Say Fromage: Celebrate the Best of French Cheese

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In Paris, there are a variety of companies vying for your attention in what seems to be a competitive food tour market. There’s a bit of a difference between providers – some are more limited in neighborhoods, some are a bit more expensive than others. All claim to offer samples of the best French treats Paris has to offer. But it seems only Paris By Mouth offers a workshop focused exclusively on the marvel that is French cheese.

Oui, les fromages!

The Background Research

I’ve done walking tours in Rome, Amsterdam, and London.  These were all worthwhile and involved many (6+) food and drink samples. They give a broad overview of the best/most notable foods of the area while also replacing a meal during the 3+ hours of the tour.  

My favorite company so far – Eating Europe – does offer a food tour in Paris.  However, they were fairly new to the city and only offered one tour option, in the 10th arrondissement.  Many companies actually provide tours in many Paris neighborhoods. Really, a tourist could be spoiled for choice and/or confused about the best option.  And some companies were a bit more affordable than others, which certainly can influence a decision for a splurge activity. 

But as I did research about my food tour options, it became apparent that Paris By Mouth is something of an establishment in all things foodie.  And although they do offer the standard walking food tour, they also offered an a small group French cheese workshop.  

We were trying to be budget-conscious during our trip, otherwise I would have splurged on both a food tour and the workshop. Since that wasn’t quite in the cards this time, I made a decision. Since I am a sucker for the more unusual experience, the French cheese workshop won the day.

Space and Time

On the day of our workshop, we met in a small space on the second floor of a little wine shop in Saint-Germain des Prés.  The details of the location come with your workshop confirmation email.

It’s handy to keep the email accessible. But if you’re not familiar with the area, I highly recommend downloading local Paris data on Google Maps before your trip. Then you can save the location of the workshop (and any other spots you want to visit) on your map. Even if you don’t have data or wifi, you’ll still be able to pull up your location in Paris. Then you just navigate by following the blue dot.

The workshop is early afternoon on Saturdays, giving plenty of time to fit in some sightseeing, shopping, or horribly humiliating mishaps before getting cheesy with it.

Note: Before walking into the workshop, I had just done a face-plant in a Parisian street, scraping my knee and ruining my pants. It was nice to be met by our workshop instructor, Jennifer, with a small glass of wine after the minor physical trauma and, more importantly, the intense embarrassment. 

Has anyone else done this in a major metropolitan area? I literally did a tuck/roll tumble in an intersection, in front of stopped traffic.  I am the definition of grace.

How the Workshop Works

Back to the cheese:  the formula for the workshop is pretty simple.  A small group, no more than 8 participants, sits around a single table.  The workshop leader guides everyone through tasting different categories of cheeses, usually providing more than one variety of each type. 

The table was set with many fruits to complement the cheeses. Each guest begins the workshop with a baguette. This can be replenished as needed.  I know this because I’m a glutton. 

During the workshop, participants learn about the different categories of French cheese, the rigorous requirements to achieve certain national standards, and some of the factors leading to production of new cheese varieties. 

One important aspect discussed is the standards of French wines and cheese is appellation d’origine contrôlée, or the controlled designation of origin.  Some products require production in a specific geographic region.  Champagne may be the most well-known example of this, but more than 40 cheeses are also identified as AOC in France.  Labels on French products reflect this designation. It can help to maintain traditions (or even limit/punish creativity, as in one example presented to us during the workshop). 

An interesting aspect of the workshop is that there is no set menu or specific guaranteed company/product sampled at each event.  The instructor chooses the workshop provisions based on what she finds at the fromagerie that morning – the best items available that day will be offered at the workshop. Then she chooses the wine selections to best pair with the cheeses.  The offerings might greatly change based on season, as sometimes certain cheeses are simply not as good or are unavailable.

The Goods

Our selections were based upon trying local, fresh varieties from most of these cheese “families”:

1. Fresh cheese (like ricotta)
2. Brined cheeses (like feta)
3. Goat cheese (edible proof there is a god? I dunno, I might be biased)
4. Bloomy rind cheese (actual name, did not make it up – brie fits here)
5. Pressed uncooked cheese (like Hercule, mentioned below)
6. Pressed cooked cheese (like Comte, France’s best-selling cheese)
7. Washed rind cheese (like Limburger)
8. Blue or veined cheese (like Roquefort… or Rogue River Blue, yum)

We actually skipped fresh cheese and brined cheeses, making the goat cheese our first samples.  Although goat cheese can be available throughout the year, many varieties are seasonal. I’m happy to say that this workshop did occur in goat cheese season.  Yes, there is apparently such a thing as goat cheese season!

Goat cheese is my favorite, but these cheeses delightfully diverged from the standard chevre here in the United States.  These were unpasteurized, locally produced cheeses.  We tried three varieties, each very different – one more of a traditional flavor but subtle with a very dense texture, another with the consistency of whipped clouds of joy.  Uh, I really liked the goat cheese.

Beyond the goat cheeses, we tried one or two of each of the other cheese families. Between certain varieties of cheese, the workshop instructor also changed the wine pairing.  Each cheese and wine were well-described. Our instructor explained each product’s production and development as we enjoyed samples.  She welcomed questions and invited discussion throughout the workshop.  Jennifer is knowledgeable, experienced, and personable. She kept our group remained engaged throughout the experience.

