Berthaut Epoisses AOC (4.4oz/ 125g)

Époisses takes its name from the Burgundian village where legend holds Cistercian monks first began making the cheese in the early 16th century, a tradition later carried on by local farmers and, after production nearly vanished during the World Wars, revived in the mid-1950s by Robert and Simone Berthaut, who began making it in their own farmhouse basement using a family recipe and milk from their own cows. That revival grew into Fromagerie Berthaut, now run by the family's next generation and widely regarded as the definitive producer of the cheese, credited almost single-handedly with saving Époisses and helping it earn AOC status in 1991, with strict rules governing the cows' breed, the milk, and the geographic area of production. This 125g format is the classic half-wheel — a smaller, more practical cut of the same washed-rind cheese, repeatedly bathed in Marc de Bourgogne during aging to build its distinctive orange rind and pungent aroma, but sized to be enjoyed at its peak without the waste or long ripening window a full wheel demands, making it ideal for smaller households, a single cheese course, or a first introduction to one of France's most storied cheeses. Its soft, spoonable, intensely savory paste is best paired with a slice of gingerbread and a glass of red Burgundy.