Lou Bergier Review

Piedmont

Though the name sounds French, it's actually an Italian cheese from the Piedmont area. Piedmont is in Northern Italy, bordering both France and Switzerland and not all that far from Grenoble. As you might expect, the region is somewhat mountainous, as it is nestled right up against the Alps on two sides. Long ago, France used to control the Piedmont region, but that changed in 1802 when the Subalpine Republic was created and later annexed by the Italians in place of the Republic of Alba. 

Egidio and Mario Fiandino

For brothers Egidio and Mario Fiandino, keeping their cheese-making methods as traditional as possible in these modern times is essential for making good cheese. They state:

"We focus on the future without sacrificing the magic of the past. Our philosophy is passion and patience. While the cream is resting to give us a perfect butter “il burro riposino”, and a “Selezione” cheese perfectly aged, we take the opportunity to play a game of cards, allowing plenty of time for our products to develop their unique characteristics. In a world of mass-produced food we are proud to offer a true handcrafted work of art."

Though the cheese-making process at Fattorie Fiandino is steeped in tradition, there are some modern additions to the company such as solar panels installed that generate nearly 1/3 of their power.

Lou Bergier means "Shephard" in Occitan.

Lou Bergier is a creamy and tender medium-hard cheese made with raw cow's milk. Vegetarians will jump for joy when they find out that this charming little cheese is made using the thistle flower as rennet. The ingredients are: raw cow's milk, whole sea salt from Culcasi salt mines (presided over by Slow food), vegetable rennet (Cynara Cardunculus)

People call this product a "tomme-style cheese," but you won't get a strong barnyard bouquet with Lou Bergier. The aroma is delicate, and the flavor is subtle to match. It has a superb mouthfeel, because the cheese is rich but not overly heavy or oily. It comes off as lighter and more refreshing than something like Gruyere.

I ended up calling this a semi-hard cheese. I'm finding out that the lines between soft, semi-soft and hard get blurred easily. Some say that these lines are arbitrary, and I usually call a cheese semi-soft unless it's very obviously hard or soft. I like the distinction of a semi-hard cheese, though, so I think I will start using that term when appropriate. 

Lou Bergier

Take the best mild cheddar you can think of and cross it with a young Brie, and you have Lou Bergier. It reminds me of a sophisticated, more refined mellow cheddar hiding inside a light Brie shawl that has been bruised and battered. Despite the rind looking a little bit disheveled, it's not unpleasant tasting. It goes to show that you never know what beauty hides beneath a homely exterior. The overall flavor is very smooth, but it has sharp and mildly tangy undertones. Unlike some Brie that's beyond a proper serving age, there's not a hint of ammonia or bitterness with the Lou Bergier. The flavor of the cheese itself is even and fresh with hints of citrus and clarified butter, and the thin bloomy rind has a stronger earthy flavor reminiscent of shiitake mushrooms. 

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I found this odd little bit of information when doing some research on Fattorie Fiandino:

Italian history comic book cheese from Fattorie Fiandino