Imagine the first bite of the perfect cheese – it’s a little salty, a little sweet. Exciting calcium lactate crystals go “pop” in the mouth.
Regularly named “world’s best cheese” at international competitions, Le Gruyère AOP has earned its place at the top thanks to its heritage, terroir, and above all, the hand of the cheesemaker.
Since 1115, Le Gruyère AOP has been crafted in a small region of Switzerland, where time-honored methods are still followed today 160 village dairies carry on that legacy, and each cheesemaker has undergone years of training to become a true master. Their expertise shapes every step of the process — sensing how the milk should feel in the vat, when to stir, when to cut, and how to coax the curds into the wheels that will age into perfection.
The process begins, of course, with cows. Each cow will produce more than 10,000 gallons of milk during her lifetime, all the while feasting on the fragrant grasses and flowers of the region, which will add to the complexity of flavor found in the aged cheese.
The cows’ milk is brought from farm to cheese dairy daily; though it can travel no farther than about 12 miles, or 20 kilometers, to ensure it is locally produced.
Next comes the magic — milk is heated in copper vats, with only whey, rennet . The special Alpage variety is crafted in the summer months over an open wood fire in mountain chalets. What happens next depends not just on tradition, but on the cheesemaker’s instinct — their practiced hand ensuring consistency while honoring the uniqueness of each day’s milk.
After pressing and salting, the wheels enter cellars where master affineurs take over, watching, washing, and turning them for months — six at a minimum, often more than ten. Using all their senses, the affineurs decide when each wheel has reached its peak.
From the idyllic Swiss Alps to the table,every wheel of Le Gruyère AOP tells a story of the land, tradition, and above all, people. It’s a story that can not be replicated and one that can be tasted in every bite.
