Your typical exam day.

Today we had our final exam presentations. I got up super early to work on my presentation and get to the market to purchase some cheese. I got right on line at the cheese distributor, who had both Salers and Cantal cheeses which I was looking to purchase. Salers and Cantal are cheeses produced by the exact same method, but Salers differs because it can only be produced from the milk of cows that graze on mountain pasture in the summer. So, Salers is very yellow in color, whereas Cantal is closer to ivory. 

Left: Cantal
Right: Salers

And, yes, there was already a dozen people on line at 9:30am to purchase cheese from this man, who shakes the hand of and greets each of his customers. I purchased “un petit morceau” of each. Before going back to Cluny Sejour, I did a bit of souvenir shopping around the market.

Around noon, the rest of the student began to flock to the classroom and we setup for the presentations of each of our individually selected wines and cheeses. In total we had 8 presentations, 12 cheeses, and 5.5 bottles of wine.  The cheeses were Beauxfort, Cantal, Salers, Munster (2 types), brie di meaux, morbier, 3 ages of goat cheeses, emmental, and Roquefort (which this time was much better with bread, walnuts, and a very sweet wine). Five hours later, we finished. It was a long, *difficult* afternoon.

We purchased every bottle of this wine that
Le Cellier del Abbaye had!

After tasting so many wines, we all took a trip over to Le Cellier del Abbaye to purchase a few bottles of our favorites as souvenirs. 

We then had our final dinner at Le Cloitre as a group. 

Our last escargot!

My last dinner in Cluny: seafood and
potato in tomato broth. Mmmm...

As we ate, there was torrential downpours outside--I'd like to think of this as a sign that we're not supposed to leave.

This past week has flown by and I can’t believe that tomorrow we’re going to be leaving this place. Will I ever return here, to Cluny? Perhaps I should make that a goal. And now I have to pack up all my clothes, all my souvenirs for my friends and family, all the memories, and bring them home. It hasn’t hit me yet, that we’re actually going. This was honestly one of the greatest experiences ever. Nothing can compare. I’ve learned so much about myself, about cheese and wine, about the history of this little gem of a town and its region, and I’ve made several friends: all in two weeks time. Alright, 7:00am is going to be here before I know it. It’s time to pack. 

Comte Coma: Part II

Last night there was the craziest storm. So, we couldn’t close the windows in our hotel room because it was swelteringly hot, and around 5am the thunder started booming. It was violent and earth-shattering. Thus, the time to wake up came far too early.

Breakfast was awesome! I was so torn because I’m pretty sure I was still full from the night before. But for the first time since coming to France, breakfast was more than just bread. So, of course, I had to embrace the moment, go down a notch on my belt, and dig in. There were eggs, whole fruit, cereal, and yogurt (my favorite)—of course bread and croissants were options, too, but there were so many other things!

Once again, I was really full. We left hotel and boarded the bus to go visit a farm where they were making Comte (yummmm). 

When we arrived, the milk truck was still in the driveway and huge copper vats were being heated and stirred. 

We then watched as the contents of one vat were pumped and showered over another tub with 8 molds with sieves. 

The molds were catching the curd, and as we watched, the copper vat emptied to completion, the sieves were removed to leave behind the metal mold, filled to the brim with fresh curd. 

These were smoothed, capped and set on racks by machine to drain further. 

They then set up for the next batch. We learned  that they received their milk from a cooperative of farmers who independently did not produced enough milk to make the cheese. This facility would process 4 or 5 batches of milk per day to yield 32 to 40 wheels of Comte.

After observing the process, we were shown the rooms where the cheeses age for several weeks. On sight, there were thousands of cheeses waiting to be sent to caves for further aging. Like all the other cheese facilities we’d been to, this one had a store as well. But in this store, we could taste some Comte. Could I resist? Ha. No way.

