Cheese of the Week - Vignotte

Vignotte cheese

Vignotte is a high (75%) milk-fat ("Triple cream") cow's milk French cheese in a powdery white, bloomy skin of mold.It tastes like an intense version of Brie. Extra heavy cream is added to the cheese during manufacture. A traditional wheel of Vignotte is smaller and shaped higher than the familiar flat wheel of Brie.

While the crust of the cheese is velvety, its insides are not runny, as one would expect. Rather, the insides are solid, and more like creamy paste. This makes the cheese perfect for use in a variety of preparations, right from soups and appetizers to main course dishes and even sauces and dips. Largely considered a table cheese, it is great for grilling as well; and thanks to the mild flavor of the cheese, it is pretty good when paired with most of the white wines as well as dry red wines. Fruits are also a good companion.

Although the cheese is prepared in a few places apart from France, the typical French variety is considered the best and most preferred especially by purists. Across France, this cheese is available in stores and supermarkets; and overseas the cheese can be bought from some specialized stores. It can also be ordered online. This French cheese can be bought in rounds as petite as a pound; however, ones with larger rounds are considered to be more flavorsome.

Storing the cheese is never a problem as the cheese has a good shelf life. Vignotte is stored in a cool and dry place.