Sainte-Maure de Touraine

Sainte-Maure de Touraine is an uncooked soft whole goat's milk cheese produced in the shape of an elongated log segment. Its geographical area covers the Indre-et-Loire département and selected cantons of the neighbouring départements of Loir-et-Cher, Indre, and Vienne. The designation was registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-FR-0133 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012916), Sainte-Maure de Touraine is classified as a Class 1.3 cheese under the EU quality scheme. The protected name is Sainte-Maure de Touraine. The specification defines the product as an uncooked soft whole goat's milk cheese formed in the shape of an elongated log segment. The delimited geographical area comprises the Indre-et-Loire département and a number of cantons in the neighbouring départements of Loir-et-Cher, Indre, and Vienne. Production requires coagulation achieved primarily by lactic means with a slight addition of rennet, followed by spontaneous draining of the curd. The cheese is ripened at a temperature of 10–15°C and at approximately 90% relative humidity, for a minimum period counted from the day of renneting. Labelling must display the INAO logo and acronym, the phrase 'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée', and the name of the cheese. The inspection bodies named in the specification are the INAO and the DGCCRF. The applicant group at the time of registration was the Comité Interprofessionnel du Sainte-Maure de Touraine, based in Sainte-Maure de Touraine. Goat's milk cheesemaking in the Tours region is documented from the Middle Ages, and the name Sainte-Maure came into use during the 19th century.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-FR-0133, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012916.
• The specification requires coagulation by primarily lactic means with only a slight addition of rennet, followed by spontaneous draining.
• Ripening must take place at 10–15°C and approximately 90% relative humidity, with the period counted from the day of renneting.
• The geographical area is defined as the Indre-et-Loire département and selected cantons of Loir-et-Cher, Indre, and Vienne.

Tasting notes

Touraine goat's milk distinctive log-shaped cheese with central straw running lengthwise (rye straw), traditionally rolled in vegetable-charcoal ash, aged 10+ days. Charcoal-grey to white-cream rind, ivory paste, semi-soft texture, balanced fresh tangy goat flavor with hazelnut and grass notes.

HoReCa use

Sainte-Maure de Touraine is selected for plateau de fromages chèvre presentations, where its log form serves as a visual signature, and is sliced for salade aux noix; it is paired with Vouvray and Touraine Sauvignon.

Packaging

• single-log-250g
• gift-pack-twin-500g

Seasonality