We stopped off at the Jura market that afternoon to purchase some supplies for a picnic lunch in the mountains before our visit to an old fort, where they now age Comte up to 4 years. I picked up a cucumber and some irresistible 26 month Comte. Now this cheese… this cheese. I really hope I can find some at home. Our picnic was pretty epic. We had bread (weird, right?), a wide variety of cheeses, carrot salads, cantaloupe, figs, cucumber, tomatoes, cherries, and so on. We also had the opportunity to try real English Cheddar cheese FROM Cheddar. Now, after that, I really don’t understand how they got American Cheddar. Why abandon the method of something that was already so good? Or defame it’s good name with such an imposter? Oh geez… I’ve been spoiled.

Our bus tried to fit though this tunnel...
It was WAY too big.

Filled to the brim, we entered the Comte storage facility. Unfortunately, all the food began to take its toll. This is precisely why I can do big lunches. I could hardly stand I was so tired. At one point, when I was standing as far as possible from the creepy mannequins which were demonstrating the cheese making process in repeated, rigid motion, I leaned against a wall and started to fall asleep on the spot. I was jolted awake as my knee started to give out under me. I resorted to pacing.

As I said, the facility used to be a fort, so the walls were several feet thick stone. Thus, the temperature in the cellar was naturally seven degrees Celsius year round. We entered the room where there were 4-year-aged rounds of Comte. The stench of this room set our eyes watering and sent us running: it absolutely reeked of ammonia. It turns out that this smell is a natural product of the aging process because as proteins are breaking down, they release nitrogen compounds, therefore, ammonia.

We ended our tour with a sensual movie with a man in a robe talking about all the efforts involved in caring for the Comte during the aging process and producing a high quality product. And again, we were provided with a tasting of 6 month, 12 month, and 18 month Comte cheeses. The 12-month was produced using summer’s milk and had a distinctly more yellow hue. Further, it was texturally different. It was more crumbly, whereas the non-summer milk cheeses were slightly more firm and rubbery. All different, all delicious.

After lack of sleep last night because of the storm, all the food today, and the intense heat, I readily stretched out in the last row of seats on the bus and fell right asleep for the entire ride home. 

I’m now working on my presentation for tomorrow morning, before which I need to get up and go to the farmers market to purchase some Salers!

Comte Coma: Part I

This morning we left for Jura on…. the big bus! Hopefully it works out…

  

We first visited the old salt mines. Compared to the blazing hot day, the cool depths of the salt mines was refreshing. We descended several stairs into the mines, standing on compact coal ash with thin, needle-like stalactites above our heads.

 We made note of what appeared to be architecture of the Sistersian monks in the tall tunnel archways. 

We observed the methods of harvesting brine and even tasted brine straight from the spicket. The mines are no longer mass producing salt, but do continue to pump brine which they use to make salted caramels among a few other things.

We had a light lunch at a nearby café then headed to Pasteur’s home. Before visiting his house though, we pulled over on the side of the road, where we got out to stand in the vineyard where Pasteur’s family had owned plots of vines. But also where Pasteur made several significant deductions about bacteria and yeast metabolism, by observing wine fermentation.

After dropping our things off at our hotel, we walked to La Maison de Louis Pasteur.

We were warmly welcomed and given a tour of the home. Our guide was very funny, and led us through the dining room, living room, bedroom, and laboratory. 

I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen
drawings and textbooks images of this
microscope.

I was intrigued to see the original swan-necked flasks which disproved spontaneous generation and the microscopes involved in making significant scientific deductions about yeast, bacteria, tartaric acid crystals, vaccinations, and so much more.

The original swan-necked flasks!

Later that evening, we had another 4 course meal planned for us. But first, we had some shopping to do. Seven fifteen came too quickly and we headed to the restaurant for dinner. 

My first course consisted of a salad with lettuce, tomato, walnuts, that delicious Dijon vinaigrette and cubes of Comte cheese. This was my first time trying Comte. It was love. Go buy yourself some Comte right now. It’s available in the states because although it’s a raw milk cheese, it’s aged for several months. Buy summer’s milk Comte. It’s there, you can find it, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Anyway, the meal continued on, and I had an omelette for my next course which was filled with, you guessed it, Comte. Then came the cheese course. Being in Jura, the regional cheeses are Comte and Morbier. So I indulged in just a bit more Comte. Then, dessert. They had this cheese… no, just kidding. There wasn’t cheese in the dessert. What there was, though, was a tasty apple tart (which could have been 12x more tasty if it was warm, and had a scoop of vanilla ice cream…. only in America).

