What's affinage and who's the affineur?

by Max Shrem, Posted Jul 4th 2008 @ 8:00PM

Barbeillon being aged by Pascal Beillevaire in Machecoule

When we hear people talking about cheese, the word "affinage" often comes up. Affinage is arguably the most crucial step of cheese making and involves the aging process. Approximately 50 percent of the flavors you taste in a cheese can be attributed to the affinage. The affineur is the person in charge of the procedure. Cheese-makers will often send their cheeses to the best affineurs to age their cheeses, even if it means sending their cheese to the other side of the country.

Why is affinage so important?
Affineurs can be viewed as the foster parents of the cheese. They receive these cheeses completely fresh, before they've developed, and then, they take care of the cheeses in such a way that they each acquire their own unique characteristics. The affineur ages their cheeses in the right humidity and temperature, many times a cave. Depending on the type of cheese, they may brush, wash, and rotate the wheels. Affinage is a skill that takes many years to perfect. It's an art that involves a lot of labor.

Who are some affineurs I should be aware of?
I highly recommend that you become familiar with the cheeses of Marcel Petite, Giorgio Cravero, and Hervé Mons. These three affineurs produce exquisite cheeses, and, with their craft, they have all revolutionized cheese-making and affinage. Marcel Petite is known for aging wheels of Comté in an old fortress, Fort Saint-Antoine, for longer than 12 months. His technique is aging the wheels for longer periods of time at lower temperatures through a strenuous attention to detail. Before Marcel Petite, the average age of a Comte was 12 months. Cravero's Parmigiano Reggiano is an absolute must-try. It's not nearly as dry as most Reggianos. Cravero's talent rests in his ability to hand-select the best wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano from the finest farms in Emilia-Romagna. Lastly, Hervé Mons' skill can be tasted in the many varieties of cheeses that he ages from all over France.

Filed Under: Food Politics, Ingredients
Tags: cheese

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-05-2008 @3:49AM Skip said... It seems that people who read SlashFood don't care who turns their cheeses...

Personally, I think Sargento has a good cheese turner...

And, Kraft is the only filling for a grilled cheese sandwich a la frying pan method...

SKIP
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7-05-2008 @9:58AM Amy said... Actually, I thought this post was very interesting and well-written. Nice to learn something new on Slashfood, and especially from someone who can use proper punctuation and spell. I would guess that the average Slashfoodie would like to expand their horizons beyond "pasturized process cheese food" singles.
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7-05-2008 @10:29PM Randy said... Bah! Who needs an affineur? I'll age my OWN cheese, thank you:

http://flickr.com/photos/45066845@N00/2500002435/
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7-05-2008 @11:48PM Skip said... ***************************

7-05-2008 @ 9:58AM

Amy said...
Actually, I thought this post was very interesting and well-written. Nice to learn something new on Slashfood, and especially from someone who can use proper punctuation and spell. I would guess that the average Slashfoodie would like to expand their horizons beyond "pasturized process cheese food" singles.
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WoW... 4 comments this Year... Way to Go, AMY...
While I wait 3 months for you to read this... I think I'll go fix a grild cheez samich and find a book wid sum pitchurs ta reed... Jethro...Jethro...
Whar y'all at boy???
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