The lower valley of the Rhône is mostly too dry for the production of
wine, but ideal for goats to feast on the sparse grass and hardy bushes that are scattered along the hillsides. Picodon is made from milk with only a small quantity of
rennet added before being poured into small moulds dotted with tiny holes. Lactic protein, frozen curd, and concentrated or powdered milk are all prohibited by regulation. The cheese is twice salted using fine, dry
salt. The cheese is left to dry for at least fourteen days, although four weeks is more common. Cheeses labelled with
affinage méthode Dieulefit (after the commune of
Dieulefit) indicates that the affinage included hand-washing the surface of the cheese with water, following which the cheese is left to mature in covered earthenware jars for at least a month. Production is
fermier,
artisanal, and
industriel, and the final product is a minimum of 45% fat. Picodon is manufactured throughout the year, although
fermier production only occurs between spring and autumn. In total 584 tons were produced in 2005. Manufacture primarily takes place in the departments of
Ardèche and
Drôme, though regulations also permit the canton of
Barjac in
Gard and
Valréas in
Vaucluse.
AOC status was granted in 1983. == See also ==