When we think of campfire foods, fondue might not immediately come to mind but, in fact, the campfire is where fondue as we know it was invented. Decades ago, an Alpine herdsman grew tired of his regular dinner and, in a stroke of ingenuity, melted wine and cheese together over the fire and ate it with crusty bread.
Ready to serve and conveniently packaged, Emmi Fondü is an excellent camping companion. Simply empty the packet of Fondü into a campfire-safe pot (enamel camping cookware or cast iron are great) and heat over the fire. In minutes, you’ll have smooth, creamy fondue for dipping bread, fruit and any combination of grilled meats and vegetables.
This fall, we set up camp and brought along the last of the summer tomatoes and peppers, hearty greens like broccolini and kale. They all got a good drizzle of olive oil and went right onto a cooking grate over the fire with a big porterhouse steak that fed our entire crew.
While our Fondü is wonderful for traditional dipping, it also makes a fabulous cheese sauce. We generously drizzled it over the grilled steak and vegetables, topped off everyone’s wine glasses and sat back to enjoy our simply prepared meal over great conversation and many laughs. After all, isn’t that what’s so wonderful about camping in the first place? Slowing down, coming together and enjoying the great outdoors.
There’s really nothing better than a freshly popped bottle of bubbles on the back patio on a warm summer night. Unless, of course, you also have a cheese board on that patio. Sparkling wine or champagne is the perfect compliment to cheese. Here are some of our favorite ways to pair Emmi cheeses with these light, summer bottles!
Gruyére + Cava To highlight Gruyére’s nutty, mild flavor; pair it with a glass of Cava or Champagne. Both sparkling wines are similar in flavor with fine bubbles and a yeasty, toasty flavor that enhances those same qualities in this favorite mountain cheese. Choose a Brut variety for a drier, more pleasing flavor.
Kaltbach Gruyére + Champagne — Aged in our prized 22-million-year-old Kaltbach Cave, this raw cow’s milk Gruyére is unlike any cheese you’ve tasted. To match its rich depth of flavor, enjoy it with a glass of Spanish Cava or French Champagne. Both sparkling wines enhance the cheese’s nuttiness, making those addictive flavor crystals somehow taste even better.
Kaltbach Le Crémeux + Rosé If you haven’t yet tried this one-of-a-kind cheese, then do it with a glass of bubbly in hand. Aged in our 22-million-year-old Kaltbach Cave, Le Crémeux has a caramelized butter flavor and approachable mildness that makes it easy for pairing. We love it with a bottle of dry sparkling rosé, Prosecco or dry (Brut) Champagne.
90 percent of the wine made in Switzerland is only domestically sold, but we found the best available in the U.S. and asked expert sommelier, Victoria James, to pair Emmi cheeses with them for the ultimate Wine & Cheese Day (July 25!) celebration.
Lack of availability and marketing means that Swiss wines remain mythical and undiscovered for many outside the charming country. Little wine is produced, and what little is made very rarely crosses the Swiss border—Switzerland is so wealthy, they really needn’t push their wines into the international market; in fact, 90 percent remains domestically sold. Further, there isn’t a large, international PR group educating the trade and marketing the wines. Beyond that, after my first visit to Switzerland, I learned why the Swiss seem almost secretive about their wines… perhaps for good reason—they might be too good to share.
For the United States market, a majority of the wines imported hail from the French cantons in the west, specifically the Valais and the Vaud. The Valais is nestled into the heart of the Alps, and the vineyards here, flanking both sides of the birthplace of the Rhône river (the right bank is most important), benefit from steep slopes and terraces. The Valais is responsible for a third of the country’s production. The mountains form a rain shadow that makes the Valais Switzerland’s driest canton with just 24 inches of precipitation a year… coupled with 2,100 hours a year of sunlight. For reference, Alsace, an infamously dry and sunny region in France, sees 20-25 inches of precipitation and 1,800 hours of sunlight annually. Indeed, some similarities in the styles of wine from Alsace and the Valais are noticeable: vibrant acidity, gobs of honeyed notes, racing minerality, white flowers and sometimes earthy/mushroomy aromas.
