Top 5 Local Cheeses
in Puy-de-Dôme

Fromagerie du Buron is a family-owned dairy located in Cournon-d'Auvergne, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Established in 1904 by Jean Duchêne, it specializes in the aging of traditional cheeses from Auvergne, particularly Saint-Nectaire AOP. Currently, the third generation of the Duchêne family, led by Pierre Duchêne, continues this tradition, combining centuries-old expertise with modern techniques. In addition to aging Saint-Nectaire, Fromagerie du Buron produces other authentic cheeses, including Grand Murols and its variations such as Buronnoix, a cheese aged in walnut liqueur, which has won medals at the General Agricultural Competition. The Duchêne family's dedication to preserving traditional production methods and collaborating with local producers ensures the authenticity and exceptional quality of their cheeses. Expand

Saint-Nectaire is a semi-hard, double pressed farm cheese made in Auvergne from cow's milk and sold in the shape of a flat wheel. It must mature for at least six weeks on rye straw mats before being marketed. As the cows graze on pastures at high altitudes, the cheese has a unique sweet, hazelnut-like flavor and a smell reminiscent of mushrooms and hay. Its texture is silky and creamy, and it melts in the mouth. It can be recognized by the green label on its thick rind, which can be white, yellow or red, depending on the stage of maturation. It goes perfectly with crusty bread and a glass of red wine.Expand

Fourme d'Ambert is an unusually tall, round, blue cheese that is unpressed and uncooked, with a high fat content (50%). It's made from pasteurized or raw cow's milk and it is one of the oldest cheeses in France. On the exterior it has a dry gray moldy rind, while on the interior it is creamy white with green or blue veins dispersed throughout the body. Fourme d'Ambert is matured for up to 28 days in caves in the French regions of Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, and Loire. During the maturation process, the cheese is injected with sweet white wine. The flavor is delicate and mild with a velvety mouthfeel, with earthy, mushroomy, sweet, and creamy notes. Serve it with port wine and sliced fresh pears, apples, walnuts, and raisins for a nice dessert, or crumble it on salads.Expand

Delicé du forez is a traditional cheese originating from Bongheat in Puy-de-Dome. This farmhouse cheese is made from raw cow’s milk, and it’s best to taste it from March to October. Underneath its natural rind with moldy specks, the texture is semi-soft and open, with many irregular eyes scattered throughout the paste. The aromas are reminiscent of hay and barnyard, while the flavors are milky, fresh, and creamy. It’s recommended to serve this cylindrical cheese with freshly baked bread.Expand

Roue de Ris is a sheep’s-milk cheese produced in the commune of Ris in France. Its development stems from the artisanal dairy practices of the Limagne valley where local producers began refining ewe’s milk into pressed, cave-aged wheels to highlight the richness of regional flocks. The cheese takes its name from its shape—“roue,” meaning wheel—and its place of origin. It is made from pasteurized sheep’s milk, coagulated with rennet, and formed into large cylindrical molds weighing about seven to eight kilograms (15-17 lb) and measuring close to thirty centimeters (12 inches) across. After molding, the curd is lightly pressed, salted on the surface, and transferred to cellars where it matures for roughly three months. During aging, the rind forms naturally and develops a light brown to gray hue, while the paste remains pale, supple, and slightly elastic with small, irregular openings. The flavor profile evolves from mild and milky at the start of ripening to rounder and more aromatic with nut and hay notes toward the end. Variations of Roue de Ris may arise from differences in humidity and airflow within aging caves, influencing both rind character and texture, or from adjustments in salting, which can yield a slightly stronger or gentler expression. Some producers also market smaller wheels aged for shorter periods to emphasize freshness. What distinguishes Roue de Ris is its scale and its use of pure ewe’s milk in a large, pressed format more commonly associated with cow’s-milk cheeses, producing a unique balance between density and creaminess. The cheese is eaten at room temperature, typically as part of a cheese board or in rustic meals with country bread, fruit, and cured meats. It pairs well with dry white wines from the Auvergne or a light red such as a Saint-Pourçain, which complements its smooth texture and subtly nutty aroma.Expand

Fourme de Rochefort‑Montagne is a semi-hard, raw-cow-milk cheese produced around the Rochefort-Montagne region of France. Its origin reaches back over two centuries when farmers in the mountain pastures used immediate renneting of freshly-milked raw milk and simple draining methods to make a firm, press-drained cheese that could serve as payment for rent and as a staple of alpine dairy economy. In the production process whole raw cow’s milk is renneted soon after milking, the curd is cut and sometimes stirred with hot water to encourage firm curd formation, then pressed and drained inside cylindrical moulds (diameter roughly 28-30 cm / 12 inches, height 8-12 cm / 3-5 inches, weight 5-8 kg / 11-18 lb) for about 24 hours, salted, then aged in cellars or caves for a minimum of 3 weeks (often up to 2-4 months) until the rind becomes ash-grey with brownish reflections and the paste ivory-colored with moisture and aromas of dried fruit, warm milk and subtle acidity. Variations of Fourme de Rochefort-Montagne arise when producers adjust the aging duration (shorter aging yields a firmer texture and milder flavor, longer aging produces a softer paste with deeper aroma), or when milk from different herds and altitudes is used, and some versions now carry organic certification; a distinguishing feature of this cheese is its raw-milk basis combined with press-drainage and modest size cylinders which give it a relatively firm yet supple texture and a flavor profile that sits between mild and mountain-intense. Fourme de Rochefort-Montagne is best served at room temperature on a cheese board or sliced as part of a main dish, and pairs well with a full-bodied regional red wine or with a nutty-aromatic white that complements its dairy-rich paste and fruit-drying notes.Expand