Association of Burgundian
and Champenois cheeses, butter and
cream with geographical indications

Select a name above to view his producers on the map.

Back to full map

PDO Bresse Cream and Butter

The reputation of Bresse Cream and Butter comes from the natural region of the same name.

There are in fact two types of Bresse Cream: one is a sweet and velvety cream called “semi-épaisse” or half-thick, the other has a fresh and sharp taste, slightly acidic, and is labeled as “épaisse” or double cream.

Traditional churning produces a soft, light and smooth butter which reveals herbaceous and floral flavours.

Contact information :

Syndicat de Promotion de la Crème et du Beurre de Bresse
4, avenue du Champ de Foire - 01003 Bourg-en-Bresse
04 74 45 67 21
contact@aoc-creme-beurre-bresse.fr
www.aoc-creme-beurre-bresse.fr

In numbers (approx) :

65 farms
30 million litres of milk
3 diaries
550 metric tons of cream et 350 metric tons of butter

Back to full map

PDO Chaource

Made from whole cow’s milk, Chaource is matured for at least fourteen days and develops a smooth rind covered with white flora, containing a creamy paste.

Chaource gives off an aroma of cream and fresh mushrooms, sometimes of hazelnut.

The rise of the hosiery of Troyes in the 19th century enabled the development of Chaource cheese.

Contact information :

Syndicat de défense du fromage de Chaource
Grande Rue, 10260 Vaudes
03 25 49 90 48
contact@fromage-chaource.fr
www.fromage-chaource.fr

In numbers (approx) :

60 farms
38 million litres of milk
2 farm producers
4 cheese diaries
1 cheesemonger
2500 metric tons of cheese
330 direct jobs that cannot be relocated

Back to full map

PDO Charolais

Charolais cheese is one of the largest goat’s cheeses in France.

It is produced from raw whole milk in a region of permanent meadows and hedged farmland. From 2 to 2.5 liters of milk are required to make one cheese. After at least 16 days of ripening, its shape is such as a keg of 7 cm of height, with a smooth and firm paste.

This outstanding cheese can be kept for a long time. Soft and generous, it gives off mellow and lactic flavours which become stronger during maturing.

Contact information :

Syndicat de défense du fromage Charolais
59, rue du 19 mars 1962 - CS 70 610 - 71010 Mâcon cedex
03 85 29 56 14
sdfc@sl.chambagri.fr
www.aop71.fr

In numbers (approx) :

14 farm producers
5 milk producers
2 cheese diaries
2 cheesemongers
82 metric tons of cheese
1,4 million litres of milk

Back to full map

PDO Époisses

In the little village of Époisses, thanks to an ingenious community of monks and the tenacity of local farmers, this rich and elegant cheese was born, with a unique production method.

Its ivory-orange colour of its rind stands out and develops naturally. Durind the maturing stage, the cheeses are washed with water containing an increasing amount of Marc de Bourgogne (pomace brandy).

Its paste is soft and melts in your mouth; its flavour is distinctive, fruity, strong and balanced.

Contact information :

Syndicat de défense de l'Époisses
Place de la Mairie - 52190 Prauthoy
03 25 84 03 51
fromage-epoisses@wanadoo.fr
www.fromage-epoisses.com

In numbers (approx) :

45 farms
21 million litres of milk
1 farm producer
3 cheese diaries
1300 metric tons of cheese
290 direct jobs that cannot be relocated

Back to full map

PDO Langres

This cheese made of cow’s milk conceals, under its washed rind, a meltingly soft paste, with a flavour of cream and hazelnut, becoming more and more distinctive during the ripening.

Want to know how mature a Langres cheese is? Just look at the well on the top. The deeper the hollow, the more mature the Langres is.

It is a godsend for those who like to eat it after pouring a few drops of Champagne or Marc de Bourgogne (pomace brandy) into the hollow.

Contact information :

Syndicat interprofessionnel du fromage de Langres
Place de la Mairie – 52190 Prauthoy
03 25 84 03 51
contact@fromagedelangres.com
www.fromagedelangres.com

In numbers (approx) :

20 farms
7 million litres of milk
1 farm producer
2 cheese diaries
650 metric tons of cheese
100 direct jobs that cannot be relocated

Back to full map

PDO Mâconnais

Mâconnais cheese is born in the vineyards. This little goat’s cheese has a peculiar truncated cone shape since it is made in a specific mould and never turned over until its minimal period of maturation ends.

