The Terres de Saint Hilaire is not only a wine-growing operation.
The estate is now home to goat breeding, a source of cheese production that has continued to grow since its establishment.
The herd now has more than 50 heads, including 27 dairy. They will be 36 from this year, and the objective is to reach a herd of 80 animals.
In the heart of the estate, a few hundred meters from the equestrian center, a former agricultural shed has been rehabilitated by Laetitia, the goatherd, and her spouse, who is also employed by the specialist in wood stoves Ökofen. This large isolated and secure space welcomes animals for the night, to protect them from the cold of winter nights … and wolf attacks, always possible in our area. A young patou has also just been adopted by the herd to ensure his protection when he moves away from the goat barn.
Goats graze daily in our hills, much of the afternoon, or even all day in summer. In exchange for their contribution to the natural maintenance of these 260 ha of pasture, they thus benefit from the abundant vegetation of our meadows and undergrowth, which complements their morning meal consisting of organic alfalfa.
The whole constitutes the main source of a rich and abundant milk that Laetitia works in her workshop, a large mobile home also nicely renovated in a cheese laboratory.
The goats are milked every morning, and their milk is the raw material for a silky and delicate curd. After 24 hours of draining, the curd is molded gradually and matured into tomettes or small caps, plain or flavored with herbs. A part of the curd is sometimes taken after only a few hours of draining, then mixed with the whey to produce a smooth white cheese.
Tasting and purchase on site at the estate
Once you enter the domain, turn right in front of Les Tourettes, then after about 1 km a sign to the left indicates the path of the goat farm
Educational activities : possibility of accompanying the herd by children from schools and leisure centers.
