The Mountain of Gold – The Story of French & Swiss Mont d’Or

Few cheeses embody the romance of winter quite like Vacherin Mont d’Or. Born high in the Jura Mountains, this soft, spruce-bound cheese takes its name from Mont d’Or — the “Mountain of Gold” — which glows amber at sunset where France and Switzerland meet. On either side of this ridge, two nations make their own versions of one of the world’s most beloved seasonal cheeses.

Shared Origins

Vacherin Mont d’Or exists because of the rhythm of Alpine life. During spring and summer, when the cows graze lush mountain pastures, their milk is pooled to make large, long-aged cheeses like Comté and Gruyère. But as autumn arrives, the herds return to the valleys and milk becomes richer and scarcer — ideal for smaller, creamier cheeses. When the snow closed the mountain roads and the great wheels of Comté could no longer be produced, cheesemakers turned to creating Vacherin Mont d’Or, wrapping it in spruce bark from the surrounding forests to hold its luscious texture and infuse a gentle, woody perfume.

Two Sides of the Same Mountain

Although they share geography and history, the French and Swiss Mont d’Ors differ subtly in make and character:

• Milk Treatment: French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs is made using raw milk, producing complex, lactic, and buttery flavours. The Swiss version, Vacherin Mont-d’Or, uses thermised milk — gently heated to preserve the natural character while meeting strict Swiss hygiene standards — resulting in a slightly smoother, more savoury cheese.

• Pine and Production: Both are bound in spruce bark, sourced from the Jura forests. Each side insists their local pine imparts the finer aroma. The French use soft-cheese vats and delicate curd handling; the Swiss employ adapted Gruyère-style vats, slicing tubes of curd into individual cheeses — a nod to their Alpine cheesemaking heritage.

• Maturation: Both age for around three weeks, but under different regimes. Swiss cheeses are washed daily and ripened at 11°C, developing a rosy rind and deep, meaty flavour. French wheels are washed only a few times and aged slightly cooler, encouraging a white, dappled rind and a creamier, buttery character.

• Seasonality: Swiss Mont d’Or may be sold from 19 September to 30 April, while the French runs from 10 September to 10 May — reflecting their shared but independent traditions.

The Taste of Winter

Whether French or Swiss, Mont d’Or is a cheese for cold nights and convivial tables. Traditionally served warm, baked in its box until molten, it pairs beautifully with crusty bread, new potatoes, or a glass of crisp white wine.

So, while the French and Swiss may debate whose bark smells sweeter or whose pine grows purer, both create a cheese that glows like its mountain namesake — golden, rich, and unmistakably of the Jura.