Oh, and I forgot to include mention of the wine’s we had with dinner tonight. Jura does something completely different with some of their wines: when the wine is matured in the barrel, a thick film of yeast is allowed to form over the surface and it sits for a few years. Then, the wine, called vin jaune, is completely transformed. I was surprised it was still a wine, because it seemed something far from wine, and closer to sherry. Upon first smell, I got a whiff of apple cider and acetone. My senses aren’t always spot on… but anyway, it was very interesting. And it does grow on you. Apparently, one bottle will keep forever which might be a good thing—I can’t imagine vin jaune being an everyday drink. But perhaps with some Comte and walnuts…

I love ice cream.

Today we were in the classroom once again focusing this time on salt and the microbiology of the cow rumen, which is pretty much as densely packed with bacteria as physically possible. After such appetizing discussion, we broke for lunch. After lunch, we were not returning to the classroom in order to give us a little extra time to work on our final presentations. 

Laura and I went to Le Cellier del Abbaye to purchase the wine’s we wanted to do our research papers on. I absolutely love the Chardonnay from the Macon region, compared to California Chardonnay. The fruit really comes forward and shines on its own, enhanced simply by the soil’s minerality. I never thought I’d really enjoy Chardonnay so much.

The wine I chose with Sonia's help!

It was super hot out, and what’s the best remedy on a hot day? ICE CREAM. I got a perfect scoop of violet ice cream and I felt like a cartoon. In Cluny, they have these big, big ice cream cones that taste like American waffle cones but better because they have a fragile, light, layered texture. Adding to this ridiculous cone, was a perfectly round scoop of lavender hued ice cream—like Easter purple. Ice cream cone in hand on this beautiful day, I was happy as a dog with two tails.

After spending the remainder of the afternoon working on my cheese and wine presentations, we headed out as a group to Auberge du Cheval Blanc, a really nice restaurant on the edge of town where you pretty much have to have a three or four course meal. No messing around.

At 7:30 we sat down and began piecing together our meal selections. For my first course (entre), I selected a salad topped with gingerbread toasts and warmed brie. 

My main course was sea bass with a creamy seafood sauce, asparagus, and rice pilaf. All our main dishes were accompanied by tiny side portions of nutmeg spiced carrots and mushrooms in cream sauce. 

Then, they wheeled over a cart of cheeses with a glass window through which the cheeses could be seen for selection.

I decided on 2 fresh goat cheeses, one aged goat, and Roquefort. The aged goat, once more, was my favorite. The fresh goat cheeses had no flavor, and the Roquefort was straight up salt—I guess when it come to blue cheese, I’ll be sticking to Stilton. After that, there was the option of dessert, but there was no way I was fitting another morsel in me. 

A leisurely three hours after being seated, we dragged ourselves out of the restaurant, and, me, I scurried to the bar to catch the Spain and Portugal semi-final euro cup game! I arrived toward the end of the game, and the bar was packed! Except it was packed with Portugal fans (boo!). There was one family, who’d I’d seen at the bar for several of the other games, that had everyone there. Their young children, around 2-years-old, were decked out in Portugal memorabilia. They even had their dogs there with them: green Mohawk and all. Yep, the dog had a green Mohawk in support of the Portugal team… awesome. But alas, Spain was victorious and I pretty much floated home on excited.

Tomorrow we have to get up pretty early for a 3 hour bus ride up to Jura where we’ll be visiting salt mines and the house of Louis Pasteur! We’re hoping we don’t get the big bus again because, although it would make the drive nice, we might not be able to maneuver all the roads we need to have access to. Time to pack for the over-night!

Wine tasting in one of the biggest cellars in the world? No big deal in Beaune.

Today we visited Beaune. We were supposed to depart before 9am, but the bus was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t pulled into Cluny, Sejour the way that it had done the other days. So, after several minutes of waiting, we went to look for the bus. And bus we did find. A GIANT bus. Not the minibus which had taken us on our previous trips, this was a bus suited for nearly 50 people and their luggage. The ride was comfortable, to say the least; we each had a row of seats to ourselves. Living the high life, for sure.

