Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/724773
f a l l 2 0 1 6 | 7 7 Interestingly, for me, whose background is in wine, the notion of a cooperative model is not always associated with quality. With few notable exceptions (Cantina Terlano in Alto Adige and Produttori di Barbaresco in Piedmont, both in Italy, come to mind) cooperative wineries tend to produce mediocre, unmemorable wines. In the cheese world, also like wine, we tend to associate quality with small production. We can be led to believe that "farmstead" for cheese is best, or that "estate bottled" wines are superior. This is simply not always, or even often, true. And I am hard-pressed to think of a better example of the cooperative production model—of any culinary product, in which I include beverages—than that of Comté. This organization, or network really, of thousands of people works unfailingly together for one common goal: to produce their singular cheese. And yet, Comté, it could be argued, is a product of terroir; expressed through the flavors and textures of cheese, it represents a place. The place is the Jura and it is indeed a tremendously beau- tiful country region. Nestled below the foothills of the Alps, the rural area is ideal for cattle grazing. And as cattle go, the Montbéliarde is a magnificent breed. They are sturdy, produc- tive and, in my opinion, beautiful creatures. There are roughly 2,600 cattle farms in the Jura that raise these cows for their fine milk. Most of the herds are under 60 cows. In the regulations of the Comté PDO, the cows are required to have at least two and a half acres per cow to roam; most have much more. The cows are milked twice a day, 365 days a year. In the summertime, when they graze in the meadows of natural grasses and wild flowers, it is quite a sight to see and hear when the herd comes in for milking. The farmer simply calls for them, and as the herding dogs do their work, the cows come in, their traditional bells creating a symphony of chimes. The milk is delivered to the fruitières daily, where the cheesemakers work long hours in humid conditions to craft the impressive wheels of young Comté. There are 160 fruit- ières in the cooperative. Another regulation of the PDO is that the farms that provide the milk are within 15 miles of the fruitières. Each fruitière may work with up to 20 farms. The word fruitière comes from the French verb fructifier, which means "to bear fruit." I think that is an excellent word to describe the cheese-making part of the cooperative system that provides for so many people. The last step of the cooperative system is the aging facilities or affineurs. There are sixteen of them, and although they vary in size, their job is to age the wheels to desired styles. All Comté must be aged a minimum of 120 days, but most is aged longer. Preferred ages, in my observation, are at 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months, although I did taste a rare 30-month Comté. A wheel of Comté weighs roughly 100 pounds. The affineurs (also the name of the people that manage the aging) seem to effortlessly know every wheel in their cellar. Their job is literally to "listen to the cheese," which they do by making rounds and routinely tapping on the wheels with a tiny wooden hammer-like tool called a sonde. By touch and sound, they can ascertain the quality of the wheel. With the same tool they hol- low out a small piece to smell and taste; only then do they decide if the wheel is ready or if it should be aged further. Comté and its production methods are unique, but every wheel of Comté is different. The variables are myriad: Did the cows eat summer botanicals or winter hay? How long was the cheese aged? How is it served? It all amounts to simply tasting and exploring much Comté. One finds in the youthful cheeses a fresh, grassy characteristic with an underly- ing creaminess. The older cheeses have a nutty and caramelized flavor; often they possess mini crunchy granules called tyrosines (amino acids) which add a textural element. Comté served with a local Jura wine made from Savagnin grapes is my own preferred tasting. However one decides to savor Comté, the experience is enhanced when one considers the incredible cooperative system that produces this magnificent cheese. In cellars, thousands of wheels of Comté age for months or years on local spruce planks. Always done by hand, a cheese- maker checks the curd. An affineur uses a sonde to check the aging of a wheel of Comté. ■cr