“The sky of Charlevoix,” “border cheese,” “the customs officer,” and “the grey owl” are just a few dreamy and whimsical names of Quebecoise cheeses. If you are a cheese lover, Quebec should be on your cheese vacation list. With 500 to 700 cheeses to choose from , it’s a worthy trip to try styles rivaling those across the pond.
And Quebecoise cheese is definitely having a moment in America. Maker Fromagerie La Station won First Place Best of Show at the 2024 and 2025 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, sparking growing recognition of quality cheeses hailing from the French region of Canada. I tried some of the best cheeses I’ve ever tasted during a recent trip to Québec. For example, I sampledLe Douanier at a roadside market—the aforementioned “border cheese” characterized by its distinctive thin line of grey-blue ash (the border) that separates curds from different milkings.
Cheesemaking in Québec has a long history stretching back to the early days of New France when French settlers arrived during the 17th century with cattle and cheesemaking traditions. As travel to Europe becomes more expensive than ever, consider planning a magical cheese trip across the border to the countryside of Québec and visit these makers, cheeses, and highlights:
Region: Charlevoix
Where to go: Famille Migneron de Charlevoix
What to try: “Le Ciel du Charlevoix” (which translates to the sky of Charlevoix). This rather sharp blue cheese has a lightly spackled bright gray rind and features aromas of mushroom and cream. The name refers to the starry night sky of the Charlevoix region. But, their most popular cheese is Le Migneron de Charlevoix—a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese made with cow’s milk from the valley. It tastes of hazelnut and salted butter, and the rind has a slightly tacky texture. And don’t skip their Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix. This sheep’s milk cheese has lacticoyster mushroom, and spinach notes.
Region: Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Where to go: Fromagerie Blackburn
What to try: Mont-Jacob. This semi-soft, pasteurized whole cow’s milk best seller is a supple cheese with aromas of butter and toasted almonds. It won nine Sélection Caseus awards (sort of like Québec’s cheese Oscars) and Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards in 2011. Other star cheeses in their collection include: Le Cabouron, Le Blackburn, and Le Napoléon. Their shop along the Saguenay River is located in the Jonquière sector about three hours north of Québec City, and offers cheese tastings (ask for exclusive local cheeses that are not widely distributed). There’s also a picnic area where you can enjoy a cheese spread and admire the rural landscape of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Region: Notre-Dame-du-Lac
Where to go: Fromagerie Le Détour
What to try: Grey Owl. This striking, ash-coated, Geotrichum wrinkly-rinded cheese is one of Québec’s most iconic goat cheesesThe flavors of award-winning Grey Owl range from fresh, lemony, and tangy to animal and herbaceous as it ages. This Temiscouata-region cheese won Gold in its category at the 2025 World Cheese Awards in Bern, Switzerland. Other cheeses to try from Le Détour are award-winning Le verdict d’Alexina and le Magie de Madawaska. It’s also rumored that Grey Owl is one of Duchess Meghan Markle’s favorite cheeses, who allegedly had it served at her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
Region: Charlevoix
Where to go: Laiterie Charlevoix What to try: 1608. The most renowned of Laiterie Charlevoix’s cheeses is “1608,” named after the year Québec was founded. It has a supple, apricot-colored rind and a smooth and creamy, melt-in-your-mouth pasteFlavor notes include butter, green apple, and nuts. 1608 won Best Québec cheese at the 2018 Canadian Cheese Awards. Other award-winning cheeses to try include Cendré des Grands Jardin, Emmental de Charlevoix, Origine de Charlevoix, Hercule de Charlevoix, and Triple Crème de Charlevoix.
Region: Bromont (Eastern Townships)
Where to go: Brebis de Bromont
What to try: Réserve du Berger. The undeniable star at Brebis de Bromont is Réserve du Berger (Reserve of the Shepherd). This Manchego-style cheese is made from pasteurized sheep’s milk and has asemi-firm, yet supple texture, slices easily, and has a pleasant creaminess that lingers on the palate. Aromatically, it offers delicate notes of toasted hazelnuts and warm butter, with a subtle sweetness typical of high-quality sheep’s milk. Other offerings include Volcan Blanc (white volcano)—a bloomy rind sheep’s milk cheese with a delicate layer of vegetable ash—and their famous cannoli, filled with fresh sheep’s milk ricotta.
Region: Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick
Where to go: Fromagerie du Presbytère
What to try: Louis d’Or. As its name suggests, this fromagerie is inside a beautifully restored presbytery. I fell head over heels for their award-winning Louis d’Or, a raw cow’s milk cheese made from milk produced at their family-owned farm located across from the fromagerie. Inspired by traditional Alpine-style cheeses, Louis d’Or is aged for 9 months to 5 years. It has a slightly firm texture, and tastes of roasted hazelnut, browned butter, and caramel. Also try Religieuse, a washed-rind cow’s milk cheese. And for blue cheese fans, don’t miss the Bleu d’Élizabeth—a distinctive blue made from cow’s milk.
Region: Compton in the Eastern Townships
Where to go: Fromagerie La Station
What to try: Alfred le Fermier. With panoramic views of Mont Orford, this scenic fromagerie won First Place Best of Show at the 2024 and 2025 American Cheese Society Awards. The 2025 winner, Alfred le Fermier, is an organic, farmstead, raw cow’s milk cheese. It is cooked, pressed, and aged between 8 and 24 months. The aged texture is firm yet supple, with a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth quality that remains throughout its aging. Thanks to their herd’s summer diet of flowers and hay in the winter (they’re milked twice a day, year-round), the cheese has notes of almond, fresh hazelnut, honey, and seasonal hints of peach, apricot, or pineapple (more aged versions have deeper aromas of caramel).
Region: Compton in the Eastern Townships
Where to go: Fromagerie Saint-Benoit-du-Lac
What to try: Bleu Bénédictin. Blue cheese lovers, the monks who make cheese at Fromagerie Saint-Benoit-du-Lac are a must-visit. Founded in 1912, this monastery began producing cheese in the 1940s. The cheeses are crafted in a beautiful abbey with a stunning panoramic view, including award-winning Bleu Bénédictin, known for its woodsy, mushroom flavor. It’s made from pasteurized cow’s milk and aged for a minimum of 90 days. Also, don’t miss their other blues like Ermite and smoked blue cheese.
Region: Havre aux Maisons, Magdalen Islands
Where to go: Fromagerie du Pied-De-Vent
What to try: Tomme des Demoiselles. Located on the picturesque island of Havre aux Maisons in the Magdalen Islands, this celebrated creamery captures the essence of Québec’s rural charm. The island is known for vibrant houses and red sandstone cliffs. A standout offering at Havre aus Maisons is Tomme des Demoiselles—a firm, washed-rind cheese crafted from the unpasteurized milk of a single herd of Canadienne cows. This rare breed, which arrived with Québec’s original settlers in the 1600s, grazes on local island forage, giving the cheese its distinct regional terroir. Aged for over six months, Tomme des Demoiselles is named after the nearby Demoiselles Butte, an area famous for rolling hills and coastal views. While visiting, you can also sample the iconic washed-rind Pied-De-Vent, fluffy white bloomy-rind Jeune-Cœur (Young Heart), and their signature Cheddar Art Senau.
Marisel Salazar
Marisel Salazar lives and works in New York City as a food blogger, social media guru, enthusiastic home chef and restaurant hopper. She comes to NYC by way of Panama and Japan, which imparted on her a deep love of tortillas (the thick, fried sort), sashimi and noodles. Her least favorite part of cooking? Doing dishes.
