ANNEX

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘BLEU DU VERCORS-SASSENAGE’

EU No: PDO-FR-0077-AM02 – 27.11.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage Maison du Parc 38250 LANS-EN-VERCORS FRANCE Tel. +33 476943826 Fax +33 476943839 Email: siver@pnr-vercors.fr

The group consists of operators of ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ (milk producers, farmers and processors). It therefore has a legitimate right to propose the amendments.

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Name of product — ☒ Description of product — ☒ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☒ Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ Other: Inspections, national requirements

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — ☐ Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

Heading ‘Description of product’

The paragraph:

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a ripened, unpressed, uncooked, blue-veined cheese. It comes in the shape of flat cylinders, 27 to 30 cm in diameter, 7 to 9 cm high, convex on the outside, weighing between 4 and 4,5 kg, with a fine bloom on the rind consisting of a white mould-type down that may have orange to ivory-coloured marbling of the kind caused by yeasts and bacteria active in the ripening process.’

is replaced by:

‘“Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” is an unpressed, uncooked, blue-veined cheese. It is made from raw or thermised cow's milk. It comes in the shape of flat cylinders 27 to 30 cm in diameter, 7 to 9 cm high, and convex on the outside. It weighs between 4 and 4,5 kg. Its rind presents a fine, white to grey-blue, mould-type bloom that may have orange to ivory-coloured marbling of the kind caused by yeasts and bacteria active in the ripening process.’

The sentence in the section ‘Method of production’ of the current specification stating that ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is made from cow's milk that may be partly skimmed has been moved to the section ‘Description of product’, and it is clarified that the milk used is ‘raw or thermised’, as these are characteristic details of the cheese.

Information has been added to the description of the rind to help distinguish the product. It is stated that the surface mould is a white to grey-blue colour (depending on the type of surface flora), which may have orange marbling. The reference to a ‘down’ has been deleted. This provides a better representation of the diversity of the surface flora linked to the local natural conditions (flora of the maturing plants).

An error regarding the fat content has been corrected: the rate of 48 g of fat per 100 g of cheese is actually a minimum, not a maximum rate as indicated in the current specification (a high fat content allows the aromas of the cheese to develop at an optimal rate).

The following paragraph is added:

‘“Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” is an ivory to light yellow-coloured, creamy and homogeneous cheese with well-distributed blue veins. The body of the cheese has openings of less than 1 cm2, of various shapes distributed throughout the cheese. “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” has the taste of a mild blue cheese, with no excess bitterness, acidity or saltiness. It is also characterised by a slight taste of hazelnut and a scent of undergrowth.’

Here, descriptions of the colour and texture of the cheese, as well as the size of the openings and the flavours and aromas, have been added, based on work carried out by the Mixed Technology Network ‘Cheeses and Terroirs’ on ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ and by the committee in charge of organoleptic examination (which has participated in the organoleptic inspection of the product for the past 20 years), in order to describe the product in greater detail.

The minimum ripening period (21 days after curdling) is also referred to in this section, whereas it is included in other sections of the current specification.

Finally, the following paragraph has been added:

‘“Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” may be presented to consumers in portions.’

While the cheese may be presented whole, given its size (4 to 4,5 kg) it is usually presented to consumers in portions.

All these amendments have also been made in the Single Document (points 3.2 and 3.3).

Heading ‘Geographical area’

A list of the steps that must take place in the geographical area has been added in this section: production of the milk and the manufacturing and ripening of the cheese, which are described in the section ‘Method of production’ of the current specification.

The spelling and typography of the municipality names have been reviewed to bring them into line with official terminology.

The geographical area remains unchanged, but since two municipalities of the Isère department have been merged (Autrans and Méaudre), the list of municipalities now shows the name of the municipality resulting from the merger: ‘Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors’, and there are now just 13 (rather than 14) municipalities in the Isère department of the geographical area.

This amendment to the list, spelling and typography of the municipalities can be found in point 4 of the Single Document.

Heading ‘Proof of origin’

Owing to developments in national legislation and regulations, the text of the section ‘Evidence that the product originates from the defined geographical area’ has been consolidated to bring together, in particular, declaration and record-keeping obligations and obligations on traceability and monitoring compliance with production conditions. These amendments are explained in detail below.