Ripened during at least 10 days, Mâconnais has a delicate and delicious paste. Its rind is covered with ivory-coloured, beige or bluish flora, with a smell of milk and chestnut.

Contact information :

Syndicat de défense du fromage Mâconnais
Lycée agricole de Mâcon-Davayé - Domaine des poncétys - 71960 Davayé
03 85 33 56 20
sdfm@sl.chambagri.fr
www.aop71.fr

In numbers (approx) :

2 farm producers
3 milk producers
2 cheese diaries
77 metric tons of cheese
900 000 litres of milk

Back to full map

PGI Brillat-Savarin

Brillat-Savarin cheese, named after the famous gastronome, was created around 1930 by Henri Androuet.

The know-how to make this cheese, enriched with cream, is found in Burgundy and the Seine-et-Marne department since the 1950s.

The reputation of this prestigious cheese result from its very melting texture, and its flavour of cream and fresh butter, with a scent of hazelnut or mushroom, depending on the stage of ripening.

Contact information :

Groupement de promotion du Brillat-Savarin
8 chemin de la Noue, 21600 Longvic
06 08 17 75 58
contact@fromage-brillat-savarin.fr
www.fromage-brillat-savarin.fr

In numbers (approx) :

7 cheese diaries
2 cheesemongres
1700 metric tons of cheese
100 direct jobs that cannot be relocated

Back to full map

PGI Soumaintrain

Existing since the 17th century and known as far away as Paris by the 19th century, Soumaintrain cheese is the product of the pastures in the wet valleys of north-west Burgundy.

Maturing and successives washing help to assert its strong character. Discover its meltingly soft paste with aromatic and “animal” notes, intense and long-lasting, characterized by a firmer and fresher heart!

Contact information :

Association Soumaintrain
8 chemin de la Noue, 21600 Longvic
06 08 17 75 58
contact@fromage-soumaintrain.fr
www.fromage-soumaintrain.fr

In numbers (approx) :

20 farms
2 million litres of milk
5 farm producers
3 cheese diaries
1 cheesemonger
180 metric tons of cheese
60 direct jobs that cannot be relocated

Take a gourmet trip through Burgundian and Champenois lands : cheese, cream & butter.

This is your chance to explore the Burgundian and Champenois areas where PDO and PGI cheese, cream and butter are produced! These lands dedicated to livestock farming and grazing are home to age-old traditions, preserved thanks to the efforts of committed enthusiats.

In these regions milk was traditionally made into cottage cheese. Farmers’ wives patiently learned the art of maturing these fragile cheeses, which can boast a delicate, melting and homogenous paste, subtle lactic notes and an often assertive character. They turned the rich milk of the Bresse into fragrant cream and soft butter.

Bresse Cream, Bresse Butter, Charolais, Mâconnais, Époisses, Soumaintrain, Chaource, Langres and Brillat-Savarin all originate from this living alchemy, from the care and expertise of our producers, cheese and butter makers. Why not come and meet them?

PDO and PGI :
quality guaranteed!

What is
a PDO ?

What is
a PGI ?

PDO and PGI : quality guaranteed!

These two official quality labels can only be granted by the authorities and only to producer collectives belonging to a statutory association.

Production conditions for each PDO or PGI are registered in a requirement specification, endorsed by the State and regularly inspected by independent organisations.

This information is readily and openly available to consumers on the www.inao.gouv.fr website.

What is a PDO ?

The Protected Designation of Origin guarantees that all making steps have taken place in the designated geographical area, from milk production to cheese maturing.

The characteristics and authenticity of products with this label arise from their geographical origin, comprising both natural and human factors.

A PDO belongs to all its stakeholders, placing the men and women involved and their expertise at the very heart of the process. In France, 45 cheeses, 3 butters and 2 creams are recognized PDO.

What is a PGI ?

The Protected Geographical Indication originated from the European Union’s will to expand the system of recognition of food products based on their geographical origin. The production and/or the processing take place in the delimited geographical area.

It guarantees the bond between a product and its territory, and confers a determined quality, its reputation or other characteristics on the product. It recognizes a particular know-how, localized and maintained over time.

Nine french cheeses received a PGI.