Saint-Nectaire Cheese

French in origin, this variety of cheese is made from either pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk from Salers cattle that graze in the Auvergne region of central France. Common as a farmhouse produced cheese, Saint-Nectaire is formed into small round disks with an outer rind that may we white, tan and grey with a red or yellow mold-speckled coloring. The rind covers an inner pâte that is straw colored, semi-soft and smooth textured with small eyes spread throughout the paste. When served, the cheese provides a mild tasting flavor that has a slightly fruity overtone. With a noticable aroma that may resemble the grasses on which the Salers cows graze, Saint-Nectaire has an earthy and mouldy smell that is not objectionable, but appreciated by those who savor the complexity of the flavors within this cheese.

When serving, Saint-Nectaire goes well as a snacking cheese with fruits, hard crusted breads, meat, and fresh vegetables. It is a good cheese to eat with hearty red wines such as a Beaujoalis, a Chianti or a Rhône red.