At 1100 m high in the centre of the Mountains of the Jura, the Fort Saint Antoine at Saint Antoine (25 Doubs, BFC) has been converted to a peaceful and different purpose! Erected after the French-Prussian war in 1870 to protect the eastern borders, it today houses a treasure of 100 000 wheels of Comté cheese!
There’s nothing we love more than a beautiful fromage selection like this one! pic.twitter.com/L8FRqfApKk
— Cheeses of France (@CheesesofEurope) October 1, 2017
The cheese patiently ripens in the ideal conditions of this real stone cathedral, which is set into the side of a hillside. The slow ripening, 14 months on average, reveals the aromatic diversity of the best Comté cheeses from the mountains. During that long ripening process the Comte will benefit from regular care and slowly release a whole range of aromas to produce a product with rich flavours and taste.
Comté cheese is one of the most popular cheeses in France, made from raw cow’s milk and matured in wheels of
between 40 and 70cm diameter, as it is both richly favoured and very versatile.
Saint Antoine is close to the Swiss border, about 40 miles east of Lons-le-Saunier (39 Jura, Franche-Comté)
For more info see www.comtecheese.co.uk/
Nearby at Pontarlier (25 Doubs, Franche-Comté), a 20 minute drive away, you could stay at the B&B La Tour du Coq Doré all rooms being en suite and with private balcony.
TGV from LondonDiscover more from FrenchDuck.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.