The paragraph:

‘Every milk producer, processing plant and maturing plant fills in a “declaration of aptitude”, which is registered with the INAO and enables it to identify all the operators involved.’

is replaced by:

‘Operators wishing to be involved in all or part of the production of the milk, processing, or the maturing of “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” are required to file a declaration of identification, describing their production plant and their commitments. The declaration is recorded by the group. Operators may submit to the group a prior declaration to the effect that they do not intend to produce the designation “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage”, which may cover some or all of their production plant, for the current calendar year.’

The ‘declaration of identification’ of operators replaces the ‘declaration of aptitude’ and is submitted to the group. An obligation to declare the temporary cessation of production (‘prior declaration of non-intent to produce’) is added.

The following paragraph is deleted:

‘All operators must keep their registers and any documents required for checking the origin, quality and production conditions of the milk and cheese at the INAO's disposal.’

Elements are added on the ‘traceability’ of the milk and cheese and the arrangements for ‘monitoring compliance with the production conditions’, providing details on the record-keeping obligations for breeders and manufacturers. These obligations relate to the deadline for submitting the ‘annual declaration on milk production’ and the ‘annual declaration on processing and maturing’. A list of the information to be recorded and made available to the control bodies is added.

Elements on ‘monitoring compliance with the production conditions’ are added: the documents to be made available to the control bodies by breeders and processing units are listed.

The paragraph:

‘As part of the checks carried out on the specified features of the designation of origin, an analytical and organoleptic test is conducted to ensure that the products submitted for examination are of high quality and possess the requisite typical characteristics.’

is replaced by:

‘As part of the checks carried out on the specified features of the designation of origin, cheeses that have reached the minimum duration of ripening are subject to random sampling, under the responsibility of the control services. They undergo an analytical and organoleptic test aimed at ensuring that the product is of high quality and possesses the requisite typical characteristics.’

This amendment spells out the arrangements for inspecting the product.

The paragraph:

‘All cheese marketed under the designation of origin must bear a mark that identifies the production unit and allows the product to be traced.’

is replaced by:

‘All cheese marketed under the designation of origin must bear a plate that identifies the production unit and allows the product to be traced. These plates are issued by the group only to operators who comply with the specification. They will be withdrawn from a manufacturer whose authorisation has been suspended or revoked. If a batch is downgraded following an inspection, the plates will be removed from the cheese in question.’

The above amendment specifies the type of mark identifying the cheese and clarifies the procedure for managing the identification mark.

A paragraph is added on the templates for the monitoring documents and how long they must be kept, to make it easier to manage documentary checks.

Heading ‘Method of production’

The following paragraph is added:

‘The milk used to produce the cheese “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” comes from dairy herds defined as follows:

— “dairy herd” means all the dairy cows and replacement heifers present on the holding;

— “dairy cows” means the lactating animals and the animals which have run dry;

— “heifers” means the animals which have been weaned but have not yet given birth.’

Definitions of the terms ‘dairy herd’, ‘dairy cows’ and ‘heifers’ have been added to clarify to which types of animal the rules apply.

Management of the herd

The paragraph:

‘The milk used to produce Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage must be from dairy herds made up of cows of the Montbéliard, Abondance and Villard breeds only.’

is replaced by:

‘The milk used to produce “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” must be from dairy herds made up of cows of the Montbéliard, Abondance and Villard breeds only.’ [change of spelling in the French original, does not affect the English translation]

The name of the breed ‘Villard-de-Lans’ has been corrected, in order to replace the local name ‘Villard’ by the official name for the breed, ‘Villard-de-Lans’.

The only information added to the Single Document is the following, under point 3.3: ‘The milk used is cow's milk, […] from herds made up of cows of the Montbéliard, Abondance and Villard-de-Lans breeds.’

The fact that ‘each dairy herd consists of at least 3 % dairy cows and at least one cow of the local breed Villard-de-Lans’ has been added.

