You might think I spend my life in Savoie… That wouldn’t necessarily be wrong… At the same time, I was born in Lyon, so I have a special love for the mountains, so to speak. Whether in winter or summer. Actually, I love the mountains all year round! This time, I set off on the trail of Savoy cheeses. This region is particularly well-endowed in that regard, with no less than 8 PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) raw milk cheeses:
- Abondance
- Beaufort
- Chevrotin
- Emmental de Savoie
- Reblochon
- Tome des Bauges
- Tomme de Savoie
- Raclette de Savoie
Today, 72 sites belong to the Route des Fromages de Savoie network. This charter offers a selection of producers who commit to welcoming the public and showcasing their profession by sharing their passion.
On the program for this Route des Fromages de Savoie: free or guided tours, tastings, sales, etc.
The reason for the strong presence of cheese in Savoie is easily explained by its history. During the Neolithic period, the first Alpine shepherds took their herds to graze higher up in the alpine pastures during the summer to provide them with fresh, green grass. During these months when the men left with their animals, the first cheeses were likely made for milk preservation purposes; we know this notably from traces of perforated pottery (ancestors of cheese molds) discovered during archaeological excavations, which attest to this practice.
Yes, I love history (I am an archaeologist by training, even if I tend to forget it myself), and this trip reminded me of a time in my student life when I had actually prepared a temporary exhibition on this fascinating subject of the First Shepherds of the Alps at the Dauphinois Museum in Grenoble. Anyway, back to our sheep and cows: the idea of this trip was to meet these farmers, cheesemakers, affineurs (cheese maturers), and alpine herdsmen to share their passion and expertise and to discover the secrets of making a good cheese. A quick reminder (because even I didn’t know this): the cows that produce the milk used for these Savoy cheeses are mountain breeds adapted to the mountain climate: the Abondance, the Tarine, and the Montbéliarde.
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Table of Contents
Having a mountain picnic
During our short trip, we enjoyed a great picnic prepared by an epicurean nutritionist, Anne Claude. We feasted on all the super healthy and delicious little dishes she had prepared for us. We also paired the cheeses with craft beers from Savoie, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that these combinations work really well. For example, the Tome des Bauges pairs very well with a wheat beer from the Brasserie du Mont Blanc. Definitely something to try during your next trip to the area!
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Le Hameau des Alpes
This brand-new fun and cultural space offers a discovery of traditional mountain activities and presents life and crafts from the past. It’s also an opportunity to take a fun and interactive journey through the history and making of Reblochon. Upstairs, there is also a small ski museum with the history of winter sports in La Clusaz, which is quite well done and very interesting. A visit I highly recommend if you are passing through the area.
La Clusaz Plan for about 1 hour for the tour Le Hameau des Alpes 44 route de la Patton Prices: 6 € for adults / 3.50 € for children / free for children under 5 Open almost every month of the year, but hours or days vary by season (see website link above)
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La Fromagerie Chabert, Fruitière du Semnoz
This ‘fruitière’ is located at the exit of the village of Gruffy, in the direction of the Pont de l’Abyme (a really cool place to take photos, by the way…). For a quick explanation, a fruitière is a type of cooperative cheese dairy, a place where farmers pool the fruit of their labor (hence the name), in this case, milk, in order to make it ‘bear fruit’ by producing large artisanal cheeses. This particular fruitière makes, for example, Abondance and Tome des Bauges PDO cheeses.
It was a great opportunity to review the difference between farmhouse cheese and dairy cheese (which I had already told you about in 2015 during my trip to Auvergne where I discovered Saint Nectaire production).
So, a quick reminder:
- Farmhouse (fermier) cheese is made from milk that comes from a single farm (recognizable by its green oval stamp)
- Dairy (laitier) cheese is made in a dairy with milk from several farms (recognizable by its red oval stamp)
After the visit, you obviously have to take a quick turn around the shop to bring back some edible souvenirs that will smell great on the train and delight all your lucky neighbors in the carriage…
The Route des Fromages de Savoie tip: you can visit the production workshops, and the venue presents a very interesting 20-minute film on Savoy cheeses, ‘Fruitière des 5 sens’ (Fruitière of the 5 senses), and their characteristics.
