LE GRUYÈRE AOP:
PRIDE OF PLACE
2025-26 EDITION
A comprehensive guide to selling Switzerland’s mighty mountain cheese
It might be a familiar sight in shops around the globe, but Le Gruyère AOP is still firmly rooted in the place where it has always been made
Le Gruyère AOP is a big cheese in more ways than one. Made in 35kg wheels that require strong arms for lifting, the cheese is famous across the world where it is sold everywhere from small fromageries to big supermarkets. But in other ways, Le Gruyère AOP is still small in scale, made with milk from tiny farms in village dairies, not factories.
To truly understand both sides of the famous cheese, requires a proper appreciation of the terroir, history and way of life in the Alps in Western Switzerland where it is made. Under the terms of it Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP), which protects where and how it is produced, Le Gruyère AOP can only be made in Switzerland in the cantons of Fribourg Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura, and a few municipalities of Bern.
This Alpine region is home to more than 1,800 farms, who deliver milk to their local village dairies twice a day. On average each dairy farmer has just 30-50 cows – a tiny number by modern standards. These family farms are at
DID YOU KNOW?
It takes 400 litres of milk to make a 35kg wheel of Le Gruyère AOP
the heart of what makes the cheese so special, acting as custodians of the land and guardians of quality and tradition. By law, milk for Le Gruyère AOP can only come from cows fed on grass in the summer and hay in the winter – the vast majority of which is grown in the region. That means strictly no additives or silage (fermented grass).
The region’s valleys, hills and mountains echo with the gentle ring of
A SENSE OF PLACE
Le Gruyère is legally protected by an Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP), similar to the EU’s PDO status. This means:
• The cheese can only be made in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura in Switzerland, and a few municipalities of Bern
• Le Gruyère AOP must be made with raw milk
• Additives, GMOs and preservatives are strictly forbidden
• 70% of the cows’ forage must come from the farm
• Silage is forbidden
• Milk must be used within 18 hours after milking
cow bells as the animals graze diverse pastures. The milk for Le Gruyère AOP typically comes from Red Holstein and Holstein cows, but also Montbéliardes, Brown Swiss and Simmentals. Each animal produces about 30kg of milk per day, munching their way through 20kg of natural forage (grass or hay), plus natural proteins, with at least 70% of the cows’ diet coming from the dairy farm.
It takes around 400 litres of fresh milk to produce one 35 kg wheel of cheese, with the animals milked morning and night. After each milking, the farmer delivers directly to the local dairy, which by law must be located within a 20km journey from the farm. Crucially only raw milk is permitted so that the full flavour of the pasture and the unique microflora of the farms and dairies themselves is fully expressed in the final cheese.
Like the farms that supply them, the dairies themselves are typically small family affairs, which work with just a handful of local farms. There are more than 160 Le Gruyère AOP cheese dairies, run by craftsmen (and it is mainly men), who must complete four years of schooling to become ‘cheese masters’. They often work seven days a week, often side-by-side with their wives, starting at 5am and finishing around lunchtime, before caring for their cheeses in the cellar and taking in the evening milk at around 7pm. It means long days and hard work, but this is how it has always been done.
The taste of
900 YEARS IN THE MAKING
To really know Le Gruyère AOP requires a quick history lesson. Records show that the cheese was made around the small town of Gruyères in the Canton of Fribourg in 1115. Medieval chronicles reference the expertise of the local cheesemakers, who turned milk into a full-fat cheese that was even exported to France and Italy. The cross-border popularity of the cheese continued into the 17th century, when the name Gruyère was first recognised officially in 1602 as exports boomed. As people emigrated from the Fribourg to other parts of Switzerland and the cheese became more popular, the geographical production zone spread to the cantons
DID YOU KNOW?
of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura, as well as to neighbouring France. The cheese was increasingly imitated in other areas and a campaign to gain protection for the name Gruyère began to build momentum in the 19th century. Negotiations were held in Madrid (1891) and Paris (1926) to get legal recognition, before a meeting in Rome in 1930 led to the signing of a first agreement to protect the denominations of goods and their origin. However, it was only in 2001 that Gruyère cheese was granted Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) at a national level and then full AOP status for all of Europe in 2011.
