Saint-Nectaire Farm Visits

About Saint-Nectaire

Saint-Nectaire AOP is made in the mid-mountains of the Massif Central, between the Puy-de-Dôme and the Cantal. There are two kinds: fermier, made on farms, and laitier, made by four approved dairies. Both are sold all year. Not every farm that sells Saint-Nectaire offers a visit, so use the route map.

The Route des Fromages AOP d'Auvergne

Run for more than 25 years by the association of the five Auvergne AOP cheeses, the route is a free-form circuit of 36 farms, dairies and affineurs in the Cantal and Puy-de-Dôme, signposted on the roads. At some stops you can watch the milking or feed the calves, at others help make cheese, and every visit ends with a tasting. Each stop signs a quality charter. The map is free from tourist offices in the region and can be downloaded from the association's site, which also lists each stop's opening days.

Farms Showing the Milking and the Make

• GAEC Sudre and GAEC Mélodie, both in Gelles.
• Ferme Le Roc (GAEC Fléchat), Orcival.
• Ferme de la Vallée de l'Avenir and Ferme de Lambres, both in Saint-Nectaire.
• GAEC des Croix de Chazelles, Avèze.
• GAEC de la Bonne Étoile, Chastreix.
• GAEC de la Cime des Prés, Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues.

Farms Showing the Cheesemaking

• GAEC de la Route des Caves, Murol.
• GAEC des Planchettes, Orcival.
• GAEC Penysarcenat, Orcines.
• GAEC du Bois Joli, Saint-Diéry.
• GAEC de l'Oiseau, Chambon-sur-Lac.
• Ferme des Campanules and Ferme de Ravel (GAEC du Village), both in Picherande.

Milking Only

The Ferme des Supeyres in Valcivières and GAEC de la Ferme du Clos in Cournols show the milking.

Shops and Affineurs

The Fromagerie Vaissaire Papon at Saint-Diéry and Maison Rozier in La Bourboule sell and age local cheeses. In Ambert, home of Fourme d'Ambert, the Maison de la Fourme d'Ambert is a small museum and the Fromagerie l'Ambertoise shows its cheesemaking.

Tips

Visit times depend on the milking, so ring the farm the day before to ask when to come. Phone numbers are on the route leaflet. For Cantal and Salers, see Cantal and Salers cheese.