Roquefort Société
Roquefort house in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards. Its 12,000 m2 of old caves are open daily; cheeses are in them only from January to June.
About Roquefort
A raw Lacaune sheep's milk blue ripened only in the natural caves under the Combalou cliff at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, where air moves through rock fissures called fleurines. The village is in Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards, but the milk-collection zone reaches Hérault, Gard and Aude, and the Hérault tourist board notes that the Lacaune ewes are raised on the Larzac. The law of 26 July 1925 made it the first French cheese to receive a protected appellation, according to French Wikipedia; it became an AOC in 1979 and an AOP in 1996. Letters patent of 1411 had already reserved its ripening to the village.
Made in: Milk from Lacaune ewes in six departments (Aveyron, Lozère, Tarn, Aude, Hérault, Gard); ripened only in the caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron
On the plate
An ivory to cream paste marbled with grey, blue and green mould, its structure running from crumbly to creamy. French Wikipedia puts the best eating from April to October after about five months of ripening.
Rind: none, eaten fresh
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Roquefort
Muscat de Frontignan or Muscat de Lunel (vin doux naturel) Languedoc
Our pickThe sweetness and grapey perfume of a Muscat vin doux naturel from Frontignan or Lunel set off Roquefort's salt and sharp blue, the sugar rounding the bite of the mould. accords-mets-vins.fr also points to sweet Languedoc-Roussillon wines with this cheese.
Terrasses du Larzac red Languedoc
Our pickaccords-mets-vins.fr says Roquefort tolerates a red where many cow's milk cheeses turn bitter with tannin. A medium-bodied Terrasses du Larzac red raised in large or used wood, with cherry or plum fruit, garrigue and fine tannin, has the grip to stand up to the salt.
The grapes behind these winesCarignanSyrahCinsault
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Maison Gabriel Coulet
Roquefort house founded in 1869, in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards. Free caves, no booking, about an hour and a tasting; the shop is in the village.
Roquefort Papillon
Roquefort house trading since 1906 in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards. Guided visit with a film, the historic caves and a tasting, booked by telephone.
Roquefort le Vieux Berger (Maison Combes)
Combes family Roquefort house (since 1923) in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards. Weekday workshop visits and a guided tour on Tuesdays and Thursdays on reservation.
Roquefort Carles
Carles family Roquefort house (since 1927) in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards. A weekday shop above the ageing caves, where cheeses rest on oak shelves.
La Crèmerie du Faubourg
Montpellier cheese shop founded by Cécile and Nina in the Saint-Denis quarter, ageing cheeses in cave and selling around 160 cheeses from cow, goat and sheep, with wines, groceries, made-to-order platters and cheese-and-wine tastings.
Fromagerie Gandolf (Sigaud Affineur)
Halles de Narbonne stall under the line 'Aveyronnais pur beurre', on the former Gandolf counter and now held by Alain Sigaud, who advises by taste, menu or mood. It also lists delivery.
Les Grands Fromages
Halles de Narbonne stall that carries on the Crèmerie Lainé tradition, with Corine and Noémie behind the counter. It sells regional farmhouse and appellation cheeses, suggests matching them with fine honeys, country jams and the region's wines, and takes orders for party and aperitif boards.
La Fromagerie Oulès
Halles de Narbonne cheese stall held since 2001 by Frédéric Oulès, a Narbonne native and former caterer and restaurateur. The Halles' history page traces the stall back to 1895, through the Rouquet and Belzon families.
Cheese experiences nearby
Roquefort Société cave visit (Le Souffle des Saveurs)
Hour-long guided tour of the working Roquefort Société caves in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards, ending with a tasting of the house's four Roquefort AOP cheeses. Two people minimum, daily; ripening cheeses are in the caves only from January to June.
Visit the goats at Ferme du Mas Rolland
Afternoon visit of a Pélardon goat farm near Faugères: the milking parlour, the bucks and the kids, with milking to watch, then tasting and buying at the farm shop. Open daily from mid-February to the end of October; the tourist board lists 13 February to 24 October 2026.
Roquefort Société cave visit with wine pairing (Le Souffle des Créations)
A longer guided visit of the Roquefort Société caves in Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards, with the four Roquefort AOP cheeses tasted alongside sweet flavour pairings and wine. The company lists it for April to August, with limited places and online booking only.
Roquefort Société visit with a master affineur (Le Souffle des Caves)
A two-hour visit of the Roquefort Société caves in Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards, led by the house's master affineur, ending with the four Roquefort AOP cheeses tasted with sweet flavour pairings and wine. The company calls it a July and August visit, one slot a day on one or two days a week, yet its ticket page lists sessions on 20 and 22 October 2026.
Maison Gabriel Coulet cave visit
Free visit of the Gabriel Coulet caves in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, beyond the Languedoc vineyards, open to walk in without booking all year except 1 January and 25 December. It ends with a free tasting of the house's sheep cheeses; the caves stay at 10 to 12 °C, so bring a layer.
Les Halles de Narbonne
Covered Baltard-style market that opened on 1 January 1901, with 66 traders on the Halles' site, four of them cheese stalls. A regional tourism page calls Sunday morning, and the hour before noon for the local aperitif, especially lively; the Halles also run themed evening 'nocturnes' through the year.
Roquefort: questions
How big is a Roquefort?
A cylinder 19 to 20 cm across, weighing 2.7 kg on average, according to French Wikipedia.
Where is Roquefort ripened?
Only in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron, on the Combalou, for at least 14 days, according to French Wikipedia.
Which wine goes with Roquefort?
A pairing guide lists sweet reds from Languedoc-Roussillon such as Rivesaltes, Banyuls and Maury, plus Maury blanc, Sauternes and Gewurztraminer, according to accords-mets-vins.fr.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Languedoc
Plan the trip
Visit Roquefort country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, www.roquefort.fr, www.herault-tourisme.com. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.