WELCOME
TO THE WORLD OF LE GRUYÈRE
AOP
If you ever get the opportunity to visit Switzerland to see Le Gruyère AOP being made, then you should jump at the chance. By spending time at the small farms, village dairies and specialist affineurs that devote their lives to the cheese it soon becomes clear what makes it so special.
Le Gruyère AOP is a global brand, but this is only possible through the solidarity and hard work of thousands of small businesses in the Swiss mountains that come together to create something that is bigger than the sum of their parts.
This supplement aims to tell the story of this collective spirit, which is rooted in the landscape, history and culture of Switzerland, and is expressed in cheeses that are full of flavour.
Britain’s delis, farm shops, food halls and cheese shops will undoubtedly know and love Le Gruyère AOP, but there’s always more to learn. From the strict rules that govern its production and the various styles to how to taste the cheese professionally and what to pair it with, we aim to give you the full picture.
There are only around 50 chalets spread around the mountains of Fribourg, Vaud and Bernese Jura that make Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP
Editor: Patrick McGuigan
director: Mark Windsor
Coley
Managing director: John Farrand
PRINTED BY Blackmore, Dorset
The alchemy of turning raw milk into Le Gruyère AOP is a proud tradition that has been passed down through the generations
The making of a masterpiece
It’s a ritual that has taken place every morning for hundreds of years and is still going strong today. As the sun rises over the mountains, farmers deliver fresh milk to dairies across the Swiss alps, where it is gratefully received by the cheesemaker.
It marks the beginning of a magical process of alchemy that sees liquid raw milk turned into hard cheese that can be aged for a year or more. The morning milk is mixed with evening milk, which has been left to settle overnight, in a copper vat. The vat is
important – only copper can be used under the terms of Le Gruyère’s AOP, partly because it has long been the tradition, but also because it distributes heat more evenly and contributes to the cheese’s unique flavour and texture.
The milk is left raw and unpasteurised, so that the unique microflora and flavours are not damaged. Likewise natural starter cultures made from whey are used to kick-start the cheesemaking process, ensuring a diverse family of lactic acid bacteria are introduced to the milk
NATURALLY LACTOSE-FREE
Shoppers who are intolerant to lactose often believe they can’t eat cheese, but a well informed cheesemonger knows better.
Le Gruyère AOP is naturally free of lactose because the sugar in the milk is fermented into lactic acid during the production process and the long maturation period. The cheese is also glutenfree and contains no GMOs.
This is good news for concerned consumers and for cheesemongers, who can tap into growing demand for free-from foods. According to research, the global market for lactose-free cheeses is growing at 8% a year and is due to more than double in the next decade. More importantly, if you can explain to a lactose-intolerant customer that it safe for them to eat Le Gruyère AOP, they will love you forever.
rather than the limited range found in the lab-grown frozen bacteria used by many industrial producers.
Once the milk has matured, traditional rennet is added to create a dense curd in the vat. It’s a remarkable thing to see liquid become solid thanks to a natural enzyme extracted from the stomach of a calf.
At this point, cheesemaking starts to gather pace in the warm, steamy dairy. The curd is cut into tiny pieces the size of grains of wheat with knives known as cheese harps (‘tranche-caillé). This
DID YOU KNOW?
At four months, the wheels of cheese are checked and taxed by experts of the Interprofession du Gruyère association, according to very precise and rigorous quality criteria. They can display the name Le Gruyère AOP only after this taxation.
DID YOU KNOW?
Only open copper vats with a maximum capacity of 6,600 litres can be used to make Le Gruyère AOP.
helps separate the curd from whey, a process that is encouraged by heating and stirring the curd at 57°C (135°F) for 40-45 minutes. The cheesemaker carefully checks the curd by hand kneading the small grains together to check the texture and when completely satisfied pumps the contents of the vat (curds and whey) into round moulds, where the whey rapidly drains away.
