Charles de Gaulle once famously said, “How can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?” Of course, he was talking about France. In fact, this country has at least a thousand different cheeses! And the best place to get them is directly from the farmers. It has become a hobby of ours to visit different farmers for our favourite cheeses (and to discover new ones). If we are planning a road trip, we always study the map to see if there are any farms along the route. We give them a call and leave with enough cheese to last us a few weeks! GAEC des Tourelles was our latest french cheese farm visit and it was a fantastic experience.
Introduction
Many villages and towns have their own cheeses, often named after their place of origin. To ensure quality and authenticity of these cheeses, France has a labelling system, Appellation d’origine protégée/contrôlée (AOP/AOC). Used for all agricultural production, it dictates the regulations regarding the production and processing carried out in a defined geographical area. A famous example is Champagne — wines cannot use this name unless they are sparkling wine made from this region, following a set of strict rules.
Speaking of Champagne, this region is also home to a delicious local cheese: Chaource AOP. This cheese, from a village of the same name, is a must-try. Made of whole cow’s milk, it has aromas of cream, fresh mushrooms, and hazelnut. It gets stronger with age, especially when made with raw milk. Chaource is very creamy under the soft rind and almost crumbly in the centre. It is enjoyed plain on fresh baguette but is also amazing in decadent sauces. Chaource sauce is famously served on andouillette de troyes.
Interestingly, there are only six producers of Chaource. Three are industrial, and you can find their products in grocery stores throughout Champagne-Ardenne and Paris, as well as select cheese shops throughout the country. The other three are small artisan producers. GAEC des Tourelles is one of the latter.
About GAEC des Tourelles
GAEC des Tourelles is a family farm in the heart of the Chaource AOP zone, in Mesnil Saint Georges in the commune of Ervy le Châtel. They have been making their cheeses since 1994, using whole, raw cow’s milk from their 140 dairy cows. The cows are very well cared for, pasture and fodder fed on the farm’s 140 hectares. Happy cows mean delicious cheese!
Bonus: I got to see newborn calves. They are kept separately temporarily for health and safety. Like all newborns, calves have very weak immune systems so this is done to prevent bacterial infections. After a few days, they rejoin with the rest of the herd.
We had the pleasure of meeting Peggy and David Petiot. These two very kind and generous farmers showed us around their farm and explained how they make their cheeses. They use traditional methods to produce their high quality cheeses and it is clear that they are passionate about their work.
They produce Chaource, of course, as well as other local cheeses, fromage blanc, and milk. We first discovered this cheese producer just over a month ago. We stopped in the village of Chaource on the way to a weekend in the countryside. There happened to be a market in the main square and GAEC des Tourelles had a stall. We tasted their cheeses and liked them so much that we grabbed one of each! Here is a little more info about their cheeses.
The Cheeses
Chaource AOP
Made of whole cow’s milk, it has aromas of cream, fresh mushrooms, and hazelnut. It gets stronger with age, especially when made with raw milk. Chaource is very creamy under the soft rind and almost crumbly in the centre. It is enjoyed plain on fresh baguette but is also amazing in decadent sauces. The nice thing about visiting the farm directly is you can choose how old (strong) you want your cheese to be. We asked for something a little more mature because we planned to eat it right away.
Ervy Fermier
This one is my favourite. A cousin of Chaource, it is named after the commue, Ervy-le-Châtel, where the farm is located. The texture and taste are similar to Chaource, but firmer with a stronger flavour. The texture is still creamy and it pairs perfectly with Blanc de Blancs Champagne. It is very popular though, so they were actually sold out when we visited! It’s a good excuse for us to return, as it is not available in stores (maybe in local cheese shops).
Bouchon d’Armance Fermier
This one is a crowd-pleaser. Again, it is similar to Chaource in texture and taste. It is small in size, reminiscent of a wine cork, or bouchon. The flavours are quite mild for this one so even people new to French cheeses can appreciate this one. I also like it when I want a relatively light cheese after a big meal.
Marbré Fermier
This one is a real treat and I find myself craving it often! The cheese is like a mild Chaource with a layer of aromatice in the middle. The filling includes very finely chopped tomatoes, oregano, garlic, red peppers, etc. It is not only delicious but it is visually appealing too. Champagne was recommended as a pairing for this one and I agree, it works perfectly. It is also nice with rosé for a summery apéro!
Soumaintrain Fermier
This cheese is a bit of an experience and something for serious cheese lovers to try. It is quite different than the others. For starters, it comes from the border between Champagne and Bourgogne, although this cheese’s production dates back to 17th century Bourgogne. Like many cheeses from that region, it is a soft cow’s milk cheese with a washed rind. What this means, is that once the cheese has been formed, it is washed in a salty brine several times. This gives it a yellow/orange coloured rind that is very soft . The cheese within the rind is super creamy and melts at room temperature.
I would definitely describe this as a cheese with character. When I first tried it from the market, we had told the vendor that we like strong cheeses… And boy, did this deliver!
In France, there are many stinky cheeses. But the flavour is usually quite mild. However with this one, the flavour was even stronger than the pungent odour. A bit acidic, it definitely had a farm taste and was slightly vegetable. It packed a punch and admittedly scared the in-laws when we brought it over…
On our visit to the farm, we were told that the cheese was a little too young. We were advised to let it age for another three weeks. Interestingly, standard refrigerators are too cold for ageing cheese. Since it is made from raw milk, we cannot age it on the counter (I wouldn’t want to for more than a couple of days anyways…). Instead, wine cellars are actually perfect for ageing cheese. They have the correct ageing temperature and humidity. I just hope that it doesn’t affect the wines lol! Anyways, I am looking forward to trying this one in another couple of weeks.
Whole Milk
Ok, so this is not actually cheese, but they offered me milk from their cows. It is honestly one of the best milks I have ever tried. Super creamy and delicious. I usually just use milk in my coffee, but I have been drinking this solo!
For reference, whole milk in France is richer than in North America, with 3.5% fat.
Overall
Overall, if you are in Champagne and want to discover local cheeses, you must try GAEC des Tourelles. Even better yet, make a trip out of this french cheese farm visit. They are incredibly friendly, generous, and passionate about their work. Plus, I loved seeing all the cows and the calves!