Terra Cabra (Peytot ageing workshop)
Picodon ageing workshop in Planzolles with the Terra Cabra museum route above its ageing rooms. It ages fresh tommes collected from 21 producers (Picodon syndicate), largely into Picodon AOP.
About Picodon
A small flat disc of raw whole goat's milk from the Drôme and Ardèche hills, 5 to 7 cm across and 1.8 to 2.5 cm high. The curd is ladled by hand into perforated moulds, dry-salted on both faces and dried for at least 24 hours. It weighs about 60 g after 8 days, and ageing can run to several months. The syndicate says it has been made by the ancestral method since the 14th century. It has been an AOC since 1983. The classic rind is white or blue and flowery; the Dieulefit version is washed with clear water and aged for a month or more.
Made in: Ardèche and Drôme departments, plus the cantons of Valréas (Vaucluse) and Barjac (Gard)
On the plate
Frank and goaty, sometimes piquant, with subtle hazelnut and mushroom notes, according to the Picodon syndicate. The paste is fine and supple, sometimes crumbly, and the flavour grows stronger the longer it ages.
Rind: white bloomy rind
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Picodon
Saint-Péray Rhone Valley
Our pickA fresh, supple Picodon is goaty with hazelnut and mushroom notes. Dry, full-bodied Saint-Péray Marsanne has the weight to sit next to that tang without drowning it. The accords-mets-vins.fr guide lists Saint-Péray among its whites for Picodon.
Crozes-Hermitage blanc Rhone Valley
Our pickThe accords-mets-vins.fr guide names Crozes-Hermitage blanc among its whites for Picodon, Marsanne and Roussanne wines it says bring floral and fruity notes. Their round, dry body meets the cheese's goaty tang and its mushroom and hazelnut notes.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc Rhone Valley
Our pickChâteauneuf-du-Pape blanc is a dry, round southern white of Grenache blanc, Roussanne or Clairette, with moderate acidity. Its weight stands next to the goaty tang and nutty, drier paste of an aged Picodon, where a lean white would be swamped.
Tavel rosé Rhone Valley
Our pickThe accords-mets-vins.fr guide keeps Provence rosé for young Picodon and picks Tavel, which it calls fuller and more structured, for an aged one. An aged Picodon is drier and firmer, and a dry rosé with Tavel's weight and fresh acidity has the grip to match it.
Côtes-du-Rhône rouge Rhone Valley
Our pickThe accords-mets-vins.fr guide picks Côtes-du-Rhône rouge for an aged Picodon, for its soft spice and generous fruit, and warns against powerful, tannic wines. These Grenache-led reds, raised in old foudres, keep tannin light enough for the cheese's dry, nutty paste.
The grapes behind these winesGrenacheMarsanneGrenache BlancRoussanne
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
GAEC des Baratons
Goat dairy five minutes from the Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval, growing 95% of its goats' feed on the farm. The range runs from faisselle to an ash pyramid; visits are guided, with a free tasting.
La Chèvre qui Saoûrit
Goat farm opened in 2011 at the entrance to Saoû, organic since 2013, making Picodon and goat meat, with Syrah vines since 2019. Early-morning farm sales; relais paysan for one to eight people.
GAEC Les Chèvres de Bézaudun
Organic goat farm above Bézaudun-sur-Bîne under Mont Couspeau, making Picodon, faisselle and tommes. Goat-house visits or milking by appointment; the farm's Facebook page was posting in September 2026.
GAEC Chez Amandine
Goat farm of about 100 animals at the foot of the Saoû forest, selling faisselle and Picodon at the farm and at the Thursday market in Bourdeaux. Guided visits are on reservation.
La Tomme Capra
Dairy making raw-milk goat cheeses from partner breeders' milk since 1963, now in its third generation. Range: Tomme Capra, Réveil de l'Empereur, Saint-Bardoux and Picodon, with group tastings.
Le P'tit Mottin (GAEC de la Ferme Gourmande)
Organic goat cheese farm since 1976; a new goat house and dairy were built in 2008. About 160 goats are fed from 60 hectares of cereals and fodder. Morning sales at the farm, Monday to Saturday.
Les Biquettes du Laga
Goat farm set up in June 2018 in the south Drôme; the syndicate listing counts 55 goats and says the cheese is ladle-moulded. Sells Picodon, faisselle, yoghurt and a cow's milk cheese at weekly markets.
La Chazère
Valence fromagerie with two shops, selling farmhouse raw-milk cheeses and running cheese tastings from June to September by registration in the shop. Named a Saint-Marcellin IGP ambassador by the consortium.
Fromagerie Rochette
Family cheese shop founded in 1922 by Pierre Rochette and now run by his grandson, selling raw-milk cheeses.
La Fromagerie Ponpon
Valence cheese and cream shop selling producers' cheeses, artisan dessert creams and fine groceries, with a second shop in Tournon-sur-Rhône. Makes cheese and raclette platters to order and takes orders online.
Fromages et Terroirs
Romans shop selling organic and farmhouse raw-milk cheeses, with platters, ravioles, quenelles, caillettes, honey, jams and local beer.
Cheese experiences nearby
Terra Cabra: Picodon ageing rooms and goat-cheese exhibition
A 200 m2 museum route on goat farming, milking and Picodon making, with films, educational workshops, fact sheets and the ageing rooms, above the Peytot ageing workshop. Individual tasting is free per the Ardèche Guide listing.
Fête du Picodon, Saoû
Two-day Picodon festival in Saoû on the third weekend of July, as the organisers put it; the 2026 edition was held in July. The Picodon syndicate also lists a Picodon festival in Dieulefit in August.
Guided visit and tasting at GAEC des Baratons
Guided visit of a goat dairy making Picodon AOP, with a free tasting; guided visits are compulsory for individuals and groups. Group rates start at 20 people, and groups can be up to 55.
Cheese tastings at La Chazère, Valence
Tastings of local cheeses at the Valence fromagerie from June to September, with registration at the shop.
Farm and cheese-room visit at GAEC Chez Amandine
Guided visit of a goat farm of about 100 animals and its cheese-making room, on reservation, for individuals and groups. The cheeses run from faisselle to Picodon.
Dairy visit and milking at Les Chèvres de Bézaudun
Tour of the goat house or take part in the milking at an organic Picodon farm under Mont Couspeau, by appointment, for individuals and groups. The tourist office listing dates from January 2025; the farm's Facebook page was posting in September 2026, so call ahead.
Picodon: questions
Where is Picodon made?
In the Drôme and Ardèche departments and the cantons of Valréas (Vaucluse) and Barjac (Gard), according to the Picodon AOP syndicate.
How much does a Picodon weigh?
About 60 g after eight days of ageing, according to the syndicate; INAO gives a minimum of 60 g.
Which wine goes with Picodon?
The accords-mets-vins.fr pairing guide lists Saint-Péray and Crozes-Hermitage blanc among its whites, Tavel rosé for an aged Picodon and Côtes-du-Rhône rouge among its reds, and warns against wines that are too powerful or too tannic.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Rhone Valley
Plan the trip
Visit Picodon country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, www.picodon-aop.fr, www.inao.gouv.fr. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.