This Alpine-style tour will be hosted by Cheese Journeys’ CEO and founder Anna Juhl, along with Patrick McGuigan, European wine and cheese expert, author, and educator. Imagine a culinary adventure to some of the foremost cheese, food, and wine-producing regions of France and Switzerland. Guests will enjoy two days in the Comté/Jura region of France, followed by a six-day stay in a 1,000-year-old newly restored château nestled in French vineyards overlooking Mt. Blanc, and then three lovely days in the Swiss Alps. Enjoy meals prepared by Cheese Journeys’ private chefs, cooking and cheese/wine classes, excursions to regional wine producers, remote cheesemakers, plus time in Annecy, Chamonix, and a train ride to the Alpine villages of Mürren and Gimmelwald. Add in cow bells, fondue, chocolate, and a private invitation to the festivities of a Swiss Cow Parade – and you have a dream holiday!

ITINERARY

Day One

Our 12-day Alpine journey begins with a rendezvous at a hotel in Geneva, Switzerland. (We strongly recommend that our travellers arrive a minimum of one day prior to the start of the trip to get acclimated and take advantage of the sights of Geneva!) After breakfast, introductions, and a chat about France’s favorite cheese, we depart Geneva, heading north to the beautiful Jura countryside to experience the world of Comté.

Lunch is served near a picturesque lake before meeting up with our friends at Fort St. Antoine to explore the “King” of French cheese: Comté. Once a famous military fort, Fort St. Antoine — a “Comté Cathedral”— was built at the end of the 19th century and is now home to over 100,000 wheels. There, we meet a team of affineurs – experts in the art of aging Comté – to see how they work their magic on these beautiful 90-pound wheels. We’ll enjoy Marcel Petite’s finest cheeses paired with unique regional wines, such as Vin d’Arbois. Shop for authentic cow bells and meet the last handmade cow-bell producer in the Franche-Comté – a perfect souvenir and a tour highlight!

After settling into our chef-owned boutique hotel, guests can enjoy an optional private Michelin star dinner (not included in the tour price).

Day Two

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we visit a Comté producer for an overview of how Comté is actually made. We’ll enjoy a lunch featuring local wines, after which we’ll meet one of our favorite artisan charcuterie producers to witness how families have traditionally smoked high-quality Jura meats for centuries.

Enjoy a fitting end to the day: an evening of Alpine specialties and lawn bowling at a rustic restaurant beloved by mountain trekkers. You’ll be treated to a traditional fondue dinner in the mountains along the Swiss border. This legendary spot operates with minimal electricity contributing to its charm, slower pace, and candlelit atmosphere. Needless to say, it’s completely off the beaten path.

Day Three

After breakfast, sit back for a scenic drive through vineyards, over mountains, and around Lake Geneva as we travel south to our château home for the week. This beautifully restored, 1,000-year-old castle will provide us with a perfect rural French experience for the next six days. Settle in with a glass of bubbles, then lunch, followed by a private château tour to learn its fascinating history and details of the restoration.

The evening’s grand event is hosted by our cheese and wine educators in the castle’s private wine cellar. You’ll explore some of Savoie’s finest artisan wine and cheese, and the role of terroir (“the taste of place”) in the local culinary history. In this elegant and candlelit atmosphere, you’ll explore new flavors and share a French party classic: a crusty, mètre de pain (or 3-foot long baguette)! A light dinner will be prepared by our private chefs to kick off their week of meals featuring regional French cooking.

Day Four

After a delicious buffet-syle French breakfast complete with local pastries, you’ll have free time to explore the château or take a short hike. Then it’s another day to celebrate the wines of Savoie! Just down the road, at our favorite boutique winery, we’ll tour the vineyards and enjoy an extensive tasting with the daughter of the property’s fourth-generation owner.

In the afternoon, you’ll be treated to a picnic lunch on the château lawn, followed by a game of snooker, or a swim in the pool that faces Mont Blanc! Wrap up the day with cocktail hour on the terrace balcony and a special chef-prepared dinner served family-style in the dining room. You’ll have a gorgeous view of the mountains from the table.

Day Five

After a buffet-style French breakfast, join our hosts for a day of cooking, food photography, and wine & cheese education. Half the guests will join Chef Sylvain and roll up their sleeves for a hands-on cooking class to prepare the lunch meal. Chef Sylvain, a French chef and accomplished educator has designed the perfect menu. The other group will spend time with our expert cheese educator Patrick McGuigan to better understand the world of French cheese, plus you’ll learn how to use your smartphone to take magazine-worthy food pics.

During the afternoon, guests switch classes and then indulge in their creations for lunch and dinner – all in a day’s work!