In total, we tried 11 types of French cheese and 5 wines.  The strict requirements to meet certain agricultural distinctions in France was interesting to learn about and provides a deeper appreciation for the dedication to craft and the efforts to protect traditions.  Some of the products we tried are crafted by literally one single farm in the whole of France. Others, like Comte, various suppliers produce, in large quantities. There is, however, an elaborate grading process for Comte (the best gets a green band).

French Cheese Recommendations:

French cheese to pick up at a neighborhood fromagerie and add to your picnic in France:

Le Saint-Domnin de Provence – A goat cheese made by one small farm in Provence.  It’s decorated with sprigs of lavender, and the whipped fluffy texture is unforgettable.  If you see it, try it!

Brie de Melun AOC – There are a few types of brie in France, and apparently the flavor can vary wildly by the season.  We were able to taste this with a direct comparison to an industrial version commonly available here at home.  I could still enjoy the U.S. product, of course, but there was a distinctly preferable texture and flavor in the Brie de Melun, both in the creamy interior and the rind.   

Ossau-Iraty AOC – This sheep’s milk cheese is nutty and salty, and it was popular at the workshop.  I’m primarily suggesting this for its availability! Trader Joe’s sells a variety of this one, so many in the U.S. could try it.

Hércule – This artisan cheese is made in the Aquitaine region of France and combines the milk of sheep and goats. It is an uncooked, pressed cheese – buttery and nutty.  Honestly, name a cheese after my favorite Belgian detective and you have a guaranteed fangirl.  Oh, this one is also made by only one person, Dominique Bouchait, who literally has written the book on French cheese!

In addition to these suggestions, I’ll add this article because I want to try all these, too! (And it’s written by the Paris By Mouth instructor.)

Favorite Wine Pairs

Of the five wines we tried, all were tasty and easy to drink. These were the most memorable because one was a surprise and the other is just my favorite:

Champagne AOC (Bruno Roulot, “Brut Tradition”) – I was shocked to like this! I assumed anything “brut” would be too dry for my tastes, but actually “brut” is the least dry category for champagne.  This wasn’t terribly sweet, but was just enjoyable and refreshing.

Saint-Véran (Domaine du Château Pierreclos) – This is a white Burgundy (which I’d never heard of). It’s smooth, and it’s just pleasant and balanced, not too sweet, not dry. I do wish I were better at describing wines. This one is probably my favorite white wine ever. I purchased two bottles and now wish I had more. It is impossible to find in the U.S. without paying a pretty penny for a case.  Just another reason to return to France, I guess?

Accentuate the Positives

A few more benefits of this workshop:

1. The wines were procured at the wine shop directly below us, so buying souvenirs of preferred wines was easy. 
2. The instructor found the cheeses at a shop across the street. So you could easily hop over and buy more of your favorites!
3. After the workshop, the instructor provided a helpful email detailing every cheese, with notes about each variety.  The email also included the wine pairings, helpful recommendations for shops and restaurants in Paris, and even suggestions for further cheesy explorations through books and movies. 

Since I left my notes on the table at the workshop (in a rush to buy bottled souvenirs), I couldn’t provide any recommendations now without that helpful email. I forget something everywhere I go, so this is not shocking.

Important Note: Unpasteurized, less-aged cheeses would not be allowed through US customs; sadly, this applies to all the goat cheeses.  The most positive outlook for this depressing news is that it provides an excellent excuse to eat as much French cheese as possible when in Europe!

Want Cheese on your Plate?

If you are considering this dive into all things fromage, note these details to help ensure you get a seat:

• This workshop is available on a limited basis, currently only on Saturdays.  
• No more than 8 participants participate in the small setting.
• Generally it should be booked well in advance, to ensure there is space available!
• Time of year might matter. Some AOC cheeses have specified months of production! The best cheeses of March might be different than mine in October, so you might experience totally different varieties.

If not interested in a French Cheese Tasting Workshop, you’ll find many companies offer walking food tours in Paris.  Paris By Mouth, Secret Food Tours, and Urban Adventures all have options, to name a few.  Honestly, I doubt you will be going wrong, no matter which company you choose. You will still visit quality purveyors in a local setting, eat tasty foods, and learn more of the neighborhood than you would independently.

Based on other locations, I can certainly recommend Eating Europe’s general quality of guides, as well as the quality and quantity of provisions.  However, based on this workshop, I would not hesitate to sign up for a walking food tour from Paris By Mouth! The instructor, the content, and the provisions were all excellent.

Lagniappe

If you do sign up for this workshop, or just find yourself in Saint-Germain des Prés, stop by Deyrolle for a unique shopping experience. They have a great selection of natural history items – books, towels, bags. And also… taxidermy of all sorts! Customers can actually buy or rent the mounts. It’s a fantastically macabre and engaging store to explore.

Note: The lower level is has a more garden-ish theme, the upstairs more natural history. The levels function as separate shops, so don’t mix the goods! And, unfortunately, they do prohibit photography inside the shop.