Each mould is marked on its outer edge (the ‘heel’) with the inscription ‘Le Gruyère AOP’. A marking made with casein (a natural protein found in milk) is made on the curd, indicating the number of the cheese wheel and of the cheese dairy, plus the manufacturing date. It is then pressed for about twenty hours, with an applied force of up to 900kg to help further squeeze whey from the curd and create a smooth paste, before each wheel is brined for 24 hours.
In many ways this is only the start of the journey for Le Gruyère AOP. The maturation process is as much a part of the cheese’s production process as the initial make. Traditionally, cheesemakers look after their young wheels, which weigh between 2540kg, in their cellars for around three
months, before they are passed on to specialist cheese maturers, known as an ‘affineurs’. There are 11 affineurs in the production region, who carefully ripen the cheeses to perfection in ‘caves d’affinage’ - maturing cellars that are kept a constant 90% humidity and 1218°C (59°F) temperature. The wheels are also turned and brushed with brine to create a golden, orange rind with a wonderful rich aroma.
How long affinage lasts is up to the cellar masters, who have decades of experience in developing cheeses to their full potential and use all their senses to assess the cheeses, taking samples with their cheese irons to inspect the appearance, texture, aroma and taste. They even tap the wheels to listen for any cracks or other defaults. Some cheeses will be ready at five months. Others will reach their full potential and 18 or even 24 months.
There are so many factors that can influence the final cheese. From the weather and the geographical location of the farm and the dairy to the knowhow of the cheese-maker and the refiner, each cheese follows a slightly different path as it develops its own unique character.
THE
FOUR FACES OF LE GRUYÈRE AOP
Le Gruyère AOP
Aged for six to nine months, the Classic cheese has a soft pliable texture and a delicate aroma. The flavour is pleasant and sweet with sweet milk and butter notes, plus hints of hazelnuts and a gentle savoury finish.
Le Gruyère AOP Réserve
An older cheese that is matured for at least 10 months, but often much longer, Le Gruyère AOP Réserve is a much more intense experience. The texture becomes increasingly firm and crumbly as it ages with a full-bodied, fruity flavour that often takes in savoury notes (especially near the rind).
Le Gruyère AOP Bio
Made from organic milk produced according to the standards set by BioSuisse, the cheese is similar in style to the Classic and Réserve, starting out with a gentle refined flavour at six to nine months, before becoming more intense at 10 months and above.
Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP
A seasonal cheese that is made between mid-May and mid-October high up on mountain pastures, where the cows graze a remarkably diverse array of herbs, flowers and wild grasses.
The raw milk is turned into 25kg wheels in small chalets, where cheesemakers work with copper cauldrons hung over open wood fires. Read more about the production of Alpage cheese on page 6.
High society
The ancient tradition of taking herds high up to graze mountain pastures in the summer is alive and well in the Alps, where Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP is celebrated in style
There’s no mistaking when autumn has arrived in the Swiss Alps. In September and October, villages in the foothills of the mountains reverberate with the sound of yodelling, horns, cow bells and the clatter of hooves as herds of cows are brought down from their high summer pastures. The ‘désalpe’, as it is known, is a much-loved celebration with plenty of singing, dancing and feasting in honour of the returning cheesemakers and their cows, whose horns are garlanded with flowers.
It’s an ancient tradition to mark the passing of the seasons and the return of families, who have spent the summer months high up in the mountains making a special type of cheese. Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP is only made between mid-May and mid-October, when the cows are taken up into the mountains to graze lush pastures made up of Alpine flowers, herbs and wild grasses. Their raw milk is used to make just a handful of wheels of cheese each day in tiny mountain chalets, where cheesemaking techniques haven’t changed for centuries.
Copper cauldrons hung over open log fires are used to heat the curd, which is gathered and lifted from the vat by hand using large linen cloths. The cloths filled with curd are then placed in moulds and pressed into smaller wheels that finish up weighing around 25kg. Every cheese
made in this way must be clearly labelled with the words ‘Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP’ imprinted on the side of the wheel.
