The Abondance cheese

Like a precious commodity, the mountain farmers pass on their heritage of know-how from generation to generation. A heritage worthy of a cheese that has gained the distinction of an AOP.
In his 150-year-old mountain chalet, every year the cheese maker repeats a ritual that sums up everything that the word terroir stands for: the making of delicious mountain cheese.
Tarentaise, Abondance and Montbéliarde cows provide the milk, the raw material.
After milking, the milk is warmed to 32° Celsius – the temperature of the cow’s udder – and the curdling process is started using natural rennet. It is then left to curdle by leaving it to rest for 3 to 4 hours.
The next step is to break up the curd with a curd knife. This results in pieces about the size of a pea.
After being stirred continuously for an hour and a half, the resulting curds are heated to 50°C in a copper cauldron.
The curds are then ‘lifted’ with a linen cloth and drained in moulds before being pressed.
The curds have now turned to cheese, which is then submerged in brine for twenty-four hours before being placed on spruce planks where it begins its three-month maturing process.
The cheese is carefully looked after, being turned on one day and then rubbed with salty water on the next, and so on.
At the market, the farms shops and in shops, the ambercoloured Abondance is sold in rounds weighing between 6 and 12 kg.
Made both in dairies and on the farm, over time the cheese takes on a more perfumed, fruity character.
Farm shops
- Barbossine (1)
- Étringa (1)
- Freinets (2)
- Linga (1)
- Petit-Châtel (2)
- 1
Cheese shop
La Cave d’Azélie

La Cave d’Azélie, located in the heart of the village of Châtel, is not only a maturing cellar for Abondance cheese, but also a boutique. Vincent and his team welcome you all year round.
Description
You’ll find a wide range of cheeses: Abondance, tommes, goat’s and sheep’s cheeses, charcuterie, wines, spirits and jams. All of these are Savoy products.
During the winter and summerseason, Vincent also offers guided tours of his cellar with tastings.
Équipements
-
Parking nearby
Services
-
Pets welcome
Animals
Animaux acceptés : Oui
Payment methods
-
Bank/credit card
-
Check
-
Cash
Période d'ouverture
From 01/10 to 02/11/2025 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and weekends between 7.30 am and 12 pm and between 3 pm and 6.30 pm. Closed on Monday.
Languages spoken
-
French
Adaptive tourism
-
Accessible for self-propelled wheelchairs
-
Site, building totally accessible
Environments
-
Town location
-
Close to a public transportation
-
In centre of town
-
Near shuttle stop
-
Mountain location
-
Resort centre
-
Village centre
-
Lake 5 km away
-
River 5 km away
-
Ski resort