Discover some of French Cycling Holidays' favourite French cheeses - Les Fromages de France!
If you have ever been fortunate to indulge in one of our legendary cycle tour picnics, you will know that local cheeses play a big part.
In fact, cheese is available at your hotel at breakfast and at lunchtime, and if by dinner you still do not feel you have had enough of this yummy goodness then there is always the cheese option - served before dessert here in France.
About cheese courses in French restaurants
Quite often when cheese is a dinner option some of our guests initially say no, however minds are easily swayed when the cheese arrives, because it makes a serious entrance!
If you choose a cheese course in a French restaurant, you may receive a selection already plated up, which the server will bring to the table, usually describing the selection they have put together for you.
In other restaurants, the cheeses may make more of a spectacular entrance, riding on a chariot! Yes that’s right, the famous chariot de fromages: a trolley filled with more French cheeses than one can imagine, wheeled to your table, and from which you can select some to enjoy.
The cheese chariot at the Stéphane Derbord restaurant on the French Cycling Holidays Burgundy Tour
How do I know which cheese to choose?
Thankfully your server is there to assist you, and explain what the cheese selection is. There will usually be soft cheeses with a white rind, harder cheeses, often matured, blue cheeses, goat or sheep cheeses, perhaps some with an ash coating.
Tell the waiter which you would like to try, and they will slice and place a piece of each onto your plate. Choose a small selection of whichever you fancy, either three or four would be a reasonable number to go for.
A tempting-looking cheese chariot
Is there an order to eating cheese?
Yes! Rather than starting with the strongest, which would overwhelm your tastebuds, you should start with the more mild cheeses. Your server may advise you in which order you should eat them, but if not then start with the creamier, then a goat, and leave the more oozy/matured and blue for the end.
(The same rule applies to wine tasting, in fact! Begin with lighter fresher wines, and finish on heavy reds.)
And never forget that in France, the cheese course comes before the dessert, not after.
Does the cheese come with crackers?
In France, cheese is generally served with bread rather than crackers. You probably won't find butter on the side, and the same goes for chutneys and pickles, which are a more English addition to the cheeseboard. In France, the cheese stands on its own alongside some plain bread, so you can really acknowledge the flavours.
Should I drink red wine with cheese?
It seems embedded in culture that you should pair cheese with red wine or indeed port, but some lighter French cheeses could be better against a white wine, for instance a goat's cheese with a sauvignon blanc makes a classic combination. A creamy soft cheese might work well with a chardonnay or viognier as opposed to an overpowering red, and equally if you aren't a wine drinker then try a cider or a craft beer with a robust hard cheese. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Favourite French cheeses on a French Cycling Holiday picnic
We like nothing better than breaking off a piece of baguette, grabbing a chunk of cheese and washing it down with a lovely glass of wine.
On all our tours you will discover the local cheeses and other products the region is known for: eating local is all part of the fun. After years of cycling around France and getting to know the cheeses, here are our guides' top recommendations:
Mike
Mike's favourite French cheese comes from the Dordogne. Often people think of Dordogne and the famous Rocamadour goat cheese (we ride by this wonderful smelly goat farm La Ferme la Borie d’Imbert on the Dordogne tour) however, the Dordogne region offers many other cheeses. One of those is Trappe Échourgnac. Mike's specific favourite is the Petit-Noix Trappe d'Échourgnac.
Sisters at the Abbey Échourgnac
Échourgnac is located between the start of our Bordeaux Wine tour in Libourne and our Dordogne Caves and Castle tour.
A cow’s cheese, the original Trappe d'Échourgnac Nature (natural) dates back to 1868 where it was first produced by the monks at the Abbey of Échourgnac until 1910 when the monks departed. Thirteen years later the Abbey was taken over by the Cistercian sisters and production started once again.
As you will learn on our Dordogne Caves and Castle tour, walnuts are another speciality of the region and in 1999 the Abbey of Échourgnac created the Trappe d'Échourgnac Petit Noix where the rind is washed in the ”Liqueur de Noix” walnut liquor produced by the Distillerie du Perigord in Sarlat. (We stay two nights in Sarlat and will have a chance to purchase these small bottles of liquor to take home as souvenirs.)