The breeds authorised in the specification are dairy breeds suited to mountainous conditions. The reason for adding this requirement is to highlight the presence of cows of the local breed ‘Villard-de-Lans’, which is a low-population breed that is the subject of a preservation programme. The following paragraph is added: ‘Off-land farming of the dairy herd is forbidden. When grass is available, grazing is mandatory for the dairy cows as soon as the weather allows. The minimum duration of grazing is 150 days a year. Each dairy cow must have an average of at least 0,3 hectares of permanent grassland on which to graze during the grazing period.’

This provision codifies breeding practices on the Vercors plateau, which follow a traditional grazing system that alternates between grassland and stable. The animals graze as soon as the grass starts to grow and climate conditions allow.

Feeding of the animals

Fodder

The paragraph:

‘The animals must be fed on fodder originating in the defined geographical area for this designation.’

is replaced by:

‘The dairy cows' basic diet is fodder from the geographical area only.

The fodder of dairy herds consists of pasture grass, hay and baled grass.

Baled grass accounts for not more than 40 % in raw matter of the fodder given to the dairy herd over the space of a year, or 25 % in the case of holdings that process their milk.

The dry matter content is at least 50 % for baled grass. Any other fermented feed is forbidden.

The consumption and distribution of brassicas in the form of green fodder is forbidden for the entire dairy herd present on the holding.’ The provisions on fodder have been clarified in order to reaffirm that the basic diet of dairy cows consists exclusively of fodder from the geographical area, and that the fodder consists of grass in the form of pasture grass, hay and baled grass only.

Baled grass (which has a dry matter content of at least 50 %) has been limited to 40 % in raw matter of the fodder (25 % for farmer-processors) to bolster the position of hay and pasture grass. The limit for farmer-processors is set at 25 % because, in line with traditional practice, these producers use less baled grass and more hay in their animal feed.

It is also explained that other fermented feed and brassicas are forbidden. The reason is that feed of this kind can have an adverse effect on the smell and taste of the milk.

Complementary feed

An upper limit has been set for complementary feed, at 1 800 kg of dry matter per dairy cow per year, on average for all dairy cows, so as to optimise the consumption of fodder from the geographical area.

The complementary feed authorised has been defined according to a positive list, to select the raw materials that are most compatible with the traditional feed of a bovine herd, and to make it easier to inspect. Only the following raw materials are authorised in the complementary feed of dairy cows: cereal grains and their dehydrated products and by-products that have not been treated with soda; dry-preserved corn cobs, consisting of at least 60 % dry matter; grains and by-products of oilseeds and protein crops; dehydrated lucerne and sainfoin, without the addition of urea. In line with practice, the following are also authorised (for up to 10 % of complementary feed): dehydrated beet pulp, without the addition of urea; whey from the farm; molasses and vegetable oils (except for palm oil); mineral elements, bicarbonate, salt, essential oils and natural plant extracts. The use of urea is forbidden.

Ban on GMOs (feed and crops used to feed dairy herds)

The reason for introducing this provision is that it maintains a link with the geographical area and highlights the traditional nature of the feed.

The provisions on animal feed are also added in the Single Document.

Purchase of animals

A sentence has been added to the effect that if animals are purchased from breeders not meeting the conditions for production of the designation of origin ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’, the heifers and cows must be present on the holding for at least one month before they start to lactate, to guarantee that the animals have been managed and fed in accordance with the requirements of the specification before they start to lactate.

Processing of the cheese

Preparation of the milk

The provision ‘The milk used to produce “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” is whole cow's milk, which may be partly skimmed.’

is amended as follows:

‘The milk used to produce “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” is a cow's milk that may be partly skimmed if the ratio of fat to protein is greater than 1,16.’

The term ‘whole’ is deleted, and it is pointed out that the milk is skimmed only if the fat to protein ratio is greater than 1,16, so as to avoid skimming milk that is low in fat and to preserve the organoleptic qualities of the cheese.

The following paragraph is added:

‘Where the milk is processed, a maximum 48-hour period must elapse between the first milking and delivery of the milk to the place where the milk is processed. In the case of farm-based production, the milk must be renneted within 36 hours of the first milking.’

Deadlines for collecting and using the milk have been added so as to preserve the initial characteristics of the milk.

Cold maturation

The following paragraph is added:

‘After mesophilic fermenting agents are added to raw milk, cold maturation may proceed for up to 15 hours at a temperature of 10 to 13 °C.’

