Burgweg 1, a few steps from Innichen's pedestrian zone and station. It is closed on Sunday and on Thursday afternoon, and can be reached on +39 0474 913317.
Cheese experiences nearby
Käsefestival Sand in Taufers
Cheese market and festival in the Ahrntal's main village, with producers from South Tyrol and beyond, a cooking arena and tastings run with Slow Food. ONAF calls it biennial. The 16th edition was held 13 to 15 March 2026.
Schaukäserei Drei Zinnen, Toblach
Museum, production area and ripening cellar behind glass. Self-guided in opening hours, with cheese being made Tuesday to Friday until about 13:00; public guided tours are paused until Tuesday 29 December 2026, groups of 15 or more on request.
Ahrntaler GrauKäseTage
Two weeks of Graukäse: an opening festival with market and tastings, 12 participating businesses, producer visits and a closing five-course dinner by registration. The 9th edition was held in September 2026.
Cheese tasting at Eggemoa
Tasting of the Eggemoa raw-milk cheeses, starting with the mild Candidum and moving to the larch-needle and alpine-herb cheeses, rind included, with advice on which drink fits. Reserve through the form on its website; no dates or price are published.
"Mein Käse" cheese-making tasting, Algund
A guided tasting at the Algund dairy where up to 16 visitors make their own cheese under staff guidance and take it home, and taste the dairy's cheeses. The page gives no dates, price or booking link and names no season, so telephone +39 0473 448710 to arrange it.
Milchmeile Sexten
Family theme trail on a forest path beside a stream, with stations on how milk becomes cheese and on local specialities. It ends at the Käserei Sexten at 1,310 m, where the dairy sells its cheese. The tourist board gives no season.
Stilfser: questions
How big is a Stilfser?
The EU publication of the PDO specification gives a cylindrical wheel with flat faces and straight or slightly concave sides, 34 to 38 cm across and 8 to 11 cm high, weighing 8 to 10 kg.
Which wines does Qualigeo suggest?
Qualigeo says it is usually paired with Alto Adige Pinot Nero or Schiava, and that the more aged wheels suit Alto Adige Lagrein.
Where can Stilfser be made?
Italian Wikipedia says every stage, from milking to ripening, must take place in the production area of 84 municipalities of the province of Bolzano, which includes the city of Bolzano itself.
Is it really the only protected South Tyrol cheese?
Mila calls it the only South Tyrolean cheese with a protected designation of origin, held since 2007.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Alto Adige
Plan the trip
Visit Stilfser 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.