L’Etivaz AOP
The 2nd of October is the date of the “La Désalpe de L’Etivaz” - which is the descent of the herds of cows from their summer Alpine pastures to the lower lands for the winter. This is an important moment on the calendar for all those involved with summer alpine cheesemaking. Sadly this year the event was cancelled so we will have to wait until 2021 for the annual celebration. During our visit to our L’Etivaz producer we saw the careful fire management that is needed to keep the milk at the right temperature. There is considerable work to be done daily with the making of the cheese, however also with maintaining firewood supplies and managing the herd of cows. The season’s close is near as the weather is changing and winter is approaching.
This Chalet was built around 1750 and is at an altitude of 1388m on a plateau of the Alp. This family have been making cheese in the chalet for more than 30 years and brought their young children with them up to the Alp every summer. The living conditions are very basic, and life revolves around the making of cheese and the care of the animals.
During our visit it was a bright summer’s day in July, but the family talked about the constantly changing weather on the Alp. In the year 1936 a lake formed and came up to this point on the chalet. Again in 2015 there was another flood which came even further up the walls of the chalet. In other years the snow was so deep that only the roof of the chalet was visible.
All the L’Etivaz cheesemakers regularly take their young cheeses down to the Cooperative for maturing. The cheeses are then brined (put in a salt bath) and then put on the shelves for maturation. The cheese remains here from 135 days to 24 months.
Contributors
Rachael Sills
Hannah Jobse