Each stage of the process is closely governed by strict rules set out in the AOP, which specify requirements, such as the use of home-made whey starter cultures and a diet of permanent grass from summer pastures for the cows. The milk must come from the place where the cheese is made or from a neighbouring summer pasture, no more than 10 km away,
Only around 61 chalets, spread over the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud and Bernese Jura, make Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP, accounting for around 520 tonnes of cheese in 2024 – a tiny part of total Le Gruyère production, which stood at 30,706 tonnes in the same year.
Each chalet has its own unique terroir linked to altitude, aspect, flora and the know-how of the individual cheesemaker.
DID YOU KNOW?
Close to a thousand tonnes of Le Gruyère AOP was exported to the UK in 2024
This is reflected in the final cheeses, which demonstrate a wide range of flavours and textures, depending on when, where and how it was made.
It’s estimated that there are over 100 different plant species in Alpine pastures, compared to fewer than two dozen in lower lands. What’s more, the composition of the meadows changes throughout the summer with different flowers and herbs in different months. Families will also sometimes own more than one chalet, moving themselves and their cows to different pastures at different points in the season.
This adds to the variability of the cheese. Typically aged for 10 to 18 months, the flavour and textures can change from batch to batch and producer to producer, but powerful fruity and floral notes are common, plus savoury depths and even the occasional smoky note from the wood fires.
No wonder there is such a big party when the cows and the cheesemakers make their descent at the end of the summer.
You are what you eat
The biodiverse pastures of the Swiss Alps provide Le Gruyère cows with the perfect diet for making world-class cheese
Hike the mountain trails of the Swiss Alps and you’ll see the secret to Le Gruyère AOP’s remarkably complex flavour growing all around.
There are more than 500 different types of wild herbs, flowers and grasses that grow in the valleys and hills where the cows graze. These plants contain aromatic organic compounds, such as
1. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
The petals of this pretty blue flower have a mild, sweet flavour with delicate clove and honey notes. Cornflowers were once worn by young men in love. If the flower faded quickly, it signified their affections had gone unreturned.
2. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow has a strong, aromatic bitterness balanced by herbal, and camphor tones. Before the use of hops, it was part of a herb blend, called ‘gruit’, used to make beer in the Middle Ages.
3. Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis)
Tastes sharply peppery, like a cross between mustard and watercress, while young leaves have a subtle bitterness. Ideal for spring salads, egg dishes, or as a garnish for cheese. According to folklore, the flower is sacred to fairies, and so is unlucky if brought indoors.
terpenes, which directly influence the milk, helping to create the layers of aromas and flavours found in the resulting cheese.
It’s not a one-way relationship either. The cows support and maintain these mountain meadows by fertilising the land with their manure as they graze, encouraging a variety of plant life at different altitudes for the
4. Mallow (Malva sylvestris)
Mallow has a mild, subtly grassy flavour with faint nutty sweetness. Young leaves are tender and pleasant raw in salads, while older ones can be used to thicken soups and stews. Ancient Egyptians made the first marshmallow treats by mixing mallow root sap with honey.
5. Wild Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Wild chicory is distinctly bitter with earthy undertones and a touch of sweetness in young leaves. Roasted chicory root was used as a coffee substitute during wartime shortages.
6. Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis)
With a spicy flavour reminiscent of young cabbage mixed with horseradish, wild mustard leaves are tender and tangy when young. The seeds can be ground to make a kind of mustard.
following year in a circular system that sculpts the Swiss landscape.
To give you a flavour of this remarkable biodiversity, here are nine Alpine plants that grow in the valleys (less than 900m above sea level), mountains (900m-1200m) and sub-Alpine pastures (above 1200m) where Le Gruyère cows graze.
7. Monk’s Rhubarb (Rumex alpinus)
A tangy, lemony, and slightly sweet plant with refreshing acidity. It is so called because monks once grew it in monastery gardens as a vegetable (and a gentle laxative).
