Nicoletta

What Nicoletta does

Nicoletta (legally Nicoletta srl, also operating as Caseificio Nicoletta and Nicoletta Formaggi) is an Italian artisanal cheese producer and affineur founded in 1988 in Valle d'Aosta by Paolo and his wife Nicoletta, who relocated from Biella. The company specializes in selecting and aging traditional Alpine cheeses — most prominently Fontina DOP, Montagnard, Toma di Gressoney, pecorino, goat cheeses, and the proprietary Bleu di Nicoletta — applying a repertoire of traditional aging techniques including washed-rind affinage, long aging of up to one year, bloomy-rind aging for Montagnard, moldy-rind aging for goat cheeses, and blue-cheese development. Nicoletta sources from numerous small Alpine producers and applies a customized affinage approach to each cheese, framing its core technology as human curation expertise rather than process automation.

Beyond cheese, Nicoletta curates a complementary assortment of premium Italian and French gourmet products — cured meats, chocolate, jams, honeys, sweets, wines, and craft beers — that are sold alongside the cheese portfolio. The product set is unified under the Nicoletta brand and positioned around authentic regional provenance and traditional methods.

The business operates as a privately held, family-controlled SRL with 11–50 employees and no disclosed institutional investment. Revenue is generated through a multi-channel model: owned boutique stores in Donnas, Aosta, Milan, Como (two locations), and London's Mercato Mayfair; weekly farmers' markets across the Aosta Valley (Chatillon, Aosta, Saint-Vincent, Pont-Saint-Martin, plus seasonal markets in Courmayeur, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Champoluc, and Antey-Saint-André); direct-to-consumer e-commerce via nicolettasrl.com with Tuesday/Thursday shipping; and wholesale distribution to retailers and restaurants. Primary customers are individual food enthusiasts and tourists seeking authentic Alpine cheeses; tertiary customers are restaurants and gourmet retailers buying through wholesale.

Name

Nicoletta

Legal name

Nicoletta srl

Website

https://nicolettasrl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nicoletta is an Italian artisanal cheese affineur founded in 1988 in Valle d'Aosta, selecting and aging traditional Alpine cheeses such as Fontina DOP, Montagnard, and Bleu di Nicoletta, sold through owned boutiques across Italy and London, Aosta Valley farmers' markets, and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Cheese

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI), Specialty & Gourmet Foods Distribution (CRAOABAF)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Cheese aging services
• Italian gourmet products
• Specialty food retail
• Fontina DOP cheese

Headquarters

HQ city

Donnalucata

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail cheese and gourmet product sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of premium cheeses (Fontina DOP, Montagnard, Toma di Gressoney, pecorino, goat cheeses) and complementary products (cold cuts, chocolate, jams, honey, sweets, wines, craft beers) through owned boutique stores and e-commerce.
2. Wholesale distribution: Wholesale supply of Alpine cheeses to retailers and restaurants, with products exported to Italy and abroad.
3. Local farmers markets: Direct sales at traditional markets in Aosta Valley towns including Chatillon (Monday), Aosta (Tuesday), Saint-Vincent (Thursday), Pont-Saint-Martin (Saturday), and seasonal markets in Courmayeur, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Champoluc, and Antey-Saint-André.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nicoletta (Caseificio Nicoletta) is an artisanal Italian cheesemaker and affineur that selects, ages, and sells premium Alpine cheeses — led by Fontina DOP and complemented by Montagnard, Toma di Gressoney, pecorino, goat cheeses, and the house Bleu di Nicoletta — along with a curated assortment of gourmet foods (premium cured meats, chocolate, jams, honey, sweets, wines, craft beers). The company delivers these products through five owned retail boutiques, traditional Aosta Valley farmers markets, a proprietary e-commerce site with Tuesday/Thursday shipping, and wholesale channels to restaurants and gourmet retailers in Italy and internationally.

Product overview

Nicoletta (Caseificio Nicoletta) is an artisanal cheese company and affineur founded in 1988 by Paolo and Nicoletta in Valle d'Aosta. The company operates as a unified product portfolio centered on premium Italian Alpine cheeses, with Fontina DOP as the flagship product, complemented by regional specialties including Montagnard, Toma di Gressoney, Pecorini, goat cheeses, and the house Bleu di Nicoletta. Beyond its core cheese production and aging expertise (affinatura), the company curates a complementary selection of zero-kilometer and excellence products from Italy and France—premium cured meats, chocolate, jams, honey, sweets, wines, and craft beers—sold through its boutique retail locations across Italy (Donnas, Aosta, Milan, Como) and London. The product ecosystem is unified by the Nicoletta brand identity and the company's expertise in traditional aging techniques including washed-rind aging, long aging up to one year, bloomy-rind aging, and blue-cheese development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 416 verified Google reviews with Excellent rating

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Peck: Historic Milan-based Italian gourmet food emporium offering premium cheeses, cured meats, and gourmet products via in-store retail and online. Comparable to Nicoletta as a premium Italian gourmet destination with multi-category curation and strong local brand recognition.
• La Fromagerie: London cheese shop and cafe sourcing artisan European cheeses with strong emphasis on traditional aging and provenance. Directly comparable to Nicoletta's boutique retail model and curated European cheese assortment, both targeting gourmet consumers in premium urban locations.
• Neal's Yard Dairy: London-based artisanal cheese affineur and retailer specializing in British and European farmhouse cheeses, with both retail counters and wholesale distribution. Highly comparable to Nicoletta as a specialist affineur-retailer exporting/curating traditional cheeses with strong provenance storytelling.
• Caseificio Perinelli: Italian artisan cheese producer and retailer with traditional aging techniques and direct-to-consumer sales. Comparable as a similarly sized Italian caseificio combining affineur expertise with retail.
• Murray's Cheese: Specialty cheese retailer and affineur with multiple U.S. locations plus e-commerce, focusing on artisan and imported cheeses. Comparable as a multi-location cheese boutique with strong aging/curation expertise and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel.
• Formaggio Kitchen: U.S. specialty cheese and gourmet food retailer carrying artisan European cheeses with strong affineur-style sourcing and educational storytelling. Comparable as a curated cheese shop with a curated complementary gourmet assortment and D2C focus.
• Androuet: Historic French fromagerie chain with multiple Paris locations and a strong affineur tradition, specializing in aged French cheeses. Comparable as a specialist multi-location European cheese retailer with traditional aging expertise.

Emerging players

• Castelli Cheese: Italian specialty cheese retailer and importer/distributor carrying artisan Italian and European cheeses. Comparable as a smaller specialty cheese retailer operating in the curated European cheese category adjacent to Nicoletta's boutique positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Latteria Soresina: Large Italian dairy cooperative producing and distributing a wide range of cheeses including DOP varieties, with both retail and wholesale channels. Comparable as an Italian dairy operator with DOP product exposure, though at much greater scale than Nicoletta.
• Eataly: Global Italian gourmet marketplace with restaurants, retail, and online channels, carrying premium cheeses including Fontina DOP along with cured meats, wines, and pantry items. Comparable as a higher-scale Italian gourmet destination; competitive to Nicoletta in Milan, London, and online.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nicoletta