Unlike the Valais, which, to its own detriment might have too many “specialties,” the focus of the Vaud is solely Chasselas. In 2009 it was proven that this canton, resting on the shores of Lake Geneva, is the actual birthplace of the grape. Chasselas always reminds me of fresh spring water and is the perfect palate cleanser with rich and funky cheese.
Really, what grows together does go together. So many of these wines perfectly match their dairy counterparts, both carrying with them a sense of place.
Kaltbach Gruyère + Cave Caloz Cornalin, Les Bernunes, Valais, Switzerland
Made since the 12th century, Gruyère is a Swiss favorite. To go with this nutty and crunchy delight, I like to pour a slightly unusual pick–– a red wine. Most sommeliers cringe when guests drink red wine with cheese, as the former usually overpowers the delicate nuances of the latter with tannins and a blast of red fruit. However, this Gruyère, aged for a minimum of 150 days can take a bit of red wine. Chilled just a bit, the Cave Caloz Cornalin is the perfect quencher alongside this cheese.
Anne-Carole and Conrad Caloz (who took over for his father, Fernand) now manage the family domain while their eldest daughter, Sandrine, is the winemaker. 2013 is Sandrine’s white-winemaking debut after years of studying under her father and at enology school.
Although Switzerland is quite liberal, very few females are in the wine industry. As the story goes, when Sandrine was born, her grandfather excitedly opened a bottle of Champagne to celebrate his successor who would one day take over the winery. Minutes later, upon learning that his grandchild was a girl, he was reported as fuming, “Do you know how hard it is to put a cork back in a Champagne bottle?” Luckily, Sandrine’s hard work and skill put his skepticism to rest, and today he—along with a legion of fans—seems impressed by her wines.
Only otherwise seen in the Valle d’Aoste, Cornalin is hard to grow and very susceptible to sickness, commonly ripening unevenly or suffering from millerandage. Cornalin must be made carefully, but a well-made one like Sandrine’s seems to play a Syrah-like charade on the palate while boasting the inky color of Dolcetto. A true Alpine red, the Cornalin is structured and age-worthy and smells of wet soil, sticky pine trees, small red berries and dark flowers. A delicious and earthy wine makes a fruity contrast to the dried fruit and nutty elements in the Gruyère.
Kaltbach Crèmeux+ Jean- René Germanier, Amigné de Vétroz, 2 bees, Valais, Switzerland
A cheese as lush as the Crémeux deserves an equally decadent wine. Made from the local Amigné grape, the sweetness level of the wine is charmingly notated by bees. Two bees means between nine to twenty-five grams per liter residual sugar, so just slightly off-dry. With a ton of floral and stone fruit aromas, it contrasts the earthy sweetness of the cheese.
Urban Germanier first started making wine in Balavaud in 1896, and today Jean-René Germanier and his nephew, Gilles Besse, are the third and fourth generation to maintain the estate. Everything made at the winery follows traditional methods, while integrating modern technology. They are environmentally conscious and work closely with small growers to maintain the highest quality. Vétroz is a grand cru of the Valais that’s full of calcaire and schist; it’s also arguably the most important vineyard in the region.
The Amigné tastes like a saffron-infused honey pot, and with a silky and rich texture, coils perfectly around the creamy and decadent Kaltbach cheese.
Tête de Moine + Jean-René Germanier, Petite Arvine, Valais, Switzerland
From the same producer as the Amigné, comes the Valais specialty of Petite Arvine. Named after the nearby Arve river, the grape is chock full of notes of grapefruit, wisteria, and rhubarb. The Germanier Petite Arvine has a rich and concentrated mid-palate but with refreshing acidity, it manages to also be equally refreshing.
