French Cheese Guide: 25 Cheeses You Must Try

France and cheese are inseparable. The country produces somewhere between 1,000 and 1,600 distinct cheeses (the exact number depends on whom you ask and how you define a distinct variety), made from cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk in every region from the Channel coast to the Pyrenees. Forty-six of these cheeses carry the AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protegee) designation, the European Union's guarantee of geographic origin and traditional production methods.

For visitors, the sheer variety can be overwhelming. This guide introduces 25 essential French cheeses organized by type, with tasting notes and suggested wine pairings to help you navigate the fromagerie with confidence.

Soft Cheeses with a Bloomy Rind

These are the cheeses most people picture when they think of French fromage -- white-crusted, creamy, and increasingly runny as they ripen.

1. Camembert de Normandie (AOP)

The iconic round of Normandy, recognizable by its wooden box and white rind. True Camembert de Normandie AOP is made from raw cow's milk in specific Norman communes and has a complex, mushroomy, slightly earthy flavor that intensifies as it ripens. It should be soft and yielding when pressed gently but not liquid. Mass-produced pasteurized camembert (without the AOP) is a different, milder product entirely.

Pair with: A dry Norman cider or a light red Burgundy (Pinot Noir).

2. Brie de Meaux (AOP)

The "King of Cheeses," crowned at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Produced in the Ile-de-France region east of Paris, Brie de Meaux is a large wheel (about 36 cm in diameter) with a bloomy white rind and a pale yellow interior that should be supple and creamy at room temperature. The flavor is buttery, nutty, and subtly fruity with mushroom notes.

Pair with: Champagne (a classic regional pairing) or a light Beaujolais.

3. Brie de Melun (AOP)

Smaller and more assertive than Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun is made with a slower coagulation process that produces a denser, more intensely flavored cheese. The rind develops reddish-brown patches as it ages, and the paste has a pronounced tang.

Pair with: A structured red Burgundy or a rich Chardonnay.

4. Brillat-Savarin

A modern creation (invented in the 1930s and named after the famed gastronome), this triple-cream cheese from Burgundy contains at least 75% butterfat. It is essentially edible velvet -- incredibly rich, buttery, and mild, with a light tanginess. A cheese for hedonists.

Pair with: Champagne or a dessert wine like Sauternes.

5. Saint-Marcellin

A small disc from the Dauphine region near Lyon, traditionally made from goat's milk but now usually from cow's milk. When perfectly ripe, Saint-Marcellin is almost liquid inside its thin, wrinkled rind, with a delicate, slightly yeasty flavor. Often sold in small ceramic dishes (coupelles) to contain the ooze.

Pair with: A white Cotes du Rhone or a light Beaujolais.

Soft Cheeses with a Washed Rind

These are the famously pungent cheeses whose rinds are washed with brine, beer, or spirits during aging, promoting the growth of orange-hued bacteria that produce their powerful aromas.

6. Epoisses de Bourgogne (AOP)

Often cited as France's most pungent cheese, Epoisses is washed with Marc de Bourgogne (a grape brandy) during its five-week aging period. The result is a cheese with a sticky, rust-orange rind and an interior that ranges from springy when young to gloriously gooey when fully ripe. The smell is famously powerful, but the flavor is more nuanced -- meaty, salty, and deeply savory with a lingering finish.

Pair with: A rich white Burgundy (Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet) or a glass of Marc de Bourgogne.

7. Munster (AOP)

From the Vosges mountains of Alsace, Munster is another washed-rind cheese with a forceful aroma but a surprisingly approachable flavor -- creamy, meaty, and slightly sweet. Traditionally eaten with cumin seeds sprinkled on top and boiled potatoes on the side.

Pair with: Gewurztraminer from Alsace (the aromatic wine stands up to the cheese beautifully).

8. Maroilles (AOP)

From northern France near the Belgian border, Maroilles is a square cheese with a red-orange washed rind and a strong, assertive flavor. It is a key ingredient in the regional specialty flamiche au Maroilles (a Maroilles cheese tart).

Pair with: A strong Belgian-style beer or a full-bodied red.

9. Pont-l'Eveque (AOP)

Another Norman classic, less pungent than Epoisses or Maroilles but still distinctly aromatic. The square shape and golden-orange rind conceal a supple paste with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. One of the oldest French cheeses, documented since the 13th century.