Not only did the bus have its perks for comfort, but it also lifted us several feet off the ground, providing a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape through which we were driving and allowing us to see much more than we could from the ground level. As we drove out of Cluny and headed north, we began to pass dozens of Charolay calves on pasture. The miniature cattle had pure white coats from being so young.

Soon enough we began to enter Cote de Chalonnais, and vineyards began to pop up around us. We saw a wine maker pruning the tops of his vines using a tractor-like clipper. Before we knew it, we arrived in a drizzley Beaune.

Our first stop was the Musee du vin (Wine Museum) where, prior to entering, we saw several historical wine presses.  Once inside, we were pulled back in history, to the very beginning of the discovery and early production of wine in ancient times. The museum described grape varieties, regional development of vineyards, plantation standards, cultivation and harvesting tools and baskets, the different types of bottles used, and methods of corking. 

We also sat down to watch a video of the great deal of labor put into the assembly of wooden barrels used in wine aging. The difficult thing about the museum was that everything was in French. Thankfully, in each room there were summary cards in a variety of languages which we could reference. These cards didn’t go into full details about everything in each room, but were very informative nonetheless. We only wish we could have stayed longer!

Our second stop was the Hospice de Beaune. This was a town hospital where the sick poor of the city could be treated for free. It’s noted for having beautiful tiled roofing visible from the courtyard of the hospice. The tiles were hand-painted glossy slate, arranged in a diamond pattern. The tiles we saw were a reconstruction of what the original roofing was imagined to have looked like, though it was noted that the original may have had more coloring. 

We went through the hospice using audio-guides that provided us with in-depth descriptions of each room via reenacted first-person dialogue between the two founders of the hospice. Despite being a hospital, the hospice was beautiful. The tiles bore a crest with the initials of the founders. Even the ceiling beams were carved and painted as heads of several animals. 

We learned that the hospice was funded by donations and over the years had acquired several plots of land which were Beaune vineyards. This resulted in an annual auction of the wine produced by the vineyards to this day as a fundraiser.

After the lengthy tour of the Hospice we took a break for lunch at Brasserie Le Carnot. This place was busy—a tremendous change from the quiet town of Cluny which we’d become accustomed to. After our meal we regrouped and walked over to the Petriarche Caves, which are one of the largest wine caves in France.

As we arrived, the rain began to let up and some of us gravitated toward a few beautiful rose bushes which were outside. 

Soon enough, we were ushered inside and provided with small stainless steel cups with which to taste thirteen wines in the caves. These cups are small and shallow with a little ring as a handle and ribbing and bumps lining the interior. Monks used to hang the cups from string around their neck so they could carry a candle down into the cellars. The bumps and ribbing in the cup would reflect light from the candle through the wine and the monks would be able to tell if the wine was clear or not.

As we walked through the cool, dark caves, we passed stack after stack of dusty, unmarked bottles ranging from as few as one or two to stacks of hundreds, each differentiated by a small sign hung or placed near the stack. 

There was even wine so valuable that it was kept behind steel bars. Other bottles had dates indicating when they were to be opened. One such stack was wine from the Beaune Auction of 1994 (a very good year). This wine was both behind bars and partitioned into three groups which were to be opened in the years 2020, 2050, and 2094. A hundred year old bottle of wine! I can’t imagine thinking that far in advance. Then again, these cellars held wine dating back to 1904, 108 years ago, and bottles ranging from under ten euros to over a thousand euros in price. 

We were also told that just the previous week, the cellar was forced to switch from standard candlelight to electrical candlesticks as lighting. The tour guide was frustrated, and I can understand why. In such a historical place, where candles had been used for over a century with no real problems, why switch to dim, artificial lighting? I was slightly disappointed that we had just missed them, too. We were freely allowed to taste a select group of wines which they’d had set out. These included 1 sparkling, 4 whites, and 8 reds, the last white and the last red which we’d tasted were my favorites of the bunch, but unfortunately none were really good enough to purchase. 

