The prospect of spending a few days in Savoie is a wonderful one! Summer seems to have finally arrived in France, and it’s time to escape to peaceful, soothing places where coolness can be the order of the day!
The question on the mind of every Jew is, where to flee to? There’s one region that offers many advantages: Savoie. Haute and Basse Savoie combine their assets to offer a wide range of activities.
You’ll enjoy the sun, but also, depending on your location, the coolness!
Take the train for a complete change of scenery, and let your imagination run wild as you take in the extraordinary landscapes.
Ravines, gorges and tumultuous rivers will give you a foretaste of what’s possible. You’ll be able to choose from rafting, climbing, cycling and, of course, summer skiing and snowboarding. One thing’s for sure, you’ll be able to vary your activities incredibly,…
For gourmets, the pleasures of the taste buds are within your reach. This is a wine-growing region, with both red and white wines. Chignin-bergeron, Roussette and Jongieux are just a few examples. The grape varieties, from which the juice is extracted, are diverse (altesse,, chardonnay, gamay, ..).Seven are present only in this area. Jacquère is one of them. Highly mineral, it goes perfectly with goat’s cheese.
Crémant is an alternative for aperitifs and other special occasions. This wine is produced using the champagne method. The Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Savoie (Savoy wine trade association) has wisely set up a series of walks to discover these wines and vineyards. Several routes are available (around Lac du Bourget, to the Marches, etc.). In Apremont, the Maison Vigne & Vin offers a different way of exploring this world.
The Oenothèque is a place where information and tasting are a matter of course. To plan your own itinerary and find out more about the producers, visit www.vinsdesavoie.net.
Another captivating product is cheese. Savoie is home to 7 talented cheeses. Two are IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), five are AOP (Protected Designation of Origin). Emmental and Tomme de Savoie have a supple texture. Their flavor is relatively mild. Abondance is produced in the valley of the same name, in Haute Savoie. Its aromas are delicate, often with a hint of hazelnut. Beaufort and Tomme des Bauges have a stronger taste. Reblochon, on the other hand, is a very special product. It can be made in dairies or on the farm, directly by the producer. Delicately flavored, its soft paste is particularly pleasant to eat.
Chevrotin is the only goat’s milk cheese in the area to benefit from the appellation d’origine contrôlée.
To discover these gustatory splendors in the best possible conditions, you need to be attentive. For nature lovers and hikers, AFTalp (Association des fromages traditionnels des alpes savoyardes) has put together a map with 53 sites to discover. The map lists breeder-producers, ripeners and more. You can follow the herds to the mountain pastures, watch milking on a farm, and learn step-by-step how cheese is made. It’s easy to become enthusiastic about the perfect match between the products and the terroir, and everyone’s commitment to perfecting a cheese with a gastronomic approach. Don’t miss the Donzel alpine farm.
Here, in summer, you can watch the milking and production of farmhouse Reblochon cheese. Know-how and extreme kindness are the order of the day. Step by step, the production process is revealed to the public. Last but not least, the tasting experience is a real treat. Some will be delighted to stay a few days and have lunch here. In this corner, time is perceived differently.
A private guide can also educate the public about mountain flora, explaining how the flavors of each cheese change with the onset of summer.
Others may prefer to visit a cheese dairy. A place where various cheeses are matured, it demonstrates the interest of another stage in the cheese-making process. We recommend the Fromagerie Paccard in Manigod.
Founded by Joseph Paccard in 1990, the company ripens cheese for farm producers and artisanal fruitières. After a tour of the various ripening rooms, the moment of tasting is almost a step towards bliss.
A few others can look forward to the Fête des fromages, on July 7 in Mieussy. Nearly 10,000 people are expected to attend this 9th edition. Reblochon will be in the spotlight. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., a host of activities will punctuate the day, ranging from wine and cheese tasting workshops to cooking workshops with chefs and Reblochon production. For full details, visit the Savoie cheese website. (www.fromagesdesavoie.com)
For all of you, a visit to the Fromagerie Pierre Gay in Annecy seems a good idea. Founded in 1935, the store is dedicated to the art of cheese. Pierre Gay took over the family business in 1989, and has taken his commitment to quality to new heights. In 2011, this earned him the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
A tireless defender of quality cheese, he knows how to put Savoy cheeses in the spotlight. He has a highly specialized selection of farmhouse Reblochons, but also knows how to present products with a more confidential reputation, such as Bleu de Termignon, an atypical Savoyard cheese. This blue cheese is not fertilized by Penicillium but by another ferment, made from the previous day’s curds. Its subtle taste has attracted the attention of some of the world’s top chefs, including Guy Martin.
After a few moments here, your interest in cheeses grows as you discover so many treasures. French cheeses, foreign cheeses, each encapsulates its flavors in its own way, each revealing superb nuances.
La ferme des Corbassières, Mr&Mme Donzel, 98 chemin du Var, 7422O La Clusaz
Telephone 06 71 11 34 90
Private guides www.montsetmerveilles.fr
Claire Schmitter-Voirin [email protected]
Fromagerie Paccard 74230 Manigod Telephone 04 50 44 07 50
Fromagerie Pierre Gay, 47 rue Carnot 74000 Annecy
Also visit www.fromagesdesavoie.com and www.savoie-mont-blanc.com
Photo credits Maison Vin & Vin and Sofia LAFAYE
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
