Recently, my partner and I had the good fortune to travel to the Jura region of France.
We were staying in Lyon as part of a two-week road trip across France and had decided that a nice excuse to visit the Alps would be a day trip to the Juraflore Fort des Rousses.
The drive, once you leave Lyon is a comfortable 2-3 hours depending on how often you stop to admire the cows along the way. We passed the fields of wildflowers and grasses that the herds graze on. Flavours that will later lend their colour and flavour to the milk from which the Comté is made.
We stopped part way in a village called La Pesse for picnic supplies.
Boucherie Grenard had a great variety of items. We chose Pavé salami in the shape of a disc with espelette pepper, little Bleu de Gex quiche and some pâté en croute.
La Fruitiere La Pesse specialized in handmade crafts of the region but also had anything else you might need. We chose a Tomme fermier from Gobet Farms and some young Comté.
There was also a boulangerie for our baguette.
Further up the road was a charming spot for a picnic at Lac de Lamoura, about a half hour drive from Fort Rousses. It seemed like a popular spot for cyclists to break for lunch and there were some cows across the road to keep us company.
The Fort itself is a commanding building, complete with moat and an entryway large enough for the soldiers with horse and carriage that it was originally designed for.
There was a group of about 20 people for a tour and our guide did an excellent job! Although the tour was in French there was still much to be gleaned if you don’t speak French. No pictures are allowed once you start the tour.
Fort des Rousse was originally built by Napolean over 200 years ago and was taken over by the Arnaud family in 1995.
We were shown videos of the history of Juraflore Comté, which has been made through three generations of the Arnaud family.
Then the process of making the wheels. Each 40kg wheel of cheese needs at least 400 litres of milk. This comes mostly from the Montbéliard breed with a small amount from Simmental cows.
Once the wheels are formed, they are then salted, rubbed and turned for three weeks to form their natural rind, after which they are transferred to the aging cellars. They will remain there anywhere from 12 to 36 months to develop; all the while being turned daily with robot arms.
We were then invited to walk this magnificent gauntlet of cheese. Row after row from floor to vaulted ceiling!
Nothing prepares you for the intensity of ammonia when you enter the room. I was cavalier. I thought as a seasoned cheese monger, no problem! I was wrong. Your eyes sting. It catches in your lung and although you want to admire this outrageous display, this mammoth gathering, you are compelled to move along.
At the end of the tour, you are led to their little store where you can purchase the Comté and other cheeses from the Arnaud line.
This was a day trip I won’t soon forget and almost as a farewell, on the way back down the mountain we were held up behind a small parade of cows on the road making their way to the next beautiful pasture.
Magic!