Best Valais AOP Raclette Cheeses in 2025
Each year, the Raclette du Valais AOP interprofessional organization evaluates the best Valais AOP raclettecheeses produced in this iconic region to select the best among them. This ranking highlights the expertise of cheesemakers and the richness of the Valais terroir with the best Valais raclette cheese. This year's results reveal minimal differences between the winners, a testament to the excellence of Valais products.
Here's a look at the best wheels of hard raclette cheese that have won the famous gold, silver, and bronze medals/stars. This competition showcases the expertise of cheesemakers and the richness of the Valais region, with a minimum score of 19.20/20 to earn the gold star.
Laurent Ecœur has been producing PDO cheese for three years. This year, his Dents du Midi 1 achieved the highest score in French-speaking Valais in the Raclette du Valais AOP interprofessional ranking for dairy cheeses.
Here are the rankings of the best cheeses from Valais
1. Five golden cheese shops
- Dents du Midi 1 (gold star)
- Heida (Gold Star)
- Bagnes 30 (3rd: 19.25/20), produced in the summer in Lourtier with milk from the Sery and Chermontane mountain pastures
- Raclette Arbaz de la Fermette (4th: 19.24/20), made by Bernard Sermier
- Gomser 55 (5th: 19.23/20)
2. Thirteen gold-awarded mountain pastures
- Fluhap (19.58/20), above Leukerbad
- Champsot (19.57/20)
- The Peule (19.50/20)
- Nava (19.50/20)
- The Pale (19.50/20)
- Pointet (19.50/20)
- Emaney (19.38/20)
- Binneralp (19.33/20)
- Balavaux (19.33/20)
- Thyon (19.26/20)
- Champoussin (19.25/20)
- Berroix (19.23/20)
- La Chaux (19.20/20)
3. Silver & Bronze: complementary recognition
Beyond gold, the Interprofessional Association also awards the silver star (scores between 19 and 19.19) and the bronze star (18.8 to 18.99). These distinctions highlight the excellence and consistency of Valais cheeses, from pasture milk to ripening.
The commitment of the canton of Valais to the quality of its AOP Valais raclette
Valais, with its unique maturation process between 400 and 3,000 meters, offers exceptional terrain for raw cow's milk. Each dairy's goal is to enhance the natural flavor of the pastures, respecting the seasons and local flora. In Haudères, for example, producers enhance the delicate notes of gentian and thyme, adding a floral note to the pleasures of raclette. Each farm, each mountain pasture, and each cooperative participates in this collective adventure, guaranteeing strict traceability and a detailed description of the cheese, a guarantee of transparency and quality for cheese lovers.
Making raw milk raclette cheese: an ancestral art
Production is a subtle balance between tradition and innovation. From the moment the milk is milked, it is carefully handled in the cheese dairy, where curdling takes place at a controlled temperature. In the cool cellars, the cheese wheels are salted by hand and then aged for several weeks. Cheesemakers adjust the temperature and humidity to reveal the cheese's characteristic melting texture. The cheese description mentions a soft paste, a slightly nutty flavor, and an intense milky aroma. Each dairy adapts its method according to the desired flavor profile, ensuring an incomparable tasting experience.
Conclusion
This year, the best raclette cheeses in Valais confirm the canton of Valais's reputation. Whatever your choice—gold, silver, or bronze—each bite transports you to the heart of the mountain pastures. Designed for enthusiasts, this ranking highlights the diversity of the terroirs and invites you to discover exceptional raw milks. To prolong the pleasures of raclette, visit a local cheese shop or retailer and let yourself be seduced by the aromatic richness of these Valais treasures. Sources: Le Nouvelliste
