The Costco Connection - September 2015

The terroir and special cows

The story of Comté, a semi-hard mountain cheese with a pale, creamy yellow interior, begins with the fertile soils of the Jura Massif. The climate and soil—the region’s terroir—are perfect for an abundance of grasses and flowers. These make superb grazing areas for milk cows, which, according to the appellation d’origine con-trôlée (AOC) regulations for the region, can only be Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows for the making of Comté.

Rivoire Jacquemin works with 400 local milk producers, each with about

25 cows. These gentle animals are lovingly cared for. For example, AOC rules require fresh, natural feed, and ample room for grazing.

The farmers sell their milk
daily to local fruitières, who are masters of
converting the milk to cheese. This tradi-
tional system of close, trusting relationships
between the farmers and the cheesemakers
is essential to making fine Comté.

The cow’s milk is gently warmed in large copper vats, animal rennet is added to cause the milk to coagulate into curds and the curds are slowly separated from the liquid whey. The fresh curds are placed into molds, pressed to remove the remaining whey and then left to mature. These new wheels stay refrigerated at the fruitière for two to four weeks, receiving an occasional brushing with salt and rinsing to create the cheese’s hard outer crust.

The master cheesemakers

Next, the rounds from the fruitières are transported to affineurs. The aging process involves attentive care and slow maturation; the cheese, resting on spruce planks, is kept at precisely controlled temperatures. During this time, the rounds are given constant care: rinsed, rubbed with sea salt, flipped, sampled and monitored.

Time is critical here. AOC regulations require Comté to be aged for at least four months, and many cheesemakers opt to release their cheeses just then, to be consumed young and as a commodity. Rivoire Jacquemin uses the slower traditional method, specializing in aged Comte, with some being carefully kept for as long as 30 months.

In developing a unique flavor profile for Kirkland Signature Comté, Costco’s cheese buyers held numerous meetings and tastings in search of something rich, complex and filled with personality. The result: Our Comté is aged for at least eight months.

There’s one last important step. We work closely with an internationally acclaimed cheesemaker and affineur, Hervé Mons, to taste each batch before it becomes Kirkland Signature. There’s no substitute for his degree of expertise.

I found the history, process and people behind our Kirkland Signature Comté fascinating. Each person along the way—the farmer, the fruitière and the affineur—is a devoted expert in what they do. It’s an old-world approach that makes a wonderful treat for modern tables. Item #821471. C