Price: free
La Fromagerie Chabert Fruitière du Semnoz Gruffy Film: Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM Production: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
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GAEC les Noisetiers
This farm, run by the Jacquot family, invites you to discover cow milking, calf feeding, and then enjoy a tasting of the PDO Abondance produced on-site.
Well, let me tell you, I tested it for you, and ‘bottle-feeding’ a calf is quite the workout… The little thing is hungry, but above all, it has a lot of strength… In short, a very funny experience that I’m not ready to forget!
The tip: guided tour of the farm and cheese dairy by appointment, lasting 1 hour, with a tasting at the end.
Prices: 5 € for adults and 2 € for 6-10 year olds.
GAEC les Noisetiers Le Pré de la Grange, Leschaux Possibility to watch the evening milking starting at 4:30 PM
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A night under the stars in an eco-bivouac
This eco-bivouac at Semnoz, whose concept and creation we owe to the passion of its owner, Julien Perrillat, is located in the middle of the forest. People come to the eco-bivouac to live a disconnected experience far from the city, in a bubble in the heart of nature. During the day, we did a small fauna and flora hike with a guide from Alpes Bivouac; unfortunately, it was cut a bit short because we were surprised by a hail storm… Yes, that happens, even in June…
The evening then begins with a local aperitif (mulled wine for us, given the temperature), and then we eat together in the ‘Alti-Dôme’ around a Savoyard candlelit dinner. The evening takes on a musical tone with the performance of a late 20th-century troubadour (yes, I insist, given the music provided) who encourages the audience to participate quite actively by singing and playing (with strange instruments) along with him.
Afterward, since it was raining, we slept in a collective alti-dome rather than in the hammocks as originally planned. At the same time, it was a very pleasant experience, and I loved waking up to daylight and the birds singing… The more annoying thing is obviously the dry toilets outside the dome (always fun when you’re a girl and need to pee in the middle of the night), but hey, that’s all part of the adventure!
Eco-bivouac du Semnoz Station du Semnoz Les Rochers Blancs, 74000 Annecy Prices: starting from 99 € / person
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L’Affineur Joseph Paccard / Les Fromages du Fermier
Visiting an aging cellar is truly fascinating because that’s when I realized the importance of the art of aging in creating a quality cheese. It’s not enough to just produce a cheese; one must then work to develop its aromas, and that work is the (essential!) job of the affineur. The Paccard cellar (which is one of the best in Savoie in its field) ages and sells a whole range of Savoy farmhouse cheeses: Reblochon, Chevrotins, Abondance, Beaufort, etc.
It also offers a fascinating tour of its cellars, which ends with a small tasting, and of course, you can buy all the cheeses tasted on-site (which is very interesting financially speaking because they are obviously cheaper without intermediaries…). That’s actually where I ate (cold) the best Reblochon of my life, to the point that it would have been sacrilege to heat it up… My taste buds still remember it…
A little photo to show that when you visit an aging cellar, you are at the height of Savoyard fashion… Luckily, looking ridiculous doesn’t kill you…
Guided tours of the cellars with a short slide-show film and a tasting of 4 cheeses Prices: 6 € for adults / 4 € for children 10 to 16 / free for children under 10 Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30 PM by reservation Caves d'affinage Paccard in Manigod Les Bréviaires 74230 Manigod
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A ‘Reblochonade’ lunch at the Ferme des Corbassières
The Ferme des Corbassières produces PDO Farmhouse Reblochon. You can stop there for a bit of shopping but also to enjoy a light lunch featuring a good reblochonnade (a Savoyard recipe that involves eating Reblochon hot, cut in half lengthwise, and melted/grilled). If the weather is nice, you can even enjoy the terrace with a superb view of the valley. After the meal, you can discover the production side of the farm, and I recommend you take the opportunity to leave with a house Reblochon (6 €).
Ferme des Corbassières La Clusaz, in the Beauregard massif Open May to September every day (by reservation) Meal at the farm and discovery of the alpine pasture (starting from 26 €)
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The Savoy Cheese Festival
The Savoy Cheese Festival will take place this year on Sunday, July 9th. It is held for one day every year at the start of summer, and each year in a different municipality.
On the program: numerous activities, food, tastings, concerts, etc.
I hope that with all this, I have made you want to discover or rediscover the cheeses of Savoie, and if you too have your favorite spots for this mountain destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free; permission from the photographer is required before any use