With such a Valisian specialty, an equally valuable cheese should be served. The Tête de Moine, once considered so valuable that farmers would use it as currency to pay landowners, is incredibly unique. Pared with a girolle, a tool that helps aerate the cheese, little rosettes of this cheese are both funky and sweet. The highly aromatic cheese is the perfect tangy accompaniment to the powerful Petite Arvine, together it is a parade of zesty extremes.
Appenzeller + Louis Bovard, Dezaléy, Chasselas, Grand Cru, Lavaux, Vaud, Switzerland
On the shores of Lac Léman (Geneva), lies the Grand Cru of Dézaley. The hill is mostly planted to Chasselas and is probably the world’s most ideal place for the grape as the clay soils retain rainwater before it can run down the slopes, and the sun grills the vines to create a generous style of wine. The lake also moderates the climate, lending a long maturation period with no frosts and moderate summers.
The quintessential Swiss grape, Chasselas is considered by many as ‘neutral,’ almost like a glass of cool water. A sip of the Bovard Chasselas might prove otherwise, as it is often considered the country’s best example of the grape.
Louis is the 10th generation of Bovards and currently owns 16 hectares—70% of which are dedicated to Chasselas. He also has one of the oddest wine labels in Switzerland: At first glance, one might think it boasts a strange man dressed in a wild, cheetah-print dress. But no, instead it is an image of Albert Bovard, who was cast as Bacchus at the 1905 winegrower’s festival in Vevey… today, the image remains an icon in the Vaud.
With the iconic wine, a similarly iconic cheese is only fitting. Appenzeller is both crunchy, savory, and spicy. The secret recipe of over 700 years yields a cult classic. The wheels are washed with a mixture of herbs, cider, flowers, and wine, adding local herbaceous aromatics to the final product. With notes of grasses, tea, ginger, and cloves, the Chasselas from Bovard helps clean up the palate, leaving you ready for more.
Victoria James is the Beverage Director at Cote Korean Steakhouse. She has worked in restaurants since she was thirteen. She fell in love with wine and when she was twenty-one and became certified as a sommelier. She has worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York City including Marea and Aureole. Victoria’s name has appeared on many notable lists: Forbes “30 Under 30,” Food & Wine’s “2018 Sommelier of the Year,” Zagat’s “30 Under 30,” Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40,” Wine & Spirits’ “Best New Sommeliers,” and The Back Label declared her “New York’s Youngest Sommelier.” She is also the author of DRINK PINK, A Celebration of Rosé (May 2nd, 2017, HarperCollins) and a contributor to Cosmopolitan, Munchies and The Daily Meal. In her free time, she makes Amaro from foraged plants.
With one taste (and glimpse) of Tête de Moine, you’ll quickly understand why it’s a favorite among chefs and a delicious conversation piece at any gathering. This unique Swiss cheese is traditionally served in the form of elegant flowers shaved off the wheel with a tool called a girolle, or cheese curler. The delicate rosettes are the perfect shape to convey the full-bodied flavor and aroma of the cheese, and make a striking addition to salads, soups, charcuterie boards, and more.
Tête de Moine was first produced by monks at the monastery of Bellelay over 800 years ago. The cheese was made from cow’s milk “of impeccable quality from the best grasses and herbs of the country,” according to a 1628 description, and was considered so valuable that it was frequently used as currency. Today, Tête de Moine is produced by just eight dairies using milk exclusively from the mountainous areas of Switzerland’s Jura region and the French-speaking parts of Bern. The name translates to “monk’s head,” which the wheel begins to resemble as cheesy petals are pared from the top.
Acclaimed California-based chef Aaron Grosskopf, a long-time lover and twirler of Tête de Moine, has developed several creative recipes incorporating the cheese that will dazzle guests at your next dinner party or take weeknight family meals to new floral heights. He recently shared his thoughts on why he finds Tête de Moine so tantalizing.
How did you fall for Tête de Moine?