Day Six

Continue your culinary journey with one of our guests’ favorite cooking demonstrations hosted by Chef Sylvain, “Emulsions & Salad Dressings.” Become a pro – learn the difference between various oils, vinegars, and techniques. Enjoy another chef-prepared lunch followed by an afternoon of cheese education with Patrick McGuigan and Ann Juhl as they show you “Everything You Need to Know to Build the Perfect Cheese Board.” Learn how to chat with your local cheesemonger, select and buy cheese, and create pairings. Insight and hints from two professionals who can help you curate the perfect board or host the ultimate cheese party! Tonight, you’re in for a special treat as Chef Sylvain cooks up one of his most-requested meals: a Moroccan-themed dinner featuring fresh spices and local produce.

Day Seven

After breakfast, join Anna and Patrick on an alpage trek to the top of the world – a Beaufort alpage cheesemaking experience like no other! View the cows in the high meadows overlooking Mont Blanc and experience the hand-making of this renowned cheese up close. As tradition dictates, the morning milk is stirred over a large copper vat over an open fire – it’s artisan cheesemaking at its most rustic – an experience that few people ever witness. After cheesemaking, sit down at the long outdoor table and enjoy an al fresco lunch with the cheesemaker and his family before descending back down the mountain through a region of rural France as it was a generation ago. Return to the château for an afternoon swim, a cocktail, and a chef-prepared feast.

Day Eight

After breakfast, you’ll spend a leisurely day in one of the most beautiful places in Europe –  Lake Annecy – and the ancient city with the same name. Shop the outdoor markets, relax on a scenic boat cruise around Lake Annecy with a view of celebrity homes, and enjoy the day in this pedestrian-friendly city. This is a great place to pick up souvenirs, from French tablecloths, to leather goods, to cheese! Back at the château we’ll share our last meal – a special Raclette dinner – before preparing to travel to Switzerland tomorrow!

Day Nine

After breakfast, say farewell to the château and drive north to explore one of Anna’s most beloved vacation/ski towns: Chamonix, France. Enjoy an amazing drive and a morning shopping with a panoramic view of Mont Blanc. Or, head to the town geology museum to glimpse incredible rock formations harvested from the mountains by local crystal hunters – once an enormous trade in this area! Experience lunch in the village at one of our favorite spots before we travel on to Gstaad, Switzerland.

Day Ten

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you’ll visit one of our favorite cheesemakers for a second alpage experience – this time in Switzerland! Étivaz cheesemaker Blaise Chablaix travels up the mountain with his family for the summer to make a rare Gruyère-style alpage cheese in the traditional way. You’ll observe how he makes his special cheese over a wood fire in his rustic mountain home, plus you’ll have the opportunity to do a tasting with him. For lunch, we'll make our way around the hillside to a classic alpage farm restaurant – a truly life-changing sort of day, topped off by a visit to a fine artisan chocolate maker. Guests have a free evening to dine and enjoy Gstaad.

Day Eleven

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll board the luxury train on the Golden Pass route to Interlaken, our first leg of a majestic train ride through Bernese Oberland, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful areas of Switzerland. You’ll pass by shimmering blue lakes, waterfalls, snowcapped peaks, and small Alpine villages before we reach the car-free villages of Mürren and Gimmelwald. Cows still graze on these steep mountain pastures, Heidi is around every corner, and there are more cow troughs than mailboxes. We’ll enjoy lunch, meet a few local farmers, and take the cable car back down to the valley floor before we return to Gstaad by train. A farewell dinner will be waiting in Gstaad as we reflect on the magnificent day and look forward with anticipation to the cow parade tomorrow.

Day Twelve

After an early breakfast, you’ll witness the ultimate cheese lover’s experience: a village “Cow Parade.” Gruyère cheesemakers and farmers prepare the cows with floral headdresses and bells for their procession down the mountain to the village below. A festival awaits these beloved cows, hosted by locals as they celebrate the cows’ return to the village for the winter. This centuries-old practice of moving cows to higher pasture for the summer, making cheese in the remote alpage area, and returning in fall, is called “Alpine Transhumance.” A once-in-a-lifetime experience for cheese lovers, and a perfect way to conclude our time in Switzerland. We’ll spend the day at the festival, enjoying lunch and shopping, before a coach ride to the Geneva Airport area at the end of our tour.

Tour Price Includes:
Lodging for 11 nights, 11 breakfasts, 8 noon meals, 9 evening meals, and alcoholic beverages served with meals, classes, and events. All transportation during the tour, all classes and/or day tours provided by local hosts, cheese educators, and chefs.

Tour Price Does Not Include:
Round trip airfare to and from Geneva, hotel accommodations before or after the tour, and any personal shopping, additional food, and beverage during walking tours and free time.

Disclosure:
To the best of our ability, this itinerary is final. However, if due to unexpected extreme changes in weather, or an emergency with our hosts, Cheese Journeys reserves the right to substitute an event if needed. During the tour, you have the option of declining a particular excursion or tour, but please note that we are unable to make refunds for any missed meals, classes, or events. Please see Terms and Conditions for additional details.