In line with practice, the possibility for cold maturation of the milk is added. This enables the milk to acidify, which helps the rennet to take effect.

The duration of this optional phase cannot exceed 15 hours, at a temperature of 10 to 13 °C.

Heat treatment

The paragraph:

‘Cheeses bearing the designation of origin “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” are made from milk heated at least partly, to a maximum temperature of 76 °C […]’

is replaced by:

‘Cheeses bearing the designation of origin “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” are made from raw or thermised milk. In the case of farm-based processing, only raw milk is used.’

The provision on the heat treatment of milk has been amended: while the milk must be at least partly heated, the amendment provides that the milk used be either raw or thermised (pasteurisation of the milk is forbidden). In the case of farm-based processing, only raw milk is used.

Studies on the flora of milk and cheese have shown a need to preserve the initial flora of the milk so as to improve the development of the ripening flora and the aromas of the cheese.

Also, the development of techniques for preserving the milk means there is no longer any need to heat the milk.

The provision on the type of milk used (cow's, raw or thermised milk, which may be partly skimmed) is added in the Single Document, in point 3.2 on the description of the product:

‘It is made from raw or thermised cow's milk, which may be partly skimmed.’

An addition is also made in point 3.3 on the raw materials used:

‘The milk used is raw or thermised cow's milk, without the addition or withdrawal of protein or fat, although there may be partial skimming.’

Warm maturation

The paragraph:

‘Cheeses bearing the designation of origin “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” are made from […] milk inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti.’

is replaced by:

‘At a maturation temperature (maximum 40 °C), fermenting agents (mostly mesophilic) and Penicillium roqueforti (to obtain the blue veins) are added.’

This phase, which is essential for producing blue veins on the body of the cheese, has been specified in detail to better regulate practices.

Curdling

The following paragraph is added:

‘In the case of milk collection, the curdling is performed no later than 48 hours after delivery to the processing site.’

A maximum period of 48 hours has been set between delivery of the milk and curdling in the case of milk collection, to ensure optimum conditions during curdling.

The paragraph:

‘The curd is stirred and poured into moulds in several layers, without pressing. The cheeses are salted in their individual moulds. They must not be salted for more than three days.’

is replaced by:

‘Cutting the curd The curd is cut into hazelnut to walnut-sized grains. Stirring The curd is stirred. Stirring is interspersed with periods of rest allowing the curds to be coated with a film (a process known as “coiffage”). Moulding and draining The curd is strained through a mat or net so as to eliminate excess serum. The cheese is then moulded in bottomless cylindrical moulds with a diameter of 28 centimetres. The moulds are stacked one on top of the other, without pressing. During draining, the cheese must be turned over at least four times. Salting The cheese is salted in individual moulds with a base (salting tubs), with dry salt, at least once on each side, in room with a controlled temperature (16 to 22 °C). They must not be salted for more than three days.’

The stage for cutting the curd has been clarified. The size of the curds has an effect on the speed at which the serum is drained and the final appearance of the cheese.

The stirring stage is also made clearer. The coating (‘coiffage’) of the curds is important, as it has an impact on the final texture and the presence of openings on the body of the cheese.

Details on moulding and draining have been added, to better regulate practices.

The salting stage has been clarified, so as to better codify existing practices, as there is little by way of description of this stage in the current specification.

The paragraph:

‘The cheeses mature in the ripening chamber for at least 21 days from the date of curdling; this allows them to develop in a balanced way.’

is replaced by:

‘Ripening and storage After possible drying, the cheese is placed in a ripening chamber with a temperature of between 9 and 14 °C and relative humidity greater than 90 %. During this phase, the cheese is turned over several times and pierced to ensure the blue veins are well distributed. During this period, surface flora may be added. The cheeses mature in the ripening chamber for at least 21 days from the date of curdling; this allows them to develop in a balanced way.’

The temperature and humidity conditions have been clarified so as to regulate the ripening phase, which is essential for the development of the cheese's aromas. It has also been clarified that during this phase, for the blue veins to be distributed throughout the cheese and the expected characteristics of the rind to form, the cheese is turned over several times and pierced to ensure the blue veins are well distributed, and that surface flora may be added during this phase.

