Cheese · AOP · Champagne
A soft, bloomy rind cow's milk cheese from All of Seine-et-Marne plus parts of Aube, Loiret, Marne, Haute-Marne, Meuse and Yonne.
A large flat disc of raw cow's milk. Its name comes from the Brie country around Meaux in Seine-et-Marne, but the protected zone also takes in parts of the Aube, Marne and Haute-Marne of Champagne, as well as the Meuse, Yonne and Loiret. French Wikipedia says the Meuse supplies over 70 percent of the milk. Appellation since 1980. Wheels are 36 to 37 cm across and average 2.8 kg.
Made in: All of Seine-et-Marne plus parts of Aube, Loiret, Marne, Haute-Marne, Meuse and Yonne
Cream, butter and hazelnut, with a hint of forest floor in some wheels. INAO describes the paste as uniform and cream-coloured, from supple to slightly flowing when fully ripened, under a fine white rind sprinkled with red spots.
Rind: white bloomy rind
Wine and cheese
A non-vintage brut's acidity and bubbles cut Brie de Meaux's butter and cream and leave its hazelnut clear, so each bite of the rich, supple paste stays fresh.
Blanc de noirs, white Champagne from Pinot Noir alone, brings apple fruit and some body, and its high acidity and bubbles cut the butter and cream of a ripe Brie de Meaux.
A ripe Brie de Meaux has butter, cream and hazelnut. A prestige cuvée Champagne, full-bodied with high acidity, has the depth to match that richness while its bubbles keep each bite fresh.
The grapes behind these winesPinot NoirChardonnay
From the source
Julien Pouillot is an affineur and cheesemonger with a stall in the Troyes market hall, selling about 400 references including Chaource fermier, which the shop ripens in its own ripening room. It also sells at the Écrevolles market in Pont-Sainte-Marie and at Fraich' in Barberey-Saint-Sulpice.
Cheese and wine shop at 28 rue de Mars in Reims, near the Boulingrin market hall. Its own site counts over 300 cheeses and takes orders for platters; a 2014 local guide noted new cheeses each week.
Reims covered market in a concrete hall of 1927 to 1929 with a 19.85 m vault, restored and reopened in 2012. The tourism office lists regular markets on Friday and Saturday; French Wikipedia also lists Wednesday. A 2014 local guide named three cheese counters; stalls change.
Near Reims cathedral, a 90-minute workshop with two champagnes, a glass of ratafia and three regional cheeses. Book at least 24 hours ahead; French, English or Russian, 2 to 20 guests.
Troyes market hall inaugurated in 1874, with eighteen cast-iron posts. It sells andouillette, cheeses and champagne among other local produce; Pouillot, an affineur, has a stall.
At Chaource, in the Aube, a free viewing gallery and film show Chaource AOP ladled by hand; there is no production at weekends. Groups of 20 or more can book a guided visit with tasting.
At Vaux-sous-Aubigny, Haute-Marne, a visit along the production stages of Langres and Époisses on Friday and Saturday late mornings by reservation. The cheese bar is shown as temporarily closed.
Part of its protected area lies in the Champagne departments of Marne, Aube and Haute-Marne, per INAO and the brie syndicate, but its home is Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France.
The wheel is 36 to 37 cm across and weighs about 2.8 kg on average, per French Wikipedia; the brie syndicate gives 2.6 to 3.3 kg.
Yes. INAO says it is made exclusively from raw cow's milk, and the brie syndicate calls it lait cru de vache.
Same cheeseboard
Plan the trip
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, www.inao.gouv.fr, www.briedemeauxetdemelun.fr. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.