It’s such a delicious cheese, but it’s also a very fun cheese! I’ve been a fan since the first time I saw it. After I graduated from culinary school, I had an externship at Domain Chandon, a French restaurant in the heart of Napa Valley wine country. During training, I remember how protective the chef de partie (“station chef”) was of the wheel, and that created a great respect for the cheese. When she handed me my first taste, I was hooked! The nuttiness and flakiness…it has a great al dente texture. And I was amazed when I saw the flowers being curled. Since I became a private chef, any time I do a cocktail party, it’s always such a cool focal point. You can twirl the cheese in front of people, and it looks so pretty—everyone wants to try it.
Why does the cheese work so well in these recipes?
Tête de Moine is very versatile. It has that nuttiness, but also a deep richness. The nuttiness goes great with salads and potatoes, while the richness can carry something more acidic or flavor-forward. The cheese also really stands up to spice as well.
For the warm fingerling potato salad, you do full curls, bake them on a sheet pan, and they become the perfect chips. When you get down to the end of the wheel, you can stop a little shy and grate it, as I did on the fried egg with frisée and bacon. In the trout dish, the Szechuan curing kind of numbs your tongue a little bit, so the cheese balances it out as a great background flavor. Tête de Moine can be a stronger cheese—it’s got a little funk to it; on the cheese plate, the fermented ramps and fermented green strawberries get that funk, too, so they play into the flavor of the Tête and have that matching earthiness.
So you think Tête de Moine has a place in both home kitchens and fine dining establishments alike?
Absolutely! It’s so beautiful, and delicious. Once you try it, you’re going to like it. And you’re definitely going to have a good time when you’re eating Tête de Moine. Everyone wants to know about it when they see it on a platter or on the girolle. They think it’s for decoration, and then you show them how it works, and they’re all taking photos. It’s definitely worthy of any special occasion, and if you’re a cheese lover, I would add it to your staple of cheeses!
Aaron Grosskopf is a graduate of Napa Valley Cooking School and has over 15 years of restaurant experience in Napa, San Francisco, and New York. He was part of the opening team at Per Se, Thomas Keller’s renowned restaurant in NYC. During the time he worked there, Per Se was awarded four stars by the New York Times and three stars by the Michelin Guide. Currently based in San Francisco, he is the chef at Supercell.
You’ve probably seen those mesmerizing Instagram videos of gooey, melted cheese being scraped over a delicious plate of food (Exhibit A) and thought to yourself, “What is this magical cheesy creation?” The answer? Raclette – the traditional Swiss melting cheese.
Raclette comes from the French word that means “to scrape” and refers to both the type of cheese and the traditional Swiss dish it is served with. Cheese legend says the dish originated hundreds of years ago when farmers would heat up a piece of cheese over the open fire for a hearty and filling meal.
Popular since the Middle Ages, Raclette is still produced with milk from cows that are fed fresh grass in the summer and meadow hay in the winter, resulting in an aromatic cheese ranging in flavor from mild and milky to piquant, depending on the wheel. Typically, it is melted either in a Raclette Grill or using a professional melter and then poured or scraped onto each individual dish. Looking to try it at home? You can buy mini grills like this outdoor grill-ready Barbeclette, Partyclette or Mini Grill Set. Or, simply slice it or grate it and melt it like you would any other cheese. Any way you melt it, it is the quintessential cheese for sharing.
Raclette is particularly delicious over roasted potatoes and root vegetables, pickles, and cured meats, such as prosciutto. For a rich and satisfying dish, give our Raclette Tartiflette a try. Pair it with a Riesling or any dry white wine.
Melted cheese is one of life’s great joys, and there’s no better way to appreciate it than with a classic cheese fondue. Hosting the perfect party, regardless of the theme, is all about being prepared. A fondue party is no different! Getting organized, buying groceries, and cleaning in advance will help keep you focused and ready for a good time.
