Tasting the Bleu d'Auvergne is the promise of an intense moment, a cheese with character and strong flavor, made in Auvergne, a mountainous country, with marked seasons and abundant pastures. It is this volcanic terroir that gives Bleu d'Auvergne all its character and authenticity. Enjoy this wonderful cheese brought to you in Metro Manila Philippines.
 
How is Bleu D'Auvergne made?
Bleu d'Auvergne is a cheese made from raw, thermised or pasteurized cow's milk, with a blue, non-pressed, uncooked paste and a bloomy rind, produced mainly in the departments of Cantal and Puy-de-Dôme and some towns in the Haute-Loire in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Bleu d'Auvergne can be farm-produced or dairy-produced and can be made from raw, thermized or pasteurized milk.
In farm production, only milk from a maximum of two successive milkings can be used, that of the first milking will then be refrigerated for conservation. Its renneting takes place a maximum of 16 hours after the oldest milking.
In dairy production, the milk undergoes a pre-maturation phase before renneting. This step is carried out at a temperature between 6 and 14 ° C for a minimum of 4 hours. The pre-maturation temperature is accompanied or not by the addition of ferments and takes place within 24 hours of receiving the milk.
For both products, the renneting is carried out at a temperature between 30 and 34 ° C.
The inoculation of Bleu d'Auvergne is carried out with cultures of Penicillium roqueforti.
After coagulation, the curd is sliced ​​into cubes that vary in size from that of a grain of corn to that of a hazelnut. It is then stirred in order to obtain a so-called “capped” grain. Capped grains are grains surrounded by a thin film that prevents them from sticking together.
Much of the serum is removed from the curd before performing the molding operation.
Once the cheeses are molded, they are placed, without pressing, in the drain for a maximum period of 72 hours. During this phase, they will be returned regularly. At the end of draining, each cheese is salted by rubbing or sprinkling with salt, over its entire surface, in a room with a temperature between 14 ° C and 22 ° C. This salting can be preceded by brining.
In order to allow the blue to develop, the cheeses are pricked once in order to supply the Penicillium roqueforti with the CO2 necessary for its growth.
The time between renneting and stitching is a maximum of 10 days.
The cheeses then leave for humid, airy and cool ripening cellars. They are placed there "naked" for at least 15 days at a temperature between 6 and 12 ° C and a humidity greater than 90%.
The refiner monitors the good development of the blue and if he considers that the cheese has a perfect marbling, he places the cheeses in a storage room at a temperature between 0 and 6 ° C until a ripening time is obtained. 28 days from the renneting date. It is only after this period that the cheese will be able to obtain its Bleu d'Auvergne AOP appellation.
 
What is the tasting profile of Bleu D'Auvergne?
it has a thin rind, of multiple colors, can present molds ranging from ocher to bluish gray. Its paste, white to ivory in color, is regularly sprinkled with openings and blue-green parsley (Penicillium roqueforti) varying in size. On the palate, the texture of Bleu d'Auvergne is soft, fine and melting. On the palate, it is a cheese with a marked but balanced taste offering flavors of blue, cream, undergrowth and sometimes mushrooms. It can present a slight salinity and sometimes a discreet touch of bitterness. Its typicality and its blue taste are accentuated over the course of its maturing time.

What wine to pair with Bleu D'Auvergne?
To pair a Bleu D'Auvergne the ideal is a sweet wine as it will balance out the strength and pungent taste of the cheese. We would recomment a Pelissero, Moscato D'Asti. If you prefer it with a red wine, we recomment a strong red wine with some spices such as a Malbec from the South West (Lionel Osmin, Villa des Causses Malbec).
Bleu D'Auvergne can also be used in cooking, for a example it is great in making sauces for steak or grilled meat.Pair it with bread!