Some places welcome autumn with a cheese. In late September, Les Charbonnières in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux celebrates both Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOP and cattle returning from summer pastures. The producers describe a village day of local stalls, music and tastings of the new cheese.[1]
The association traces the village dairy society to 1865, when it began making Vacherin Mont-d’Or. Its historical account connects these smaller cheeses with the seasonal decline in milk: as cattle returned to winter housing, making large wheels became less practical. A change in the farming year helped shape a different kind of cheese.[2]
The food deserves the fuss. This soft cheese is held in a spruce band called a sangle, which the producers credit with its woody character. The spruce box is another local craft, made from wood from the production area. The association describes eating it with a spoon or bread. A village, a forest scent and a cheese you can scoop: autumn has arrived.[3]