After a big lunch and all that wine, I’m super tired. We’re currently on the road back to Cluny. I think when we get back I’m going to rest up and do some more research on Salers. Perhaps now find a wine that suits it, too!

What is Ble??

Today we talked about wine production for 5 hours in the classroom. This gap was broken up by a two hour break for lunch, but the weather is humid and rainy, so walking into town was rather unappealing. We covered the history of wine discovery and production, discussed the differences between white and red wine, distinguished the  microbial control points, outlined the variables in production which distinguish wine makers and set their products apart, and also touched on several technological advances that have impacted the wine industry. It was a busy day!

We purchased our train tickets this afternoon for our return to Paris on Sunday morning. I can’t believe a week has already flown by! Even better, though, there’s still a whole week to go!

Alright, so remember that cheese we’d purchased at the market on Saturday? The one that was a mouth-watering, upstanding hunk, aged to perfection, and of the perfect golden hue? Slightly nutty? (We’re still talking about cheese.) Well, I mean, that’s how I remember it. Amino acid crystals flecked throughout to indicate it’s aging, a thin, red and brown, craggy rind. Faint lines running throughout as a memory of the curds that were turned and pressed, turned and pressed to yield a masterpiece. Part of me spotted the cheese from almost across the street, and despite being  one of the most indecisive people you’ll ever meet, I knew I’d love it. Long-story short, for class we need to select a cheese to study and present to the class. Salers is now my chosen cheese, and today I spent a little bit of time doing some research.

The day culminated with a group dinner at La  Nation. Despite my efforts, I am continuing to struggle with the menus. I’d selected “Ble a la Nicoise.” One, because I knew what a Nicoise salad was and that I could eat it. Two, because I had to figure out what “ble” was. I asked the server and she had no idea how to explain it, and had to go ask someone else to ultimately tell me it was wheat. Now, I’ve never heard of wheat just being served straight up, and how did were they planning on bringing that into a Nicoise salad? So, I referenced the translator app. on my phone which told me it was wheat, corn, or grain. I was pretty sure it wasn’t corn, the term for which looks closer to maize. Again, I had to wait and see what I was going to get. 

What came to the table was a tremendous salad, with a small mound of barley and tuna nestled in the center. Ble meant barley! Mystery solved. Needless to say, I ate the whole thing and will be sleeping well tonight.

I napped in the gardens of a chateau in France. Enough said.

Today we went for a bike ride! We travelled approximately 26km north to a Chateau where we had a picnic and toured the Chateau. It was a beautiful day and I was very excited for such a leisurely, yet engaging activity.

I woke up a slightly early to go to the bakery in the morning with some of the other students to get a quick coffee and bread for our picnic. Why didn’t I go to the bakery every morning? No. Why didn’t I live in the bakery? This place smelled like heaven. The baker was shaping baguette after baguette to be put into the oven after taking several out. the walls and display cases were filled with pastries and fresh loaves of all different shapes and sizes.

Upon checkout, I decided to purchase a small French donut—the equivalent of what looked like a munchkin. We took a seat outside with our coffees and I bit into my donut. This is exactly why I DON’T live at the bakery. I think I died, this thing was glorious. The small donut was rolled in sugar, and what oozed from the center wasn’t any syrupy, or waxy pudding-like substance which can be found inside American donuts. No, what oozed from the center was real, luscious milk chocolate. How do these not exist in America? Who’s responsible to ruling out the sinfully delicious cheeses, ice cream, and now donuts, too? It’s really probably a good thing I don’t have regular access to those little nuggets of bliss.

After coming back down to the streets of Cluny from my brief stay in heaven, we finished our coffees and headed back to the hostel to divide up the picnic supplies for our bike ride. Originally, I had the cheese bag in my backpack, which had the dreadful potential on a warm afternoon to leave the lingering smell of cheese as a souvenir for my backpack. Luckily, though, we were able to acquire cargo baskets for our bicycles. And we were off!