A fondue party at home more fun than a traditional restaurant, and that’s exactly why hosting a fondue party is such a good idea. It’s fun, sometimes humorous, and always a tasty crowd pleaser!
Making your own fondue for your party can be easy and you should consider this easy cheese fondue recipeas a baseline you can potentially build from. Emmentaler AOP® and Le Gruyére cheeses are so harmonious together; you get a balance of sweetness, acidity, nuttiness, and earthiness all in one. They blend beautifully together and aren’t overpowered by the additions of white wine, lemon juice, pepper, and nutmeg.
Here are some tips for hosting a great fondue party:
If your fondue pot uses gel cans, have extras on hand! You don’t want to run out of fuel mid-party.
If you’re serving more than four people, plan on having at least two fondue pots. You don’t want to keep guests hungry, and it will be more fun if everyone can have access to the fondue pot at once.
Along those lines, if you’re thinking about serving meat dippers, be mindful about whether any of your guests are vegetarian. If so, you’ll definitely want to keep one of the fondue pots meat-free.
Beer and wine go very well with cheese fondue! I recommend asking for recommendations at your neighborhood liquor store, as the best options can vary by location.
If you’d prefer not to make cheese fondue from scratch, that’s ok! We offer a fantastic ready-to-serve Fondue.
Make sure that all of your dippers are small enough to fit on the skewing forks without being pulled off by the weight of the gooey fondue. When it doubt, go smaller.
Apples and pears can oxidize once you slice them, which means the fruit will slowly turn brown once exposed to air. You can slow this process by tossing the slices in a bit of fresh lemon juice.
Frequently stir the fondue while enjoying it. This will help keep the cheese from separating or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Big celebrations call for great food that’s fit to sit out for 3 hours and feed a crowd. Fondue is the perfect solution. This historically “fancy” appetizer is really just a bowl of melted cheese, so bubble some up and serve it through the whole game!
Fondue can come in a lot of different ways, from homemade to convenient ready-to-serve options, like Emmi Fondu. All you need is a nutty, alpine-style cheese like Gruyère and soft melty cheeses like Swiss Emmentaler and Appenzeller, cornstarch or flour, cloves, white wine and lemon juice. Traditional Swiss fondue is also made with, kirsch, a clear, colorless fruit brandy. Trust us, you’re going to want to use this!
Now on to the dippers. They can make or break a good fondue experience, so choose them carefully to match the event. When you’re having fondue for game day, you have a little more flexibilty to be fun and creative with your dippers. Here are some ideas that will make you want to dip everything in melted cheese:
The holidays are the perfect time to pair Emmi cheeses with your favorite winter cocktails. Here are four of our favorite pairings for the season.
Emmi Appenzeller + Christmas Mule Each wheel of Appenzeller is washed with a secret herbal brine infused with wine, cider and a mixture of herbs, blossoms, and other natural ingredients. All of which adds a complex flavor that connoisseurs desire. Appenzeller is noted for its nutty flavor combined with an herbal spiciness, and pairs perfectly with the ginger and fruit flavors in a Christmas Mule – everyone’s favorite spin on a Moscow Mule, made with cherry vodka. We love this version.
Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP + Hot Toddy Cave-aged Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP is aged for more than 1 year, making it robust and flavorful enough to stand up to a strong liquor like whiskey. The honey and cloves in a seasonal Hot Toddy add flavor balance and highlights the earthy nuttiness of the cheese. We used our favorite Bourbon Whiskey from our friends at Koval Distillery in Chicago.
Emmi Emmentaler + Pomegranate Sparkler Emmentaler has a nutty flavor with slight acidity and just a hint of herbs. In a Pomegranate Sparkler, brandy and sparkling wine balance each other to not overpower the cheese. It’s the perfect sparkling, yet sophisticated flavor combination.
