Step inside a traditional European cheese cellar and you’ll find rows and rows of cheese wheels quietly undergoing one of the most important stages of cheesemaking: aging!  Known as affinage in France, this carefully controlled aging period allows time, temperature, humidity and centuries of cheesemaking tradition and expertise to transform a young cheese’s flavor, aroma and texture.

While it may look like aging cheese is simply about sitting on shelves, there’s actually a lot happening behind the scenes.

Time as an Ingredient

As cheese ages, moisture gradually decreases through evaporation creating a firmer and firmer end result. The longer the cheese has been aged, the harder it gets.

The milk protein and fat also breaks down over time, creating entirely new flavors and aromas. Depending on the cheese, a mild, milky flavor can become nutty, earthy, fruity, spicy or intensely savory, while new textures may evolve from supple and smooth to firm, crumbly or even crunchy and crystalline.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a perfect example. This iconic imported Italian cheese must mature for at least 12 months, but many wheels age for 24, 36 months or longer. Younger Parmigiano Reggiano is delicate, with notes of milk, yogurt and fresh fruit. With additional aging, it becomes increasingly crumbly and grainy while developing pronounced notes of nuts, spices and savory flavors.

Centuries of Cellar Traditions

In Switzerland, wheels of Gruyère mature on wooden boards under carefully controlled temperature and humidity. During aging, the cheeses are regularly turned and cared for as their natural rinds develop. Longer-aged versions become increasingly full-flavored and aromatic.

It’s a wonderful reminder to look for the age on your imported cheeses and fun to taste different cheese maturities side-by-side to experience these nuances for yourself!

No aging environment is more dramatic than the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in France. Imported Roquefort cheese, made from sheep’s milk, ripens in limestone caves ventilated by natural fissures called fleurines. The cool, humid airflow creates ideal conditions for Penicillium roqueforti to flourish, producing the cheese’s distinctive blue-green veining and bold, complex flavor.

Washed Rinds: When Aging Gets Hands-On

Some cheeses require an especially hands-on approach in the aging cellar. Washed-rind cheeses are periodically rubbed or washed with a liquid; often brine, and in some traditions wine, beer or spirits. Keeping the surface moist encourages particular bacteria and yeasts to flourish, contributing to the distinctive orange, pink or reddish rinds and complex aromas associated with this style of cheese.

Italy’s Taleggio cheese is a classic example. During maturation, the cheese is regularly turned and its rind treated with a saltwater solution. This helps keep the rind soft and moist while encouraging the natural surface microflora that gives Taleggio its rosy color, soft texture and distinctive aroma.

In Burgundy, France,  Époisses cheese takes the tradition one delicious step further. During its minimum four weeks of aging, the cheese is washed one to three times a week, beginning with water and progressing to washes containing increasing concentrations of Marc de Bourgogne, a local grape-based spirit. The process helps create Époisses’ characteristic orange-red rind and famously powerful aroma, while the interior becomes remarkably soft, rich and creamy.

Washed-rind cheeses are a delicious reminder that aging isn’t simply about waiting. How a cheese is tended to during those weeks or months can be just as important as how long it spends in the cellar.

Meet the Affineur

Aging, and cheesemaking, is really all about the people. European affineurs, or cheese-aging specialists, carefully monitor cheeses as they mature, adjusting cellar conditions and turning, brushing or washing cheeses as needed. Their expertise helps guide each cheese toward its incredibly delicious end result!

The next time you build a cheese board, try comparing younger and longer-aged versions of the same imported cheese. Notice how the aroma, texture and flavor change.

Always remember that the aging room, centuries of tradition, the cheesemaker and time itself all helped create what you’re tasting.

Because when it comes to great imported cheese, sometimes the most important ingredient is patience!

Hungry to learn more? Check out our piece on your favorite imported Bloomy Rind Cheeses to explore what makes them so uniquely delicious.