Heading ‘Elements justifying the link with the geographical area’

This section has been entirely rewritten to make the link between ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ and its geographical area clearer, without altering the essence of the link. The section highlights the conditions under which the milk is produced, in particular the fact that a diet based on diversified mountain flora produces a milk suited to the production of ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’, which requires particular know-how to produce and ripen.

The first part describes the ‘Specificity of the geographical area’ and restates the geographical area's natural and human factors, summarising historical aspects and highlighting relevant specific know-how.

The second part describes the ‘Specificity of the product’, in particular certain elements introduced in the product description.

Finally, the last part explains the ‘Causal link’, i.e. the interaction between the natural and human factors and the product.

The entire link in the specification of the PDO can be found under point 5 of the Single Document.

Heading ‘Specific labelling details’

This section has been updated by deleting the obligation to affix a reference to the national ‘Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée’ on labels, in accordance with European regulations on the labelling of PDOs.

The following paragraph is deleted:

‘The words “fabrication fermière” or “fromage fermier” or any other similar wording that suggests the product was produced on a farm may be used only by producers who are farmers.’, as the term ‘fermier’ (or any term suggesting farm origin) is now defined in the national regulations. This amendment has also been taken into account in the Single Document.

Other

Under the heading ‘Competent authority of the Member State’, the address of the INAO has been updated.

Heading ‘References to the inspection body’

The name and the contact details of the official bodies have been updated. In that section the contact details of the authorities responsible for national inspections are provided, i.e. the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). It has been added that the name and contact details of the certification body can be consulted via the website of the INAO and the European Commission's database.

Heading ‘National requirements’

In line with national legislative and regulatory developments, the reference to the decree on the designation ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ has been deleted, and a table setting out the main points to be checked, their reference values and their evaluation methods has been added.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘BLEU DU VERCORS-SASSENAGE’

EU No: PDO-FR-0077-AM02 – 27.11.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

3.2. Description of product to which the name in 1 applies

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is an unpressed, uncooked, blue-veined cheese.

It is made from raw or thermised cow's milk, which may be partly skimmed. In the case of farm-based processing, only raw milk is used.

It comes in the shape of flat cylinders 27 to 30 cm in diameter, 7 to 9 cm high, and convex on the outside. It weighs between 4 and 4,5 kg. Its rind presents a fine, white to grey-blue, mould-type bloom that may have orange to ivory-coloured marbling of the kind caused by yeasts and bacteria active in the ripening process.

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is an ivory to light yellow-coloured, creamy and homogeneous cheese with well-distributed blue veins. The body of the cheese has openings of less than 1 cm2, of various shapes distributed throughout the cheese.

It has the taste of a mild blue cheese, with no excess bitterness, acidity or saltiness. It is also characterised by a slight taste of hazelnut and a scent of undergrowth.

The cheese contains a minimum of 48 g of fat per 100 g of cheese after total desiccation, and its dry matter content must not be less than 52 g per 100 g of cheese.

It can be sold only after 21 days of ripening, starting from the date of curdling.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Permitted feed

The dairy cows' basic diet is fodder (pasture grass, hay or baled grass) from the geographical area only. Any other fermented feed is forbidden.

When grass is available, grazing is mandatory for the dairy cows as soon as the weather allows. The minimum duration of grazing is 150 days a year. Each dairy cow must have an average of at least 0,3 hectares of permanent grassland on which to graze during the grazing period.

Baled grass (which has a dry matter content of at least 50 %) accounts for not more than 40 % in raw matter of the fodder given to the dairy herd over the space of a year.

The dairy herd may be given an average amount of 1 800 kg of complementary feed expressed as dry matter per dairy cow per year.

Only the following raw materials are authorised in the complementary feed of dairy cows: cereal grains and their dehydrated products and by-products that have not been treated with soda; dry-preserved corn cobs, consisting of at least 60 % dry matter; grains and by-products of oilseeds and protein crops; dehydrated lucerne and sainfoin, without the addition of urea.

