For centuries, every year from May to October, the herdsmen and their flocks have climbed up to their chalets in the Fribourg Pre-Alps at altitudes of between 1000 and 1800 metres, where they make Gruyère d'Alpage PDO. This exceptional cheese is intimately linked to the local culture.

Only a few dozen cheese-making families still make this cheese in the traditional way, using natural skimming, a copper cauldron over a wood fire, and pressing and draining the curds in hemp cloths.

The ripening process continues in the Cave de la Tzintre in Charmey, where every day the cheeses are tended to by expert hands who turn them over and rub them with salt water. In this way, the cheese mature and develop its unique flavour.