{"id":48495,"date":"2024-11-12T11:11:05","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T16:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=48495"},"modified":"2024-11-12T11:11:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T16:11:06","slug":"gruyere-aop-cheese-how-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/gruyere-aop-cheese-how-made\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes Le\u00a0Gruyere\u00a0AOP Special?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wheels of Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP Alpage aging at Alpage de la Moesettaz in Le Brassus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photographed by Mallory Scyphers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A teenage boy donned in rubber boots and a white apron walks in and taps his father on the shoulder. In a hushed voice he asks a question in French. The father laughs and answers him, smiling as the boy exits. \u201cHe just asked if the cows should come in from pasture because it\u2019s starting to rain,\u201d Nicolas Jotterand, a fifth generation Holstein cow farmer explains. This vignette is a small example of why Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP is not just any Swiss cheese. The farmers who raise the cows that will be milked for production truly care about their animals\u2019 well-being. Of<\/em> course<\/em> those cows won\u2019t stand in the rain; they\u2019ll be herded into a large barn with ample room for resting and ruminating. It\u2019s how it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP is exclusively produced in an area reminiscent of a certain sing-along movie showcasing an Austrian nun bellowing about hills and joyfully skipping down a mountain. It\u2019s almost unbelievable how magical this place is. A country known for neutrality, chocolate, and watches, Switzerland is also home to 11 other AOP styles of Swiss cheese\u2014not just<\/em> the slices dotted with holes (Emmentaler).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cows at Alpage de la Moesettaz in Le Brassus.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It can be tricky to untangle the nuances of what makes each Alpine style cheese different from their counterparts. As a cheese magazine devoted to uplifting hardworking makers and their cheeses, this is a question we\u2019re often asked: \u201cWhat\u2019s really the difference between Gruy\u00e8re and [insert similar Alpine style cheese here]??\u201d And honestly, my answer (besides terroir, obviously) is\u2026 the people<\/em>. It\u2019s the folks behind the scenes milking, making, aging, quality checking, loading, distributing, importing, etc. etc. etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about the French Impressionists: Monet, Degas, Renoir, Manet, among many others. Their work is similar, but their unique style distinguishes their work. And so, in this way, cheesemaking is an art defined by who<\/em> is producing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dairy Farmer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nicolas Jotterand is a Master Breeder of Holstein cows in Biere, Switzerland, a canton of Vaud, who works hard to maintain a family tradition of exclusively providing quality raw milk to the makers who will produce Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP. And like many farmers, his teenage son is planning to follow in his footsteps. Nicolas is passionate about his craft, proudly displaying a splash of prize ribbons and awards in the relaxed gathering space just above a stable where cows munch on grass and grain. His ladies (the cows) have won dozens upon dozens of accolades over the years. Jotterand is also vice president of Holstein Switzerland, an organization devoted to taking care of Holstein breeders and farmers that\u2019s been around for over 125 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nicolas Jotterand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Holsteins in Jotterand’s barn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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As Jotterand explains the ins and outs of his operation, the group I\u2019m touring with oohs and aahs over a just-born calf snuggled near her mother in a nearby enclosure. He opens the gate and lets us pet her. The mother nervously watches as Jotterand tells us the calf will be separated from her mom later that day after colostrum has waned and the calf is steadily walking. Then, he leads us over to a huge pit of manure that\u2019s been mixed into a mud pie-like slurry. This resourceful method of reserving waste will keep him from using chemicals when fertilizing the fields these cows graze. As the tour passes back through the barn, Jotterand heartily pats the sole bull in the first stall, and stops to explain the process of insemination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the steps in the life of dairy farming from birth to earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There can be a few challenges for farmers in Switzerland. Zoning laws ensure only specific spaces are farmed\u2014meaning, you can\u2019t just move to Switzerland, buy a chunk of land, and start farming. Also, government subsidies are only given to farmers who meet specific quality and environmental standards. Plus, labor laws are stringent and wages are relatively high. And when it comes to the world of Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP, there are also specific regulations for farmers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n