Pair with: A dry Norman cider or a fruity Pinot Noir.

Semi-Hard and Hard Cheeses

France's mountain and plateau regions produce extraordinary pressed cheeses, many of which are aged for months or even years.

10. Comte (AOP)

France's most popular AOP cheese by volume, Comte is produced in the Jura mountains from the milk of Montbeliarde and French Simmental cows. A wheel of Comte weighs around 40 kilograms and is aged for a minimum of 4 months, though the finest wheels are aged 18-24 months or longer. Young Comte is mild and milky; aged Comte develops complex flavors of toasted nuts, brown butter, caramel, and sometimes crystalline crunchy patches of amino acids (similar to aged Parmigiano-Reggiano).

Pair with: A Jura white wine (Vin Jaune is the ultimate pairing) or a light red from the region.

11. Beaufort (AOP)

The "Prince of Gruyeres," made in the Savoie Alps. Beaufort has a smooth, dense texture and a rich, buttery flavor with notes of flowers and honey. Beaufort d'Ete (summer Beaufort), made from the milk of cows grazing on Alpine meadows, is the most prized variety. An essential ingredient in tartiflette's cousin, fondue savoyarde.

Pair with: A white Savoie wine (Roussette de Savoie) or Champagne.

12. Cantal (AOP)

From the volcanic Auvergne region, Cantal is one of France's oldest cheeses. It comes in three stages: Cantal Jeune (aged 1-2 months, mild), Cantal Entre-Deux (3-7 months, more character), and Cantal Vieux (over 8 months, sharp and crumbly with a pronounced tang). Often compared to English Cheddar, though the flavor profile is distinctly different.

Pair with: A robust red from the southwest or a Cotes d'Auvergne.

13. Reblochon (AOP)

A semi-soft pressed cheese from the Haute-Savoie with a washed pink-orange rind and a supple, creamy interior. The name comes from "reblocher" (to milk again) -- farmers would incompletely milk their cows during the landlord's inspection, then do a second milking afterward; the richer second milk was used to make Reblochon. It is the essential ingredient in tartiflette, the Savoyard gratin of potatoes, cream, lardons, and Reblochon.

Pair with: A white or light red from Savoie, or a dry cider.

14. Tomme de Savoie

A rustic mountain cheese with a grey-brown natural rind and a supple, mild paste with a pleasant nutty, earthy flavor. Lower in fat than most French cheeses (made from partially skimmed milk), it is an everyday cheese in the Savoie. Each wheel is relatively small (1.5-3 kg) and affordable.

Pair with: A Gamay from Savoie or a light Beaujolais.

15. Ossau-Iraty (AOP)

A sheep's milk cheese from the Basque Country and Bearn in the western Pyrenees. Firm, smooth, and richly flavored with notes of nuts, dried fruit, and a distinctive lanolin sweetness from the sheep's milk. Traditionally eaten with black cherry jam (confiture de cerises noires) -- an unusual pairing that works beautifully.

Pair with: Irouleguy (the Basque red wine) or a dry white Jurancon.

Blue Cheeses

France produces several world-class blue cheeses, each with a distinct character.

16. Roquefort (AOP)

The oldest protected cheese in France (its production area was defined by parliamentary decree in 1411), Roquefort is made from raw sheep's milk and aged in the natural limestone caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron. The caves' unique microclimate -- constant temperature around 10C and high humidity maintained by natural air currents called fleurines -- is essential for the development of Penicillium roqueforti, the mold that gives the cheese its blue-green veining. The flavor is intense, salty, creamy, and complex, with a long, spicy finish.

Pair with: Sauternes or another sweet dessert wine (the classic pairing), a Port, or a robust red.

17. Bleu d'Auvergne (AOP)

Created in the mid-19th century by a farmer who noticed that mold growing on rye bread could be used to make blue-veined cheese, Bleu d'Auvergne is a cow's milk blue with a creamy texture and a bold, peppery flavor that is somewhat less intense than Roquefort.

Pair with: A sweet wine like Monbazillac or a strong red.

18. Fourme d'Ambert (AOP)

One of France's mildest blue cheeses, Fourme d'Ambert is a tall, cylindrical cheese from the Auvergne with a creamy, gentle flavor and relatively mild blue veining. An excellent entry point for people who find Roquefort too strong.

