The investigation focused on the following: whether grass from pastures at higher altitudes influenced milk composition to give cheese with better sensory characteristics than cheese made using milk from cows fed on pastures at lower altitudes, and the influence of cheesemaking techniques which use open wood fires to heat milk on subsequent cheese quality. The following 4 production sites were studied between 6 June-19 September 1995: L`Etivaz A (1), L`Etivaz B (2), Les Allieres (3), and Grangeneuve (4). All the sites are in Switzerland, south-west of Bern. Sites 1 and 2 were at altitudes of 1300-2100 m, site 3 at approximately 1000 m and site 4 at approximately 600 m. Between 11-13 individual studies were carried out at each site. Each study examined the following: the botanical composition of the pasture, the composition of the grass, composition of milk and cream, composition of ripened cheese, and the sensory evaluation of the ripened cheese. Soil characteristics, meteorological conditions, herd type and size and the cheesemaking techniques used at each site are also described, as are cheese ripening conditions, sampling methods and methodology. Results of the study are to be published in a series of articles. A map and 2 tables are given