This Month Cheese Club features 3 Quebec cheeses. La Fromagerie La Suisse Normande from the Lanaudière region, Fromagerie de la Table Ronde located in the Laurentian, and Fromagerie de l’Isle-aux-Grues located 75 k eat of Québec city. Enjoy!
FROMAGERIE LA SUISSE NORMANDE, St-Roch de l’Achigan, Québec
They named their fromagerie la “Suisse Normande” because Fabienne, the cheese maker, is from Switzerland and Freddy who looks after the farm is from Normandy. They both wanted to share their little corner of the world by way of their cheese. Suisse Normande is also a region of Normandy that resembles parts of Switzerland. The cheese production is done on the premises, directly across the street from their goat farm.
Le Chevronné
- Type of milk: pasteurized goat’s milk
- Texture: Soft
Tasting notes
The delicate caprine notes of this cheese are fresh and subtle. Le Chevronné is a soft farm cheese that has a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth creamy white paste that becomes increasingly runny over time. This Tomme Vaudoise-style soft cheese with a thin bloomy rind, has a mild milky, grassy and aromatic taste of fresh mushroom with a gentle tang which makes it a veritable delight eaten as is or cooked. 
Pairing opportunities:
Le Chevronné would pair well with white wines with a touch of spritz. Try a Rose or a Sauvignon Blanc like the White Cliff Sauvignon Blanc. If you prefer red wine, try a Carménère. Beer lovers may want to pair this cheese with a Belgian beer.
FROMAGIERS DE LA TABLE RONDE, Sainte-Sophie, Québec
Organic farmstead cheese is what they make at the Alary family’s fromagerie. 2003 saw the creation of their first cheese, Le Rassembleu. Since then they have created a grand variety of gorgeous cheeses, some of which are only available at their own cheese store. Production respects tradition while using modern technology that allows the fromagerie to abide by the very strict requirements of organic certification.
Le Fou du Roy
- Type of milk: pasteurized cow’s milk
- Texture: Semi-firm
- Awards and distinctions: 2016 Canadian Cheese Awards finalist in the Best Organic Cheese category. 2006 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix finalist in the Farmhouse Cheese category.
Tasting notes
This soft, melt-in-your-mouth cheese offers a delightful taste of butter, peanuts, hay and a slight hint of the country. This semi-soft, organic farm cheese with a washed rind is made with pasteurized organic milk that is drawn directly from the herd of Holstein cows on the Raymond Alary and sons family farm, where the cheese maker is located.
Pairing opportunities:
This cheese pairs well with the traditional English IPA. When choosing a white wine, try a Chardonnay. If you desire a red wine, try a Bourgogne.
Fromagerie L’Ile-aux-Grues, Located: L’Ile-aux-grues is accessible by ferry from Montmagny Québec
The cheese dairy of Île-Aux-Grues was inspired by the rich history of Grosse Île, one of the 21 islands that make up the Île-Aux-Grues archipelago. It is a national historic site that commemorates the importance of Canadian immigration between the beginning of the 19th century and the First World War.
Haut-Marais de l’Isle
- Type of milk: non-pasteurized cow’s milk
- Texture: Firm
- Awards and distinctions: World Cheese Award – Bronze in the category.
Tasting notes
A beautiful 10 kg wheel with a firm and smooth pale yellow paste that melts in your mouth. When younger, the main flavour is cream. As the cheese ages, it picks up fruity and nutty flavours. The orangey rind exudes lactic notes.
Pairing opportunities
This cheese would pair well with a Sauvignon Blanc. As for red wine, try a medium-bodied, fruity wine. And for beer drinkers, try a blonde ale.
