Vieux Boulogne (Pas-de-Calais)

This is a relatively new Boulonnais cow’s milk cheese, created by the cheesemaker Antoine Bernard, with the help of Philippe Olivier whose influence in reviving northern French cheeses is legendary. In early July 1982 at an informal dinner at the Château-Musée in the centre of Boulogne town, Bernard and Philippe presented the cheese as part of the cheese course. The cheese was obviously well received as it was suggested the name be ‘Vieux Boulogne’ in honour of its place of origin.

Production is limited to three producers at present, and this is purely to keep it within the Boulogne area thereby ensuring its uniqueness. The cattle graze on pastures not far from the coast, so there is evidence of iodine and salty herbaceous notes in the milk. The bright orange rind is washed regularly in a local beer from Saint-Leonard, and ripened for about 7–9 weeks. As the cheese matures, the flavours become more pronounced and earthy, and the rind has an almost wild-mushroom aroma, which some find overly pungent. However, in reality this rich and dense cheese is more buttery and mellow than powerful, and a white dessert wine from the Loire, such as Coteaux du Layon with its honeyed sweetness, seems a perfect accompaniment to cheeses such as this.