8. Spiked Rampion (Phyteuma spicatum)
Rampion roots are mild and delicately spicy with a crunchy texture. When cooked, they develop a gentle sweetness like salsify or parsnip. Rampion is also known as Rapunzel. In the famous fairytale of the same name, Rapunzel’s mother makes a deal with a witch in return for rampion roots.
9. Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Wild thyme is intensely aromatic, with lemony, and resinous flavours that deepen when dried. Mountain varieties are particularly fragrant.
How to taste Le Gruyère AOP
A
step-by-step
guide to getting the most from your cheese
LOOK
While it’s tempting to tuck straight into a delicious piece of Le Gruyère AOP, it’s better to take your time and fully appreciate the experience. A visual inspection of the cheese is a good starting point. Classic cheeses, aged for six to nine months, have lighter rinds and a paler paste, compared to Réserve cheeses, which will become progressively darker and more golden. You may also spot some crystals in mature cheeses. These are amino acids called tyrosine, which form as the protein structure breaks down during maturation. They add a lovely crunch to the cheese.
ACIDIFIED
CHEESERINDGRASS FERMENTEDGRASS BOILED VEGETABLES ALLIACEOUS WOODY FLOWERSHONEYDRIEDSEEDS CITRUS FRUITS EXOTIC FRUITS STONE OR PIP FRUITS
BROWN FRUITY
TOUCH
Give the cheese a squeeze – texture is important. A young Le Gruyère AOP has a dense, pliable structure, which is almost fudgey to the touch. Mature cheeses become much harder and crumbly with more snap and brittleness.
SMELL
Time will tell with Le Gruyère AOP, so while Classic cheeses have gentle milky aromas with delicate hints of fresh hazelnuts, pasture or hay, the Réserve cheeses often have a much stronger scent. Think caramel and roasted nuts, but also fruit notes. The rind in particular could be quite pungent, earthy and meaty.
TASTE
Slowly chew the cheese to let the complex flavours fully express themselves and try to pinpoint flavours on the aroma wheel (opposite) as you do so. Cheeses aged six to nine months will likely have delicate lactic notes of fresh butter, milk and cream with stone fruit aromas, such as apricot and apple. There could also be some savoury, nutty and salty characteristics, but these are unlikely to dominate.
Le Gruyère AOP Réserve will probably be more powerful and intense with ‘brown’ flavours, such as caramel, chocolate and toasted nuts, plus vegetal notes, such as hay, wet grass and roasted onion. Tropical fruit flavours, such as pineapple, are also more likely at this age, while umami and spicy notes become much more noticeable. Think meat broth and nutmeg. The Alpage cheese can be even more complex and powerful with pronounced animal and floral notes.
DID YOU KNOW?
You can identify the cheesemaker that made your cheese by looking up the number imprinted on the heel at gruyere.com
BREAKING DOWN A WHEEL OF LE GRUYÈRE AOP
Start by cutting a wheel in half using a double-handled cheese wire. You can then cut one of the halves into quarters of thirds, which are easier to work with. Do this using your wire or a doublehandled knife
Cut the nose off the quarter around a hand’s distance from the heel, using a wire. This can be sliced crossways into smaller pieces
The remaining large piece of cheese can then be cut into smaller wedges to order. Do not pre-cut too many pieces in a single day to avoid them drying out Make sure to wrap all cut faces of the cheese tightly in cling film to stop drying out and oxidation
Before you offer samples to customers, make sure you try the cheese yourself first to make sure it is in good condition and you can describe it accurately. Use the steps outlined above and the tasting wheel
Meet your match
The complex flavours and different age profiles of Le Gruyère AOP make it a versatile cheese for matching with all sorts of drinks from wine, beer and cider to fortifieds, whisky and even tea. Here are six of best of the best to try.
WINE
The caramel, fruity notes of a Le Gruyère AOP Classic are well suited to aromatic white wines, especially off-dry Rieslings from Germany or Alsace. Young wines typically have zesty, appley notes, plus nice acidity to cut through the creaminess of the cheese. For older cheeses, red wines are recommended from the perfumed, red berry notes of Pinot Noir to more full-bodied styles for aged cheeses, such as rich and expressive Amarone from Italy.
