I discovered Vacherin Mont D’or when creating the menu for this year’s Christmas dinner. This is a seasonally made cheese and extremely rare to find. Lucky for me I found it at the Bridgeland Market, Calgary and had to pre-order it in early December.
Vacherin Mont d’Or hails from Switzerland on the border of France near the mountain D’Or. Traditionally made with the winter milk of the same cows that produce Gruyere in the summer, this cheese is only available from October until April, making it all the more precious. Swiss regulations also dictate the cheese must be produced at elevations of 2,297 feet or higher.
Instructions to prepare:
- Use one whole Vacherin Mont-d’Or. We wrapped the whole container in tinfoil and placed it on the baking sheet.
- Pierce several slits with a knife. You can also insert 1 or 2 garlic cloves into the slits.
- Drizzle the surface of the cheese with half a cup of dry white wine.
- Place in a preheated oven at 200° and bake for 25 minutes.
- To allow its flavour to fully emerge, let it “breath” at room temperature before eating. Using a spoon, serve the cheese with baked potatoes (or enjoy it like a fondue, accompanied by bread).
Perfect for sharing!
Not to dictate, but you may enjoy this delectable cheese with a glass of one of the following:
Pour a glass of…
- Chenin Blanc
Pair with: Tangy Loire Valley goat cheese to bring out crisp, mineral qualities in both. Something like Selles-sur-Cher will work perfectly!
- Sparkling Wine
Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, anything with bubbles!
Pair with: The effervescence of Sparkling Wines makes for a great pairing with richer, fattier cheeses that coat the mouth: think La Tur and Brunet, or a triple creme like Brillat Savarin or Delice de Bourgogne.
- Wheat Beers
Wheat Beer, Weisse, Hefeweizen, Wit
Pair with: Bright, tangy goat’s milk cheeses like Westfield Capri and buttery bloomy rinds like Nettle Meadow Kunik.
