Affinage
The French word for the care and ageing of cheese after it leaves the make room.
Also: ageing, maturing, refining
Affinage is everything that happens to a cheese between the day it is made and the day it is sold. The word comes from the French affiner, to refine. It covers the temperature and humidity of the cellar, how often the cheese is turned, whether the rind is brushed, washed with brine, rubbed with oil or left alone, and how long it is kept. Two cheeses made from the same milk on the same day can taste quite different after different affinage. A soft cheese may need two weeks of attention; a Comté or Parmigiano may be cared for over two or three years. The craft is done by the cheesemaker, by a dedicated affineur, or by a cheesemonger with ageing rooms.