The following are authorised to account for up to 10 % of the complementary feed referred to above: dehydrated beet pulp, without the addition of urea; whey from the farm; molasses and vegetable oils (except for palm oil); mineral elements, bicarbonate, salt, essential oils and natural plant extracts. The use of urea is forbidden.

Plants, by-products and complementary feed from GMO-labelled products are forbidden in the feed of the farm's dairy herd.

Origin of the feed

Fodder may come from the geographical area only.

Complementary feed is limited to 1 800 kg of dry matter per dairy cow per year, accounting for not more than 25 % of the dairy cows' annual intake in dry matter. Not all this complementary feed comes from the geographical area, due to the mountainous conditions, which severely limit the production of cereals and oil and protein crops.

This means that at least 75 % of the dairy cows' intake in dry matter comes from the geographical area.

Raw materials

The milk used is raw or thermised cow's milk, without the addition or withdrawal of protein or fat, although there may be partial skimming, from herds made up of cows of the Montbéliard, Abondance and Villard-de-Lans breeds.

In the case of farm-based processing, only raw milk is used.

3.4. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

The milk is produced and the cheese manufactured and ripened in the geographical area.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ may be presented to consumers in portions.

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The name of the designation of origin ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ must appear in characters at least two thirds the size of the largest characters used on the label.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ PDO is produced within the Vercors Massif, in 13 municipalities in the Drôme department and 13 municipalities in the Isère department.

Drôme department:

Municipalities completely covered by the geographical area: (Le) Chaffal, (La) Chapelle-en-Vercors, Echevis, Léoncel, Omblèze, Plan-de-Baix, Saint-Agnan-en-Vercors, Saint-Julien-en-Vercors, Saint-Martin-en-Vercors, Vassieux-en-Vercors

The following municipalities in part: Bouvante, Saint-Jean-en-Royans, Saint-Laurent-en-Royans

Isère department:

Municipalities completely covered by the geographical area: Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors, Chatelus, Choranche, Corrençon-en-Vercors, Engins, Lans-en-Vercors, Malleval-en-Vercors, Presles, Rencurel, Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, Villard-de-Lans.

The following municipalities in part: Izeron, Saint-Pierre-de-Chérennes

For municipalities that are partly included, cadastral maps have been lodged with the municipal authorities.

5. Link with the geographical area

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is a cheese made from cow's milk with organoleptic characteristics linked to the particular conditions of the natural environment of the Vercors – whose grassland is rich in flora, producing a type of milk suited to cheese-making – and the traditional methods for transforming the milk into a blue-veined cheese.

Lying at an altitude of some 1 000 m, the Vercors is the largest subalpine karst massif of the northern French Pre-Alps. Situated to the west of Grenoble, it is enclosed by the Isère valley, the Valence plain, and the Drôme and Drac valleys.

The geographical area encompasses the upper sections of the Vercors, which are bounded by Urgonian limestone cliffs. The Massif is a vast, undulating, high-altitude plateau: access is via gorges and has long been difficult, helping the Massif to preserve its identity and specific characteristics.

The landscape of the Vercors is also marked by glacial activity dating back to ancient times. It is characterised by long, cradle-shaped wet valleys and cirques and closed coombs overlooked by cliffs.

The soil of the mountains, with their limestone outcrops, is shallow and can only support dry open woodland or dry grassland. At the bottom of the valleys and slopes, the soil consists of sand and clayey gravel formed from glacial activity, as well as clay resulting from the decalcification of the Urgonian limestone. This is where most of the hay meadows and grassland of the Vercors are found.

The Vercors has a mountain climate: summers are short, it is always cool at night, autumn comes early, while winters are long, cold and snowy, albeit softened by the mitigating effects of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Precipitation is significant: some 1 000 mm to 1 700 mm of rain or snow per year, spread relatively evenly over the year.

Agriculture in the Vercors revolves around extensive mountain farming, based mainly on the utilisation of the grassland, the main types of production being dairy cattle farming (on one out of every two farms), suckling cattle farming, sheep farming, and to a lesser extent cereal production, mainly for feed.

As regards human factors, evidence of this cheese being made in the Vercors Massif goes back to the 14th century.