Emmi Le Gruyère AOP + Cranberry-Orange Punch Le Gruyère AOP is as traditional as you grandmother’s Fizzy Cranberry-Orange Punch you’ve always wanted to ladle into a small plastic cup of your own during holiday celebrations. The cheese has a mild, yet complex flavor of fruit and spice that’s highlighted beautifully by the fizzy, sweet-tart flavor of the punch.
For MacKenzie Aivazis, cheesemonger at Urban Radish in Los Angeles, making picture-perfect, tantalizing cheeseboards is her form of artistic expression, and her cheese boards exude the building blocks of composition – lines, shapes, colors, patterns, textures and forms.
“Creating cheese boards allows me to not only share my passion for cheese, but also to express myself,” shares Aivazis.
When curating cheese boards, Aivazis recommends three things: 1) select the right cheese; 2) embrace color; and 3) experiment with patterns and shapes.
“Cheese should always be the star of your board,” stresses Aivazis. “If your cheese board is beautiful and artfully-arranged, but doesn’t have the right collection of cheeses, it’s going to feel incomplete.”
For this board, Aivazis selected a variety of domestic and international cheeses including: Emmi Tête de Moine AOP, Emmi Der sharfe Maxx, Roth® Sriracha Gouda, Grand Cru® Surchoix, GranQueso® and Roth® Buttermilk Blue®.
“Make sure you’re selecting a variety of cheeses to offer not only different flavors, but textures. Remember, guests may be initially captivated by the presentation, but they won’t fall in love with the cheese until they’ve tasted it.”
For styling cheese boards, Aivazis suggests adding pops of colors using interesting edible and non-edible fruits, flowers, vegetables and herbs such as rosemary and sage. To create striking focal points, she suggests creating patterns of congruently cut triangles or tiles of cheese.
“Beautifully arranged cheese boards truly are works of art,” shares Aivazis. “Fortunately, the boards don’t just hang on the walls in galleries, we get to enjoy them.”
Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms. For Liz Dueland, inspiration comes from the natural landscapes she surrounds herself with.
“I am moved by natural images like flowers nestled along a winding river bank, by migrating birds or undulating waves. When creating cheese boards, I keep these images in mind as I’m planning and arranging. I like my boards to evoke a sense of natural movement, giving the spread a sense of organic rhythm and romance.”
Dueland not only surrounds herself in beautiful landscapes, but also with her favorite cheeses and accompaniments. As the co-founder of Culture with Madison Cheesemonger and a chef at Metro Market, an upscale grocery store in Madison, Wisconsin, Dueland has copious options for creating cheese boards making it often difficult to narrow down selections.
“I am continuously looking for new cheeses and pairing combinations,” says Dueland. “But Alpine cheeses are always included on my cheese boards. These cheeses lend themselves to a wider variety of accoutrements including astringent companions like pickles and mustards, sweeter pairing like fresh and dried fruits as well as savory elements like caramelized onions and fermented garlic.”
Dueland’s cheese and charcuterie boards usually feature three to five vignettes that encourage guests to explore and enjoy new pairings. Each of her pairing vignettes showcase the nuances of the featured cheeses.
For this cheese board, Dueland serves:
Roth® Grand Cru® Surchoix nestled among sweet and savory options with a quick pickle and beet-infused pearl onion, fermented black garlic along with honeycomb.
Roth® Buttermilk Blue® framed by Quince & Apple Fig and Black Tea Preserves, dried Black Mission figs, dried pears, and Underground Butcher Sopressata.
Emmi Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère® AOP paired with Italian Castelvetrano olives and Peruvian Sweety Drops.
Emmi Emmentaler® AOP in a deconstructed appetizer with Quince & Apple Pear Mostarda, stacked Bosc pears and Underground Butcher Fiocco.
“While I like my boards to be composed of small vignettes, it’s important that the entire spread is harmonious and works well together,” explains Dueland. “Think of your board as a playground. You want your guests to explore all the areas and play with different combinations. Everything, to a certain degree, should work well with all of the other items on the board.”
