This alpine-style tour will be hosted by Cheese Journeys’ CO Anna Juhl and Patrick McGuigan, European wine and cheese expert, author, and educator. It will be an expanded culinary adventure to three beautiful areas of France and Switzerland. Guests will enjoy two days in the Jura region of France, three days in Switzerland, and a seven day stay in a 1,000-year-old newly restored chateau nestled in vineyards and a view of Mt. Blanc. Enjoy meals prepared by Cheese Journeys’ private chefs, cooking and cheese/wine educational classes, excursions to visit regional wine producers, alpage cheesemakers, and a beautiful day in Annecy. During our tour, you’ll experience artisan cheese making, underground aging caves, authentic cow bells, fondue in the alpage, a classic hotel in the Swiss alps, with a personal invitation to the festivities of a Swiss cow parade!

ITINERARY

Day One

Our 12-day alpine journey begins with a rendezvous at Hotel Edelweiss in Geneva, Switzerland. After breakfast at the hotel, we depart Geneva, heading north to the beautiful Jura countryside to experience the world of Comté.

Imagine, lunch near the mountain lake in Malbuisson before we meet 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 of Comté. 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 the Vin d’Arbois. You’ll shop for authentic cow bells- meet the last hand-made cow bell producer in the Franche-Comté –a perfect authentic souvenir and a tour highlight!

After settling into our boutique, chef owned hotel, Le Bon Accueil, guests will enjoy an optional private Michelin star dinner (not included in the tour price) prepared by Le Bon Accueil’s chef Marc Faivre.

Day Two

After breakfast at the hotel, we visit a Comté producer for an overview of how Comte is made and then on to a regional wine tasting and lunch. We’ll meet one of our favorite local charcuterie producers to witness how families have traditionally smoked beautiful high-quality meats for centuries.

Enjoy a fitting end to the day – an evening of alpine specialties and lawn bowling in an ancient small restaurant, La Petite Échelle. Like many trekkers who pass through here, we plan to enjoy a traditional, hearty meal in the pastured mountains on the Swiss border. This rustic restaurant operates with minimal electricity contributing to its charm, slower pace, and candlelight atmosphere.

Day Three

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the mountains of Switzerland for a true alpage experience! We will visit Étivaz cheesemaker Blaise Chablaix and observe how he makes cheese the traditional way: in the mountains, in a copper kettle, and over a wood fire. We'll make our way around the hillside for lunch at a classic alpage farm restaurant – a truly amazing backdoor cheese experience. We’ll settle into our picturesque hotel, enjoy time in the village and a traditional Swiss dinner!

Day Four

This day on the tour will include sights and experiences around the breathtakingly beautiful Gstaad and the Bernese Alpes in Switzerland. Final itinerary will be provided fall 2024.

Day Five

Guests enjoy an early breakfast as we eagerly look ahead to the classic “Cow Parade” scheduled in Gstaad. We have a private invitation from a Gruyere cheesemaker and his family, as they 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 village people and travelers 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 late summer, 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, shopping and return to our hotel late afternoon for dinner and a free evening.

Day Six

After breakfast, we’ll drive south over the alps for a little shopping in one of Anna’s favorite vacation/ski towns: Charmonix, France. You’ll enjoy an amazing drive and morning shopping or a short hike for a panoramic view of Mont Blanc. With guide Teresa.  Lunch is a traditional mountain meal at one of our favorite spots before we travel on to the Château St. Philippe. This beautifully restored, 1,000 year-old castle, will provide our guests with a perfect rural French experience for the next seven days. Guests can settle in, and look forward to a week of French cooking, chef prepared meals, and culinary, wine, and cheese education.

Day Seven

After breakfast, guests will enjoy a private tour of the chateau as they get a glimpse of it’s fascinating history and details of it’s recent restoration. Chef Sylvain will be providing culinary demonstrations and insights into some of his favorite recipes throughout the day. Enjoy a relaxing experience and then gather for a lovely cheese & wine event in the chateau caves- truly a tour highlight!

Day Eight

Another beautiful day of culinary experiences! After breakfast, grab your apron and join Sylvain for a morning of cooking.  Sylvain will provide you with a hands-on cooking class as you prepare the various dishes for the beautifully designed lunch.

The other group will spend time with our expert cheese educator, and photographer Patrick. You’ll learn how to better use your I-phone to take magazine-worthy food pics,
deep dive into the world of French cheese, and gain confidence to talk to your local cheesemonger, and return home to host the ultimate cheese party!

Day Nine

After breakfast, guests have free time to explore the chateau or take a short hike. It’s another day to celebrate the wines of Savoie! Just down the road at our favorite boutique winery, we’ll be touring and tasting with Nadège, daughter of fourth-generation owner, Philippe Grisard. We’ll return to the chateau for a picnic in the courtyard, a relaxing afternoon swim or village shopping. The day wraps up with an interesting chat with Patirck over an aperitif, and a chef prepared dinner.

Day Ten

After breakfast, join the Cheese Journeys’ team as they trek to the top of the world –
a Beaufort Alpage cheesemaking experience like no other! View the cows in the high meadows overlooking Mt. Blanc and experience the making of this renown cheese up close. Enjoy lunch with the cheesemaker and his family before a trek down through an area to experience rural France as it was a generation ago. Return to the chateau for an afternoon swim, a cocktail and a chef prepared dinner!

Day Eleven

After breakfast, we spend a leisurely day in one of the most beautiful places in Europe — Lake Annecy and the ancient city with the same name. We’ll enjoy time at our favorite market, relax on a scenic boat cruise around Lake Annecy, and enjoy the day in this pedestrian- friendly city. Back at the château, we’ll enjoy our last meal with the chefs, who will prepare the classic French cheese dish, Raclette for our farewell party.

Day Twelve: Farewell to France and Switzerland!

After breakfast, we say farewell to the Chateau as we make our way back to Geneva airport. First, a morning at Chambery’s acclaimed outdoor market – exploring the world of fine spices, fresh produce, and cheese. In this bustling city, guests will get introduced once again to the European way of shopping. Stumble into a boutique cheese shop for last minute cheese purchases to go home with, buy a local gift, or go French tablecloth shopping with Anna! We’ll travel on to Geneva airport for a flight home later that day or early next morning.

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.