In September of 2025, after a historic win for the United States at the Mondial du Fromage, gold medalist and Formaticum team member Emilia D'Albero set off with Formaticum founder Mark Goldman, bronze medalist Courtney Johnson, and Cheesemonger Invitational Champion Tommy Amorim, on a quest to discover as many French cheeses as possible by the end of their week in France.
Their first stop was the Fromagerie Cloche d'Or in the Loire Valley, a region known the world over for its wide variety of aged chèvre. The term "chèvre," meaning simply "goat cheese" in French, does not refer only to stark white logs of creamy, spreadable fresh goat cheese - it encompasses all cheeses made with goat's milk, across all ages and textures, with diverse shapes and rinds, and there are quite a few of them! Storied goat cheeses such as Sainte Maure de Touraine, Pouligny Saint Pierre, Valençay, and more are made here at Cloche d'Or, with hyperlocal milk and a staunch commitment to quality.
These tiny, delicate pieces of cheese range from yeasty to lemony to yogurty on the palate (and beyond!) and are available in truncated pyramids, round logs, hollow donuts, and even hearts. The versatility of goat's milk is truly a blessing, and it is showcased in this facility with the utmost respect for regional tradition and history.
Of course, many of these particular beauties do not make it over to the United States due to restrictions on raw milk cheese - as you probably know, the FDA only permits the import and sale of raw milk cheese over 60 days of age. However, we do have access to pasteurized versions of some types of aged chèvre, which you will likely see popping up as the springtime approaches.
Why is springtime significant? A ruminant animal must be pregnant to produce milk, and the lactation cycles of goats, sheep, and cows are all different. A goat's lactation cycle is around 300 days, and the milk composition will vary during the cycle (milk is composed mainly of water but also of protein, fat, sugar, and minerals). After "kidding" (when goats give birth), which traditionally happens in the spring, their milk is rich with extra fat and therefore creates particularly luscious and flavorful cheese. This is not to say that goat's milk cheese is not available year round, but rather that spring is the best time to taste goat cheese at its best.
We also have to consider the change in weather and climate and how that affects the milk. During the spring and summer when goats are able to "browse" (the goat-specific term for grazing), they will usually have access to aromatic grasses, herbs, and other flora that lend a complex and bright flavor to their milk that would not be present otherwise. Therefore, fresh and gently aged goat cheeses are more celebrated in the spring and early summer because of their exquisite flavor!
So how do we keep these edible pieces of sunshine in peak condition? By wrapping them in Formaticum plant-based Cellophane or Perforated Cellophane. The bloomy rinds of aged chèvre need more oxygen to thrive than many other cheeses, and our Cellophane provides the porosity necessary to allow that oxygen exchange and ideal humidity levels. Our Perforated Cellophane is designed specifically for geotrichum-rinded cheeses, such as Chabichou du Poitou or Mothais Sur Feuille.
These transparent materials are perfect for wrapping these cheeses like the gifts that they are, whether for a grab and go case or for a full-serve display. So however you sell cheese, you can rest assured that your chèvre is protected.
Browse our full catalog of bulk wrapping materials at wholesale.formaticum.com. Not a wholesale customer yet? Email us at wholesale@formaticum.com to request an account.