FORTIFIED WINE
Le Gruyère AOP Réserve at over a year old develops savoury, salty depths that can stand up to more powerful wines. Red Vermouth, which is popular in Italy, is a great match. The fortified wine, which is flavoured with botanicals, has a spicy, herbal and pleasantly bitter edge, which tease out floral, herbaceous notes in the cheese. Fortified wines are a good choice in general for mature cheeses – Oloroso sherry, tawny Port and Madeira are all good options.
WHISKY
The richness and complexity of mature Gruyère, especially Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP, means it can also find harmony with certain whiskies. The fruity, spicy, vanilla notes of a Kentucky Rye are a particularly interesting match, dovetailing with many of the flavours in the cheese.
BEER
There is much fun to be had trying different styles of Le Gruyère AOP with different beers. Classic cheeses work well with fruity, flowery amber ales and also sweet Bock lagers from Germany. Typically, stronger beers work best with Réserve cheeses. Think Belgian golden ales or Dubbels and Tripels.
DID YOU KNOW?
Le Gruyère must be matured for at least five months, before it can be sold
TEA
L’Interprofession du Gruyère in Switzerland has carried out new research into matching tea and Gruyère with fascinating results. The tannins and complex flavours in tea are a good foil for the cheese in a similar way to wine. Some of the best pairings include Le Gruyère AOP Réserve 15 months with a smoked tea from the Lapsang Souchong family and Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP 12 months with a Japanese green tea.
CIDER
There are a huge range of different styles of cider, from dry and flinty to sweet and velvety. The tannins work in a similar way to those of wine when paired with Le Gruyère AOP. Try a bone-dry cider with Le Gruyère AOP Classic – light, sparkling and refreshing it works a little like Champagne with the young creamy cheese. For more mature cheeses, medium and even medium-sweet ciders with notes of toffee apple and plums are a lovely option, contrasting with the salty, savoury cheese.
World renowned
Le Gruyère AOP is a cheese enjoyed around the globe by consumers and cheese professionals alike. The results achieved by Switzerland’s famous export at the World Cheese Awards are a testament to this. Here’s a round-up of its successes from the last three years.
Cru from Cremo. The other two were Fromagerie Chénens Gruyère AOP Réserve and an Alpage Bucley Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP, both of which were matured by affineur Margot Fromages.
There were also seven Gold winners, 19 Silvers and 17 Bronzes in what proved to be a bumper year.
In 2024, the awards were held in the Portuguese city of Viseu. In total, some 47 different Le Gruyère cheeses won 47 medals during the judging. These included four of the coveted Super Gold variety – the highest honour (bar winning the champion title at the whole competition itself).
These were a 14 month cheese from Mifroma and a Le Gruyère AOP Premier
Trondheim in Norway was the venue for WCA 2023-24 and Le Gruyère AOP was in the medals as always, with 31 in total. These included 11 Golds, with affineurs Walo von Mühlenen, Gourmino and Mifroma all taking honours, as well as Cremo and Emmi. There were also 13 Silver winners and seven Bronzes.
The awards in 2022 were a truly vintage year as a Le Gruyère AOP cheese was named World Champion at the event in Wales. Produced by Vorderfultigen and matured by affineur Gourmino, this Surchoix version of the cheese was the fifth Le Gruyère AOP to win the ultimate title – more than any other cheese in the awards’ history.
There were plenty of other awards for Le Gruyère AOP cheesemakers with 68
medals awarded to the cheese in total: 20 Bronzes, 23 Silvers and 19 Golds. Alongside the Vorderfultigen Le Gruyère AOP Surchoix from Gourmino, there were five other Super Golds: Alpage Vounetz Gruyère d’Alpage AOP (Caves de la Tzintre) Orsonnens Gruyère AOP, 12 months (Corsé Moléson), Gruyère Switzerland AOP Extra (Walo von Mühlenen) and two Le Gruyère AOP Premier Cru cheeses (from Cremo).
