Say Cheese!Franche-Comtè Region of Franceby Carole Kotkin In 1962, Charles de Gaulle remarked, “How can you be expected to govern a nation that has 246 kinds of cheese?” Today, there are roughly 500 kinds of cheeses in France. And although the increased popularity of “fromage” has brought  about a boom in industrial cheese production in France, small family-run creameries are turning out exquisite fragrant, full flavored artisanal cheese. Recently, while visiting the Franche-Comté region of France, I marveled at the fact that one can still buy a food that has been made in the same way in the same place for a thousand years. Legendary French cheese monger and author of Guide du Fromage, Pierre Androuët, once commented, “ cheese is the soul of the soil, the purest and most romantic link between humans and the earth.”
 Comté cheese, made by craftspeople whose lives are bound to cheesemaking, is indelibly linked to the land and its tradition. It is nutty, rich and with 45 percent fat, ideal for melting. And, nowhere is it put to better use than in fondue: Comté cheese melted in a pot with white wine, and seasoned with garlic and pepper, and perhaps a dash of kirsch (cherry brandy). Served as it is at La Petite Échelle in a remote and peaceful meadow 3,700 feet high in the Jura mountains, as a dip for chunks of bread or small boiled  potatoes, it rates as one of the great regional delicacies of a nation that is filled with them. The region’s unique wines all pair very well with Comtè, among them a dry - not white, but yellow - wine called vin jaune; a red wine that resembles rose and is called both Plousard and Poulsard; a slightly sweet, pale wine called savagnin; and an excellent dessert wine known as vin de paille, straw wine. The cheese has been made here since the 12th century, when shepherds developed a cheese that would last through the long harsh winters. The milk was pooled between neighbouring shepherds, and the huge cheeses were stored until they could be carried to market at the end of the season. Comté was the first cheese, 50 years ago, to get a label of origin (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or AOC) that certifies it was made according to traditional methods in a defined geographic area. Cheeses that don’t meet all the strict requirements of quality can’t be labeled Comté.
 Recently I traveled along the winding roads of Franche-Comté past herds of Montbeliarde cows (the breed used in the production of Comté) to experience Comté cheese at its source. Comprised of four divisions -  Doubs, Haute-Saone, Jura and Territoire de Belfort - Franche-Comté has been a land of passage and invasion for thousands of years. It belonged for many years to Spain and then Austria and then Spain again, and only became  part of France, for once and all, late in the 17th century - a recent time, as far as French history goes. This region of eastern France on the  border of Switzerland, just where the Jura mountains start their upward climb, is an undiscovered and essentially unknown area to tourists. Yet it's a place of gentle, rolling farmland, magnificent old farmhouses, clear-blue lakes and rivers,  and villages so pretty that if it were, say, in Burgundy (only about an hour away), it would be buzzing with tourists. My first stop was La Maison du Comté in the lovely medieval town of Poligny for a short film on the cheese making process and a tasting of several aged Comtés. I learned the differences the seasons make in color, aroma, texture and taste.  Next, I visited the small village of Bouverans to discover the secrets of the fruitière (cheese making house), where Tas Marmier is one of 175 fruitières who make Comté in the region. Each fruitière handles the milk of approximately 18 dairy farmers in the cooperative. The  milk is delivered each morning and evening to the fruitière and must be transformed into cheese within 24 hours, just the way it’s been done for  centuries. Much of the work at the fruitière is automated until the milk fills the copper cauldrons to be heated, curdled, separated from the whey, and gathered as cheese. Cheese makers need the daily production of 30 cows to make one wheel of Comtè,  weighing approximately 80 pounds. After aging for a few weeks in the fruitière’s small cellar, it is sent to one of the region’s affineur’s cellars to  mature for anywhere from 6 to 18 months. During this time, the cheese is regularly cleaned and rubbed with salted water. Hydraulic lifts bring cheeses to the ground for inspection and rotation and then return them to the wooden shelves. The cheeses are arranged according to date of production, and as one batch is removed and shipped, new wheels take their place. Juries of experts grade the cheese according to its taste, texture and appearance. Comté Extra receives at least 15 points and a green band; a brown  band that indicates that it received 12 to 14 points; those under 12 points don’t qualify for labeling. Visit anybody involved with the Comté cheese industry or the production of Jura wines, and their passion and enthusiasm makes you realize why these products have left such a mark on the culture of France. This area is most definitely worth visiting before the rest of the world discovers it.
Where to Eat:  Chateau du Mont Joly in Sampans, 33 3 84 83 43 43, www.chateaumontjoly.com Chef Romuald Fassenet A earned a Michelin star for his creative and delicious cuisine. Fassenet shows a sure hand and an inventive touch with seafood such as lobster three-ways; and his flawless technique is apparent with duck marinated in honey and spices.
Hotel “Le Lac”, www.hotel-le-lac.fr, 33.3,81.69.34.80 Delicious regional specialties with a contemporary twist are served in a lovely room.  La Petite Échelle, Rochejean, phone 011-33 (0)3 8149 9340, famillebournez@aol.com, www.lapetiteechelle.com, open May 1-Oct. 30. Fondues, roesti potatoes, and fruit tarts are the bill of fare. Its owner, a shepherd, cooks rustic meals for hikers and guests.
Auberge du Grapiot, Rue Bagier, 39600 Pupillin, 03-84 37 49 44. Regional food and wines in rustic setting. Where to Stay:Chateau du Mont Joly in Sampans, 33 3 84 83 43 43, www.chateaumontjoly.com Brand new and sparkling with modern décor and warm hospitality. The hotel is elegant and efficient; a place where visitors really feel at home. Hotel “Le Lac”, www.hotel-le-lac.fr, 33.3,81.69.34.80 Family owned hotel with lovely lake views and spacious rooms. La Domaine du Moulin de la Vallée Heureuse, in Poligny R.N.5 - Route de Geneve - 39800 POLIGNY Tel : 03 84 37 12 13 Originally an 18th century mill, the residence stands on the Wine Route and offers a romantic garden and nearly 5 acres of parkland. Stroll through the grounds to discover the trout stream, 3 panoramic terraces, a heated swimming pool and a second indoor pool. What to do: La Maison du Comté, Avenue de la Resistance, Poligny, phone: 011- 33 (0)3 8437 7840, maisonducomte@comte.com. The staff can organize visits to English-speaking dairies and aging caves, and map a regional driving route.  For those who like a bit of military history, you can't go wrong with a guided tour of the Chateau de Joux. This castle-turned fort in La Cluse et Mijoux, dates back to the 11th Century and has played key roles in protecting the Swiss border and also serving as a state prison. A notable resident of the prison was Toussaint Louverture, who led the early 19th Century slave rebellion that turned the colony of Haiti into the world's first independent black republic.
The waterways have made Franche-Comte popular with fishermen and boaters. Trout and perch can be caught in the rivers, and crayfish and char in the lakes; water lovers can rent canoes, kayaks and houseboats throughout the region. For those who prefer their recreation to be more land-based, the region can be paradisiacal, for hiking or biking. and winter sports are highly organized here. More information:Lyon Convention and Visitors Bureau, Place Bellecour; 01-33-04-78-42-94-32; www.en.lyon-france.com
The Rhone tourist board, 142 bis avenue de Saxe, 01-33-04-72-56-70-40; www.rhonetourisme.com
The Rhone-Alps tourist board, 104 Route de Paris ; www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com ; www.rhonealpes.tv |
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