The part of the geographical area situated in the Isère department was once known as the ‘Sassenage Mountains’. Over time, the region came to be known as the ‘Vercors’, as a continuation of the Vercors of the Drôme department. The merging of the two geographical names corresponds to the historical evolution of the two ancient regions that form the Massif.

In the 14th century, the Lord of Sassenage, who was the owner of the four parishes of Lans-en-Vercors, Villard-de-Lans, Méaudre and Autrans, collected the cheese as a tax and sold it in Sassenage.

That is how ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ started to become known outside its geographical area and was widely traded over the centuries both in France and abroad.

Traditional farm-based production of the cheese continued until the early 20th century, when it went into decline as a result of competition from dairies. In 1933, Mr Léonard Mestrallet, director of the dairy cooperative of Villard, began making ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ following the traditional recipe. He expanded production and began selling it in Grenoble and St Etienne. This marked a resumption in farm-based production of the cheese.

To this day, the milk is produced and transformed into ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ according to traditional practices.

Production of the milk is based on a grazing system that makes the most of the rich flora of the Vercors, with mandatory grazing for the cows as soon as the weather allows. The animals' basic diet consists solely of grass from the geographical area.

Originally, milk production was mainly based on the local cattle breed ‘Villard-de-Lans’, which was well-suited to this difficult environment. Having practically disappeared in the 1970s, the breed is now the subject of a preservation and revival programme. It was joined by other breeds suited to the mountainous climate conditions in the 1950s: the ‘Montbéliard’ and ‘Abondance’ breeds.

The characteristic production techniques for ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ are the following:

— warm maturation, including sowing with mostly thermophilic fermenting agents and Penicillium roqueforti, followed by curdling;

— cutting the curd into hazelnut to walnut-sized grains;

— stirring the grains, interspersed with periods of rest;

— moulding without pressing, and salting on both sides of the cheese;

— during the ripening phase, turning over and piercing the cheese and storage under cool, humid conditions;

— ripening for at least 21 days.

‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is an unpressed, uncooked, blue-veined cow's milk cheese. It comes in the shape of flat cylinders 27 to 30 cm in diameter and convex on the outside. Its rind presents a fine bloom. It is a creamy and homogeneous cheese with well-distributed blue veins and openings of various shapes distributed throughout the cheese. ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ has the taste of a mild blue cheese, with no excess bitterness, acidity or saltiness, and is characterised by a slight taste of hazelnut and a scent of undergrowth.

The abundance of natural grassland, which has developed mainly on clay-limestone sands and clayey soils resulting from decalcification and is rich in flora, has given rise to a tradition of extensive dairy cattle farming based on a grazing system.

The various mountains that make up the Vercors region enable optimum use to be made of the natural environment: the flat and humid valley floors supply farms with fodder; the bottom of the slopes provide herds with a safe food supply; the steep slopes are devoted to grazing; the high mountain pastures are used during the summer season. This diversified mountain flora forms the basis of the herd's diet and gives the milk, and hence the cheese, its typical characteristics.

The inaccessible nature of the Vercors Massif forced farmers to turn to cheese-making very early on.

Farmers began producing a medium-sized cheese that could be preserved and was suited to the needs of mountain farming and to trading with neighbouring regions.

Its traditional production, based on the creation of blue veins, dates as far back as the 14th century, when it was already known as a ‘blue’ cheese, and has been preserved to this day, mainly due to the isolated location of the Massif.

The various stages of production of ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ also give it its distinct characteristics:

— the size of the curd grains (hazelnut to walnut-sized) help produce a creamy and homogeneous cheese;

— stirring the curds, interspersed with periods of rest, allows the curds to be coated with a film (a process known as ‘coiffage’) that prevents them from sticking together, while moulding and draining the curds without pressing them allow openings to form on the cheese, where Penicillium roqueforti will develop;

— ripening under humid and cool conditions, combined with piercing, promotes the balanced formation of Penicillium roqueforti;

— ripening, which takes at least 21 days, also allows a thin surface mould to form and produces the cheese's specific aromas: mild blue cheese, hazelnut and undergrowth.

To sum up, ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is intimately linked to a region, the Vercors, which producers have been able to exploit by developing extensive mountain farming and traditional production techniques.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCBleuVercorsSassenage-BO.pdf