For centuries the well watered grasses and pastures of Valle D'Aosta have provided the inhabitants with local herbs used both for cooking as well as to improve general health.

The first documented evidence of the importance of herbs for medicinal purposes dates back to the 5th Century BC.

In the first century AD, Pliny recorded how herbs were used to add aroma to food dishes as well as liqueurs.

The climate in most of the Valley is semi-continental, which means intense winter cold and high summer temperatures leading to the cultivation of certain types of herb.

The Centro Agricolo of Saint Michel is one center where the ancient culture surrounding these natural products has been combined with the most modern of techniques and applications.

We have taken this small food reference from the booklet 'Dal Cervino alla Scoperta di Una Valle' by the Comunità Montana Monte Cervino.

To celebrate the year 2000, the territorial tourism office produced a small booklet called 'L'Assiette Grand Paradis - Tourisme & Gastronomie'.

It was a guide to the best restaurants in the valley who offer typical dishes and local wines an each drew up a menu for every season of the year.

In summer, you will have the opportunity to sample such mouth-watering 'piatti' as:

- nut and ham crepes

- cinnamon ice cream topped with grappa and served with a glass of Muscat de Chambave DOC

- trout from Lake Morgex with mountain garden vegetables followed by a fruit mousse and a glass of 'Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle DOC'.

I found your web site while searching for a cheese I had while staying in Lake Como last summer. Could you please tell me how I might be able to purchase some Saint Benoit Brie 60% Cheese? It doesn't appear that any United States stores I have shopped in carry it.

Our reader's question needs investigation. We believe the Brie cheese was simply imported from France rather than being a local version, but regions such as Valle d'Aosta and Piemonte with foreign borders have always been influenced by culinary ideas from outside.

A quick glance at a list of the traditional foods from Valle D'Aosta reveals such delights as 'fondue', a sweet called 'blanc manger' and 'jambon de Bosses', but no Brie unfortunately.

A new one to us is called 'Meculin'. It is a speciality of the town of Cogne.

It is a type of 'panettone' made from flour and lots and lots of butter, eggs and sultanas, along with a heavy dose of sugar.

The finished article is light but compact and was the typical Christmas cake of the area.

Fortunately for us 'Meculin' has been transformed into a cake which is accompanied with breakfast throughout the year. Try it at the Pasticceria Pernet, Cogne.

So, no Italian Brie, but Reblèque, Salignon and Seras are French sounding enough and can be found in the upper Valley.

The first documented evidence of wine in the area dates back to 1032 and the frescoes of some of the medieval castles and churches. Wine was essentially a 'pick me up' designed to make the hard life of the people a little more palatable, at least for a while.

As in other areas of Italy, the priests and nobility had control of the vineyards and soon began to commercialise the cultivation towards other parts of the valley and beyond, notably the 'Vallese' and 'Tarentaise'. Even at 3000 meters the mountain passes were used to transport the casks.

Of all the wines we have chosen 2 DOCs to look out for; one red and one white.

The Red - NUS ROUGE:

Produced in the zones of Nus, Verrayes, Quart, Saint Christophe and Aosta. It is 50% 'Vien de Nus', 30% Pinot Nero and Petit Rouge.

It has an intense red color with a pomegranate streak when held to the light. It is dry, velvety with a slight hint of herbs.

The alcohol content is between 11° and 12.5° and goes well with pasta and minestrone soups. It is also the ideal accompaniment to a 'bistecca Valdostana'.

The wine should be served between 18°c and 20°c. No mean feat in the middle of winter.

The White - PETITE ARVINE:

Produced the length and breadth of the valley including Charvensod, Gressen, Jovencan and Donnas. The grape used is Petite Arvine and the color of the wine is a greenish yellow.

It is extremely fruity and elegant to taste and is ideal as an aperitif or with river trout 'trota di torrente'. The alcohol level can be as high as 13.5° and should be served fresh between 8°c and 10°c.

Some of the highest cultivated vineyards in Europe are situated at 1200 meters above sea level in a small area of the region called Valdigne, near Mont Blanc.  The wine is produced exclusively with the 'Blanc de Morgex'. The origins are lost but more than likely developed from an indigenous strain suited to the difficult climate.