Taste the authenticity,
crunch the Alps and Savoy

Specialist in AOP/ PDO cheeses from Isère and Savoy

The Verdannet family cheese dairy was founded by Ernest Verdannet in 1904. Also known as Fromagerie La Tournette, it is the oldest cheese business in Hautes-Savoie. For 5 generations, the dairy has transmitted its unique know-how while respecting tradition and terroir. Verdannet produces around 6,000 metric tons of cheese per year, including 3,000 tons of Reblochon cheese.

1904

Year of creation

6 000

Metric tons of production

Production sites

4 AOP/ PDO

2 IGP/ PGI

Main AOP/ PDO Reblochon producer

3,000 metric tons, namely 50% of the Verdannet production

2020 Gold medal for the AOP/ PDO Reblochon

Silver medal for the PGI Tomme de Savoie and Bronze for the PGI raclette, awarded by the Paris Concours General Agricole

2019 Gold medal for our Cru des Alpes

2 Silver medals for the AOP/ PDO Tome des Bauges et Chevrette du Chatelard awarded by the Tours Cheese World Cup

1 2 3

3 cheese anchored in the terroir

In order to best reflect the diversity of its terroir, Verdannet cheese dairy deploys its cheeses in 3 different ranges:

The Savoy range, for its emblematic AOP/ PDO & IGP/ PGI cheeses from Savoy
The Alps range, for an assortment of traditional cheeses
The Selection range, for cheese counters and dairy shop, with a choice of exceptional, farmstead and long-ripened cheeses

AOP/ PDO Reblochon

Reblochon is an uncooked pressed cow’s milk cheese, AOP/PDO labeled since 1958. The production area is limited to the Haute-Savoie mountains and the Val d’Arly. The milk is produced by the Abondance, Montbéliarde and Tarine breeds, mainly fed by grass in summer and hay in winter. We can distinguish the farmstead Reblochon by its green casein spot (made from milk protein) and the dairy Reblochon by a red one. The maturing period lasts 18 days minimum, up to 35-40 days for the farmstead Reblochon.

AOP/ PDO Abondance

Protected Designation of Origin since 1990, Abondance is a pressed cooked cheese made from raw cow’s milk. Coming from monastic origins, it can only be made in Haute-Savoie and more precisely in the Abondance valley. Its milk with floral and fruity aromas comes from the Abondance cow breed. This cheese is made using specific techniques. Molded in a hessian, the cheese curd is placed in a press for one day before being salted. Its minimum maturing period is 100 days. The cheese is regularly rubbed with salted water and turned over several times a week. AOP/ PDO Abondance stands out thanks to a fruity taste with notes of hazelnuts, pineapple and citrus.

AOP/ PDO Beaufort

Beaufort has been recognized AOP/PDO since April 1968. This pressed cooked cheese is made with raw cow’s milk, exclusively from Tarine and Abondance breeds. These animals are subject to a strict diet consisting only of hay and grazed grass in small ration. Production must not exceed 5,000kg / 11,023lb per year and per cow. The geographical manufacturing area is limited to the Beaufortain, the Tarentaise, the Maurienne and a part of the Val d’Arly valleys. The Beaufort is molded in a linen canvas and circled using a wooden circle which will give to the cheese its characteristic concave heel. The maturing period must be at least 5 months.

AOP/ PDO Tome des Bauges

Tome des Bauges is an uncooked pressed cheese made from raw cow’s milk, AOP/PDO certified since 2007. Its geographical area covers 54 municipalities in the departments of Savoy and Haute-Savoie. The milk intended for its production comes from dairy cows belonging to the pure Abondance, Tarine and Montbéliarde breeds. During the summer period, their food mainly consists in grazed grass and hay from the massif. During the winter period, the hay is self-served while, in the pasture period, it is limited to 3kg / 6.6lb per day and per cow. The maturing period is 5 weeks minimum and must happen within the AOP/ PDO zone.

Did you know?

Tomme or Tome? Those two denominations have a common etymology ‘Toma’ which means, in the Alps dialect, “cheese made in the mountain pastures”. Today, “Tomme” and “Tome” are both describing mountain cheeses. However, a geographical distinction can be made.

“Tome” would be more specific to the French Centre region (Lozère and Massif-central areas) at the exception of the famous “Tome of Bauges” which is made in the Alps.
“Tomme”, would be more specific to the Alps. Of course a cheese “Tomme” does not only come from Savoy. You can find it everywhere in many different places!

The REBLOCHON was born in Aravis in Haute-Savoie in the 13th century. At the time, producers did not own their land and the rental of mountain pastures was proportional to the quantity of milk produced. On the day of the measurement, farmers were used to limit the milking to reduce their fees. Once the controller left, they could make a second milking. In dialect, this second milking was called “Reblocher”. The Reblochon cheese takes its name from this special milk used for its production.

In 1381, the ABONDANCE cheese was served at the conclave table during the election of Pope Clement VII in Avignon where it earned its reputation of an excellence cheese. Rapidly, the cheese also found its place on the best tables of the Court of Savoy. It became so well known that it was used for bartering when there was little ready cash back time. In collaboration with the peasants, a culture and an economic activity jointly emerged.

The origin of the concave heel of the BEAUFORT wheel would have two explanations:

facilitate its muleback transportation
prevent the cheese from collapse during its maturation

Taste the authenticity,
crunch the Alps and Savoy

Specialist in AOP/ PDO cheeses from Isère and Savoy

Main AOP/ PDO Reblochon producer

2020 Gold medal for the AOP/ PDO Reblochon

2019 Gold medal for our Cru des Alpes

3 cheese anchored in the terroir

AOP/ PDO Reblochon

AOP/ PDO Abondance

AOP/ PDO Beaufort

AOP/ PDO Tome des Bauges

Did you know?

Interested in the products of this dairy?

Get in touch!

Useful links

Taste the authenticity, crunch the Alps and Savoy

Specialist in AOP/ PDO cheeses from Isère and Savoy

3 cheese anchored in the terroir

AOP/ PDO Reblochon

AOP/ PDO Abondance

AOP/ PDO Beaufort

AOP/ PDO Tome des Bauges

Did you know?

Interested in the products of this dairy?

Get in touch!

Useful links

Taste the authenticity,
crunch the Alps and Savoy