Farms, dairies, cooperatives and affineurs in Loire Valley that you can visit or buy from.
A guide to cheese farms in Loire Valley.
Goat farm at Veuil making Valençay and Selles-sur-Cher AOP from about 150 dairy goats. Guided visits explain the herd and the dairy, with cheese and wine tastings.
Cheeses: Valençay, Selles-sur-Cher
Visiting: shop, guided farm visit with cheese and wine tasting, self-guided visit, picnic area
Goat farm at Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine selling its Sainte-Maure AOP, faisselle and goat yogurt in the farm shop, with guided tours of the dairy arranged on request.
Cheeses: Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Visiting: farm shop, guided tour of the goat dairy (contact to arrange)
Family goat farm of about 320 goats near Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, making Sainte-Maure AOP, cœur, crottins and pyramids. Visitors can tour the dairy, see the cheesemaking and taste.
Cheeses: Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Visiting: farm shop, visit of the goat dairy with tasting
Goat farm at Billy, opened in 2020, making Selles-sur-Cher AOP from the milk of its own herd. The farm shop is open most days, and rooms are available on site.
Cheeses: Selles-sur-Cher
Visiting: farm shop (hours at the farm), market stalls at Selles-sur-Cher, Blois and Pruniers-en-Sologne, on-site lodging (gite, rooms, mobile homes)
Affineur at the entrance to Chavignol since 1896, specialising in ageing farm-made crottins. The boutique sells Crottin de Chavignol and offers tastings with local wine.
Cheeses: Crottin de Chavignol
Visiting: shop, wine and cheese tasting, single Crottin de Chavignol tasting, cheese and charcuterie plate
Educational goat farm on the canal at Thauvenay, a few kilometres from Sancerre. A free self-guided circuit explains how Crottin de Chavignol is made, and a shop sells it with local produce.
Cheeses: Crottin de Chavignol
Visiting: shop, free self-guided farm visit, tasting of five ageings of Crottin, picnic area and mini-farm, children's discovery afternoons on some Wednesdays and Saturdays
Family goat farm and Sancerre vineyard at Menetou-Râtel. Visitors can walk the goat house, see how Crottin de Chavignol is made and taste it in the shop alongside the farm's Sancerre wine.
Cheeses: Crottin de Chavignol
Visiting: shop, free self-guided visit, guided visit on request, cheese and Sancerre wine tasting
3-day Private tour to Top 7 Loire Valley Castles with 2 Wine tastings. Chenonceau, Amboise, Chambord, Blois, Chaumont, Da Vinci Clos Luce, Villandry by Mercedes. Live ...
Discover the Loire Valley and visit its three most prestigious castles of your choice on a private guided tour, at your pace, according to your wishes
Escape Paris for a magical day in the Loire Valley. Explore fairytale castles, wander charming Blois, and enjoy a local wine tasting along the way.
The AOP consortium says it marries wonderfully with a white Sancerre, and that it also likes Menetou-Salon, Pouilly-Fumé, Quincy or Reuilly.
60 to 90 g per cheese, according to the AOP consortium.
In the departments of Cher, Nièvre and Loiret, according to the AOP consortium.
A legend, repeated by the AOP consortium, says Talleyrand sliced the points off the pyramids before presenting them to Napoleon so they would not recall his Egyptian defeat; Wikipedia adds a variant in which Napoleon struck it with his sabre.
At least 11 days before it can be sold as AOP, according to the consortium and Wikipedia.
About 7 to 8 cm high and 6 to 7 cm along the base, weighing around 220 g; the Petit Valençay weighs 110 g (AOP consortium).
It once held the soft log together; today the consortium calls it a guarantee of authenticity and quality, and it is engraved with the appellation name and the maker's number. Wikipedia describes it as rye straw.
The consortium advises cutting the first slice from the widest end and easing out the straw gently.