Press Release
Très Belle Chèvre
Goat Dairy & Fromagerie
Local Cheese Maker wins Silver Medal in 2009 United States Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin
In 1999 Wanda Barras knew nothing about goat milk or cheeses when she came home with her first two Lamancha goats, Old Bouquet and Trinket, but she realized that once she began milking (after more baby goats were born) she had best learn and learn quickly. She researched cheeses and cheese making in books and on the Internet. After attending a 3 day seminar on cheese making and running a goat dairy. On the drive back home she made the decision to become an artisan cheese maker. Wanda immediately set about learning the art of cheese making and building a goat dairy. And now, she runs Belle Ècorce Farms’ Très Belle Chèvre, a micro-goat dairy and Fromagerie in St. Martinville. Belle Ècorce Farms is home to over 100 Lamancha and Nubian goats, and a small farm store, which boasts its staple, chèvre, seasoned and hand-decorated with flowers and herbs from the garden.
Wanda also specializes in European style soft bloomy-rind cheeses, about 9 variations, including charcoal ashed cheeses; Lil' Gracie, a beautiful little 3 to 5 ounce cheese with a hint of mushrooms and a favorite at the Baton Rouge Red Stick Market; Brossard, a goat milk "camembert like" cheese;T-Brusse, a smaller version of the Brossard and a 10 ounce Bebè Bree, Wanda’s version of a mini goat milk brie; Buche de Chevre , AKA Taunte Cecile, a soft mold-ripened cheese similar to a St Maure log; Bayou Blue, a 12 to 14 oz bloomy rind cheese with a delicate thread of blue mold running horizontally through the center; and several charcoal ashed cheeses, including Cheminée Ecrevisse, which somewhat resembles its namesake, a little crawfish chimney; Fuselier, a pyramid shaped cheese with a line of ash across the middle and St. Margaret an ashed log named in honor of Wanda's mother, Margaret Fuselier Broussard. Wanda is currently working on some aged natural rind cheeses to add to her growing list of unique cheeses.
This year Wanda entered her Tuscan Pelote, a 3.5 oz. fresh chèvre ball dusted with Italian herbs and drizzled with herb infused, extra virgin olive oil, in the 2009 United States Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin and to her delight won a silver medal for her flavored soft goat cheese. Wanda’s award winning cheese was recently featured by as part of a special cheese dinner at Chef John Folse’s White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge.
Belle Ècorce Farms’ is profiled in Jeffery Roberts book, “The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese”. Wanda’s cheeses are available on the farm, at area & regional restaurants, specialty food stores such as Joey's in Lafayette and St. James Cheese Company in New Orleans. Local Restaurants such as , Clementine's in New Iberia, Charlie G's in Lafayette and others. Belle Ècorce Farms cheeses can be found every Saturday morning at the Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge. Stop by to meet Wanda & sample Belle Ècorce Farms wonderful cheeses.
2009 United States's Championship Cheese Contest
Silver Medal
Flavored Soft Goat's Milk Cheeses
Wanda Barras, Belle Ècorce Farms’ Très Belle Chèvre
