Flavors of Paris and the Ile-de-France

AOC 1980 (protected designation of origin)

Originally made in Meaux, in the Brie region, this cheese is good any time of year, though the best cheeses are those from the fall and winter. Cheese from the "land of Brie" has been known since the days of Charlemagne, appreciated by kings and nobles as well as the common folk. In 1793, the revolutionary Lavallée noted that "Brie cheese, loved both by rich and poor, preached equality before we ever thought it possible."

Surprisingly, more than 60% of Brie de Meaux production takes place in the southwest part of the Meuse département. As early as the 18th century, producers from the southern Meuse were making flat round "Brie-style" cheeses. In the 19th century, the expansion of grain-growing reduced the amount of cheese produced in the Brie geographical region, so that Parisian Brie distributors began buying cheese from Meuse, leading to a "qualité France" label being applied to brie from Meuse. In 1980, with the granting of an AOC (protected designation of origin), southwestern Meuse was officially included in the zone. Brie and Meuse both have the conditions necessary for producing excellent brie: high-quality grazing land, favorable climatic conditions and chalky or argillo-calcareous soils.