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July portraits our Gruyère cheese maker
Hi Cheese Friend
Tom is back from his trip to Switzerland and has brought with him a tonne of stories, our July newsletter and a suitcase full of samples of new and exciting cheeses from around Switzerland! Some of which might soon be coming to a shop or restaurant near you – stay tuned!
One of the highlights of the trip for Tom was spending time with some of the most important producers of Rolf Beeler’s Sélection cheeses. These cheese makers are dedicated and inspirational people and were so amazing that we would like to introduce some of them to you over the next few newsletters.
To kick things off, we’re introducing Didier (photographed below with Tom in the maturing cellar).
Name: Didier
Region: French speaking part of Switzerland
Cheese produced: Gruyère AOC*
Didier is the Gruyère producer and delivers the base product, which means he produces the 35kg wheels using the traditional methods applied for hundreds of years in this region and then care takes the cheese for the first 3 months of its life. After that, the Gruyère wheels are assessed for their quality and upon meeting the strict Gruyère AOC* criteria, Rolf Beeler’s team collects the cheese and lovingly transports it to another maturing place where he applies his magic in the affinage transforming the base product in the subsequent 15 months into the unforgettable Gruyère we enjoy.
Didier truly lives for the Gruyère. Twice daily, 7 days a week he receives the fresh raw milk from the surrounding farmers, all of them located on a pre-alpine plateau that lays roughly 800m above sea level. Each morning after the delivery of the milk, Didier and his team produce one batch and one batch only of Gruyère, according to the strict AOC regulations. But Didier’s involvement goes even further - he is the head of a social club for artisan cheese makers in the region. The group even have a Gruyère song and every time it’s played Didier confessed he gets goose bumps. If that isn’t passion, we don’t know what is! And that passion – we’re sure you’ll agree – comes right through in the end product, the award winning Rolf Beeler Gruyère AOC.
*AOC stands for “appellation d'origine controlee”, which translates as "controlled designation of origin".
Clearly it’s time to pick up another block of Gruyère so head into one of our stockists and remember to share a thought for Didier and his daily artisan production as you enjoy your piece.
COMING EVENT
Right in time for the Swiss National Day The Red Cow and Slow Beer in Richmond organise an exclusive beer & cheese matching event on the eve of the celebrations. The one time only event will showcase the diverse range of Rolf Beeler’s cheese paired with some of Australia’s best craft beers.
31st July, 6:30pm – 8pm, $50 per person, Slow Beer, 468 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Booking is essential via email or Phone to Slow Beer (sales@slowbeer.com.au, 03 9421 3838),
Happy beer matching, happy Swiss National day and, of course, happy Swiss artisan cheese munching!
The Red Cow
Exclusive Importer of the Sélection Rolf Beeler Cheese
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