All About Affine de Chablis Cheese
Affine de Chablis Cheese In Short
- Milk: pasteurized full cream cow’s milk
- Type: soft
- Origin: Burgundy, France
- Texture: creamy and smooth
- Fat Content: 55%
- Shape: a round, flat disc
- Color: Orange
- Rind: washed
- Flavor: tangy, mild
- Aroma: strong, stinky
- Maturity: 3-4 weeks
- Season: Spring – Fall
- Producers: Chalancey, Germain, Berthaut
The Rest of the Story
Affine de Chablis is from Burgundy and looks very similar to Epoisse, so I know it will have a creamy interior and stinky aroma. It is different because it is washed with Chablis wine until it matures. This Chablis adds to its flavor and aroma.
Like Epoisse, Affine de Chablis is sold in a wooden box. When you remove the wooden cover, you’ll be hit by its pungent smell and orange rind. Take a sniff and enjoy the stinky aroma. This is a cheese style you love or hate. I love it.
Not quite as strong tasting as Epoisse, it still is fully flavored and will get your attention when you take that first taste.
The producer Chalancey won a bronze medal for their Affine de Chablis at the 2018/2019 Word Cheese Awards.
How to Serve Affine de Chablis
In our house, we usually serve cheese before dinner as part of a cheese board, and Affine de Chablis would be a perfect fit. Saying that it would also be a tremendous after-dinner cheese course.
Please remove it from the refrigerator about an hour before serving it. Then, when you cut into the rind, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the delicious velvety and gooey interior.
We like to serve it with a small spoon to spoon the goo onto a cracker or piece of French bread. Ask your family and friends not to lick the spoon because it will be tempting.
Wine
Being a Burgundy cheese, it makes sense to serve it with a delicious Chablis or Burgundy chardonnay. But, of course, the wine doesn’t have to be from Burgundy. An excellent Californian Chablis or chardonnay would be fine, too.