The bikeride was beautiful. We passed through several farms and saw field after field of grazing white (Charolay) beef cattle. After about an hour ride, around 12pm, we arrived at the picnic site just outside the town where the chateau was located. Once again, by means of a great deal of leftovers from yesterday’s picnic feast, we enjoyed a delicious picnic including a few more cucumber, tomato, avocado lettuce wraps, a very tasty baguette from the bakery that morning, white peaches and cherries. For cheeses we had an aged goat cheese (which always seems to go to quickly) boquefort, and the emmental and citoux which seem to be never ending. We also had some leftover cranberry cheese and herb cheese from the Fromagerie Delin which we’d visited on Friday. That is, until I clumsily knocked the herb cheese onto the ground. 

We finished up 2 bottles of wine and our picnic around 1:35, and we headed into town. Unfortunately, we were within that 2 hour window during which everything in town closes for lunch, including the Chateau. So to kill a bit of time, we popped into a café for some espressos and to refuel our dessert stomachs. Also in the café, I came across what looked like a candy dispenser, with little 2 ounce cans. But the cans weren’t candy, some were peanuts, some mixed, others olives! I couldn’t resist buying one.

I wasn't kidding about the moat.

After our coffee/dessert break we headed into the Chateau. Walking to the entry we crossed a moat which surrounded the Chateau. A real moat?! Hello, fairytale! 

Our tour guide, who spoke French, provided us with typed guides in English. The Chateau was beautiful and incredibly ornate. Even the ceilings were intricately decorated with carvings and paintings. This was a clear reflection of the tremendous wealth of the original family that lived there.

Living the life.

On top of the building I noted a giant nest in which sat 2 tremendous birds (storks maybe?). Those animals had it made! If I were a bird, I’d totally post up at a chateau or castle. Why not?

We next toured the gardens located just over the moat on the right side of the Chateau. Our walk around the gardens ended in a brief nap in the gardens surrounded by rose bushes, lavender, and the carved bushes of various plump little animals.

Around 5pm we awoke from our slumber and realized that one of the keys to the bike locks was missing. Together, we search the grounds of the garden and the Chateau, but came up empty handed. As it turned out, one of the chateau guides had the key in his pocket the entire time! Luckily we retrieved it from him and departed for our bike ride back to Cluny. The return went by much more quickly than the morning’s ride.

We had dinner tonight at Brasserie du Nord (where I’d had the unfortunate meat experience during our first lunch). Well, this restaurant seems to always put me at a loss as a lactose-intolerant vegetarian. Seemingly every dish on the menu is entirely cheese or graced by meat of some kind. The past two times I’d been here, I resorted to just telling the server I was vegetarian and that I’d be happy with anything the chef sent me. Unfortunately, I arrived at dinner this night slightly later than the rest of the group and was left with very little time to find something I could eat on the menu. Exhausted from the long day, I once more told the server I was vegetarian but would eat fish, and would be satisfied with anything. After rolling his eyes at the vegetarian comment, he nodded and left our table. Well, at that rate, I had no idea what I was going to receive as my meal.

I really should tell them to send me anything tasty that I can eat more often. What was soon delivered to me was a plate of pan-seared salmon dressed with a creamy seafood sauce, a small bowl of wild rice, and a light green salad with walnuts and the French Dijon vinaigrette that I can’t get enough of. I really couldn’t have asked for something better.

Sufficiently full, I once again made my way to the bar for yet another Eurocup game. Tonight, it was England versus Italy (my ancestry!). I was initially disappointed when I arrived at the 90 minute mark, which would technically be the end of the game. However, I next made note of the score which was zero-zero! I was just in time for overtime. This is when it gets intense. Just five minutes before the end of overtime, Italy scored! Except it didn’t count. So the game went on to penalty kicks. Now, here, this is where watching becomes unbearably nerve-wracking. But, alas, just as in the 2006 World Cup, Italy claimed victory over penalty kicks. Viva Italia! Wednesday will be the Spain-Portugal, and I can’t wait!

Tomorrow, after a very fun weekend, we’ll be back in the classroom to talk about wine which I’ve been much anticipating, especially after taking the Rutgers Wine Course this past spring.