The cheese has a very pale interior and a distinct walnut aroma but there is no taste of the actual alcohol on the cheese, just a lovely blend of walnut and mild creamy smooth dairy flavours. Thanks Mike!
Susan
Susan's story about her favourite cheese, from the Cevennes, goes like this: "We were having dinner one evening at L’Imprevu in Meyrueis and the owner asked us if we would like to try a local cheese. When he meant local he meant local! 15km away is a village Hyelzas with fewer than 50 inhabitants. Since 1970 the village has had a cheese dairy run by the Pratlong Family and it is this cheese dairy that brings life to this village. The Grandson of the Pratlong family had taken over this dairy and created the ‘Titounet' cheese."
Titounet cheese from the Cevennes region
Titounet means "little lamb" in Occitan, the old Romance language spoken in the southern France. You have probably deduced this is a sheep cheese or "brebis" in French. The cheese made from raw sheep milk is matured for two weeks and is packaged in a traditional artisanal box. Susan continues, "The cheese was served warm and you scoop out the creaminess with a spoon. The taste is similar perhaps to a camembert but with a subtle sweetness but still enough tang! We ate it later in the week at a picnic ensuring it had come to room temperature and it was just as delicious." At this point to enjoy this cheese you will need to join us here in France because as such a small producer, you can't get it elsewhere in the world.
David
It was hard to get David to commit to just choosing one cheese! However, when pressed, as one who knows him may expect, he chose a mountain cheese.
Beaufort is a town in the region of Savoie and gives its name to this hearty cheese. It is a favourite place for cyclists in the area to ride to, with a bustling little centre and enough cafes, boulangeries and restaurants to meet your lunch or coffee stop needs! This mighty fromage comes in two options: Beaufort d'été (summer Beaufort, made from cows chewing on wild mountain flowers grasses) and Beaufort d'hiver (winter Beaufort), made from cows who are over-wintering inside, munching on hay, and Beaufort d'alpage, made in little cheese huts on high pastures, from milk produced by cows who dine on wild mountain flowers and grasses. Not only is this cheese delicious on a picnic, it is also great for melting, so you will find it in fondue, and also in Beaufort tart - a hit amongst cyclists looking to refuel.
Many of our guests who have ridden our Legendary Cols tour over the years will be familiar with this stop in Beaufort as on our tour it is the lunch stop when they ride the Cormet de Roselend. Tour de France viewers will have seen Beaufort numerous times as the world's top cyclists speed through it.
David’s preference is for the Beaufort d’été where the cows have roamed the grassy fields eating the Alpine herbs and wildflowers which gives the cheese a fruity taste. During the summer when riding in the Savoie region you often run into the farmers walking their cows down the streets bringing the cows to different pastures once they have effectively “mowed” the fields of the wild flowers where they were! Beaufort d’hiver on the other hand where the cows are sheltered in the winter and feast on the hay gathered during the summer which produces a sweeter taste.
Cows taking a stroll through the village
There you have it, three favourite French cheeses from three cycle guides!
Further reading on French cheeses
Published in October 2024, British cheesemaker Ned Palmer's book "A Cheesemonger's Tour de France" outlines this cheese expert's extensive travels around France, on an epic odyssey to discover the regional characteristics of its cheeses. Full of history, geography and even politics, it makes an engaging read for anyone who enjoys exploring French culture through its food.
Where to find the best French cheese?
Come with us, and we'll show you! As fully fledged cheese appreciators, our guides very much enjoy a detour to a cheesemaker or fromagerie, and showing our riders the best and most interesting cheeses in a particular region. If there is a cheese you would like to try during your cycle trip to France, let your guide know and they will look out for it so you can try it during a picnic or in a restaurant.
From the Atlantic coast to Burgundy, the Canal du Midi to the Dordogne, join us on a foodie cycling tour!
- Read our French Culinary Odyssey series
- Browse our upcoming cycle tour dates
- Enquire about cycling around France with us
