Each wheel of Epoisses is approximately 8oz.

Epoisses is a special cheese. It is the only lactic curd washed rind PDO cheese. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But what does all that gibberish actually mean? Basically, all that means is that this cheese requires a very delicate touch throughout the making and aging processes, and that it is cautiously regulated. Lactic curds, from which Epoisses is made, are very delicate and must be handled carefully. The fluffy curds are gently ladled into molds and left to drain for two days, and then the cheese is salted and left to drain further. After enough moisture has drained, washing begins! Over twenty-eight (or more) days, cheesemakers carefully wash Epoisses in water mixed with marc de Bourgogne, a brandy produced from the leftovers of winemaking. Over the month or so of aging, increasing amounts of marc are added to the water, which helps produce the distinctive orange rind of a washed rind cheese! And that means extra flavor for us!

If the cheese meets these and other requirements, it receives a PDO, or protected designation of origin. A PDO cheese denotes that the makers followed a very specific recipe and process, from the breed of cow that is milked, to the way the cheese is handled during aging. Obtaining a PDO designation is an intense process, but it is meant to preserve particular types of cheesemaking from precise geographical areas that might otherwise be lost. Hopefully, this ensures we will have meaty, funky, woodsy, creamy Epoisses forever! Spread a hearty piece of bread with a generous layer of the cheese and you’ll taste why we’re glad it’s sticking around!