Hearty Cheeses and Warm Flavors
Warm up by the fire with this selection of French cheeses, aged to perfection for cozy occasions. The apple flavor of the cognac pairs beautifully with heartier cheeses.
Pair with Cognac
Max’s recommended tasting order: Pavé d’Auge, Beaufort, Fourme d’Ambert.
The Cheeses
“At the end of an evening, cognac is my last beverage and cheese is my last food...making for very sweet dreams.” Max McCallman, Maître Fromager
Fourme d’Ambert (AOC). Produced by cooperatives in the Auvergne region, this semi-soft, creamy blue cheese is similar to Stilton but pressed and therefore less crumbly. The cheese is poured into a mold (fourme) shaped like an upright cylinder. Its flavor is buttery and tangy, not salty or bitter.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Bleu d’Auvergne, Roquefort.
Pavé d’Auge. This large, rustic cow’s milk cheese is similar to Pont-l’Evêque, originally a monastic cheese dating back over 1,000 years. It is produced in a creamery in the Pays d’Auge at the northern base of the Normandy peninsula. The pâte is soft to semi-soft, with a strong woodsy flavor.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Saint-Nectaire, Pont-l’Evêque, Camembert.
Beaufort (AOC). Famous since Roman times, Beaufort is one of the noble cheeses of the French Alps. Made from the milk of an ancient mountain breed of mahogany-colored cows, it has a dense, concentrated, buttery consistency, a fruity aroma and rich, nutty flavors with a hint of sweetness.
If you can’t find it, ask for: Comté, Emmental Français, Gruyère de Savoie.
All soft-ripened cheeses used in our Signature Fromage Plates are made from pasteurized milk, and therefore comply with FDA regulations.