Pair with: A Cotes du Rhone red or a sweet white from the Loire.

Goat Cheeses (Chevres)

France's goat cheeses are astonishingly diverse, particularly from the Loire Valley and the southeast.

19. Sainte-Maure de Touraine (AOP)

A log-shaped goat cheese from the Loire Valley, identifiable by the straw running through its center (originally for structural support, now a signature feature and a guarantee of authenticity in AOP versions). The young cheese is moist and tangy; as it ages, it becomes denser and earthier, with a wrinkled, ash-dusted rind.

Pair with: Vouvray (the local white wine) or a Sancerre.

20. Crottin de Chavignol (AOP)

A small, round goat cheese from the village of Chavignol near Sancerre. The name "crottin" (literally "dropping") refers to its shape. Fresh, it is mild and creamy; aged, it becomes dry, hard, and intensely goaty. Demi-sec (half-dried) is the most versatile stage. Delicious warmed on a salad (salade de chevre chaud).

Pair with: Sancerre (they share a terroir and a perfect affinity).

21. Valencay (AOP)

A distinctive truncated pyramid from the Berry region, dusted with ash. Legend has it that Napoleon, returning from his failed Egyptian campaign, sliced the top off a pyramid-shaped cheese in frustration -- though this story is almost certainly apocryphal. The cheese itself is lovely: gentle, lightly citrusy, and refined.

Pair with: A white Valencay wine or a light Touraine rouge.

22. Picodon (AOP)

A small disc of goat cheese from the Ardeche and Drome departments in southeastern France. Young Picodon is soft and mildly tangy; aged Picodon (picodon affine methode Dieulefit) is intensely flavored, sharp, and crumbly. "Picodon" translates roughly to "spicy" in the local Occitan dialect.

Pair with: A rose from the southern Rhone or a light red from the Ardeche.

Other Essential Cheeses

23. Morbier (AOP)

Recognizable by the thin line of ash running horizontally through the middle, Morbier is a semi-soft cheese from the Jura. The ash line is a relic of the traditional production method: the evening milk curd was covered with a layer of ash to protect it overnight, and the morning milk curd was added on top. The cheese is mild, elastic, and slightly fruity.

Pair with: A Jura Chardonnay or a light Pinot Noir.

24. Raclette

Technically a Swiss cheese, but the French Savoie makes its own excellent versions. The name refers both to the cheese and the dish -- melting a half-wheel of raclette by a heat source and scraping (racler) the melted layer onto boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and pickled onions. A winter ritual in the Alps.

Pair with: A dry white from Savoie (Apremont or Chignin) or a Fendant from the Swiss Valais.

25. Roquefort des Causses

Often confused with Roquefort, this is a cow's milk blue cheese from the same Aveyron region. It is milder and creamier than its sheep's milk cousin, and considerably more affordable. An excellent alternative for those who find Roquefort's intensity challenging. (Note: officially called "Bleu des Causses" AOP.)

Pair with: A sweet Gaillac or a medium-bodied red.

How to Enjoy Cheese Like the French

The French cheese course comes after the main course and before dessert -- a reversal of the Anglo-Saxon custom of serving cheese last. A typical cheese plate offers three to five cheeses of different types (a goat, a blue, a soft, and a hard cheese, for example) served at room temperature with bread. The bread should be simple -- a good baguette or pain de campagne. Crackers are not traditional.

At a fromagerie, do not hesitate to ask for a taste before buying. A good fromager will be happy to let you try and will guide you based on your preferences. Tell them when you plan to serve the cheese so they can select wheels at the ideal stage of ripeness.

At a market, look for the "producteur-fermier" (producer-farmer) designation, meaning the person selling the cheese made it from the milk of their own animals. These farmstead cheeses offer flavors you cannot find in any shop.

Storage: Keep cheese in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, wrapped in wax paper or cheese paper (not plastic wrap, which suffocates the cheese). Remove from the fridge 30-60 minutes before serving to bring it to room temperature, which is when the flavors and textures are at their best.

France's cheese heritage is a living tradition -- every region, every season, every producer adds something unique to a story that has been unfolding for centuries. A trip to France without exploring its fromages is a trip incomplete.