Versio

n 6

, 20

15

Marin County

Sonoma County

N

116

116

Nicasio Valley Rd.

Todd

Occidental Rd.

Valley Ford Rd.

Bodega Ave.

Llano Rd.

Irwin

Pt. Reyes-Petal

uma R

d.

Hicks Valley Rd.

Marshall-Petaluma Rd.

11

15

10

12

2

14

16

13

1

517

6

48

3

7

9

+ Achadinha Cheese Company

+ Barinaga Ranch

Bohemian Creamery

Cowgirl Creamery

Epicurean Connection

Marin French Cheese Company

Matos Cheese Factory

+ Nicasio Valley Cheese Company

Petaluma Creamery

+ Point Reyes Farmstead

Cheese Company

Pugs Leap

+ Ramini Mozzarella

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery

+ Tomales Farmstead Creamery

Two Rock Valley Goat Cheese

+ Valley Ford Cheese Company

Vella Cheese Company

Cheesemakers Open for Visits

Open Locations Contact for Tour Options + Protected Farmland

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Marin Driving Tour Sonoma Driving Tour

Cheese Trail Sonoma Marin

You can visit any of these cheesemakers during their regular business hours without making an appointment.

Marin County Driving TourNovato to Nicasio and Point Reyes Station (about 15 miles)

Driving DirectionsStart right outside Novato at Marin French Cheese Company, the longest continually operating cheese company in the U.S., where you can picnic by the pond, shop in the retail store and taste award-winning Brie and Camembert cheeses. Then travel west on the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, make a quick detour onto Nicasio Valley Road to the quaint village of Nicasio. There you’ll find Nicasio Valley Cheese Company. The Lafranchi family produces fantastic farmstead cheeses in the artisanal tradition of their Swiss-Italian cousins in Switzerland. Then retrace your steps to the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road and into the town of Point Reyes to Tomales Bay Foods (also known as Cowgirl Creamery) where you can watch cheesemaking through the window or take a more formal cheese tasting (reservations required). At the cheese counter taste Cowgirl cheeses and other local artisan cheeses.

Sonoma County Driving TourPetaluma to Sebastopol to Sonoma (about 50 miles)

Driving DirectionsStarting in the historic agricultural town of Petaluma, with its charming turn-of-the-century buildings and quaint downtown, stop by the Petaluma Creamery where you can sample Spring Hill Cheese (for tours of their creamery, please call ahead). Then head north out of town on the 101 Freeway, taking the 116 exit towards Sebastopol. Make a right on Llano Road to the Matos Cheese Factory, located on their farm, to sample St. George, a buttery semi-hard cheese made in the style of the Azores. From there, make a short jaunt (right on Hwy 12, left on Irwin, left on Occidental) for rustic-style cheeses to Bohemian Creamery, a goat farm & cheese shop. For more, head east on Highway 12 to the town of Sonoma to visit the retail shop of one of the oldest cheesemakers in the area, Vella Cheese Company.

Open to the Public:Call or check websites for regular visiting hours.

3. Bohemian Creamery7380 Occidental Road, Sebastopolbohemiancreamery.com

FLisa Gottreich broke from her midlife mold to fill new ones with innovate and compelling curds. Her shop and herd of Alpine goats overlook the Laguna de Santa Rosa in Sebastopol. Shop Hours: Fri-Sun 10-6, Tours: Sat at noon, Sundays at 1pm. Email info@bohemiancreamery.com for info.

4. Cowgirl Creamery80 Fourth Street, Point Reyes Station415-663-9335www.cowgirlcreamery.com

FM M OIn 1997, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith built a small creamery in downtown Point Reyes Station and began making handcrafted cheese with local organic milk. They now produce three fresh and six aged cheeses, and have a second creamery in Petaluma.

6. Marin French Cheese Company7500 Red Hill Road, Petaluma800-292-6001www.marinfrenchcheese.com

MThe longest continuously operating cheese factory in America, Marin French has specialized in handmade Brie and Camembert since 1865. In 2005, it was the first American producer to best France and other European countries in international competitions.

7. Matos Cheese Factory3669 Llano Road, Santa Rosa707-584-5283

F

Joe and Mary Matos grew up in the Portuguese Azores on the lush volcanic island of Sao Jorge, noted for its delicious cheeses. They relocated to Santa Rosa in the 1970s, carrying the recipe for their native cheese with them.

8. Nicasio Valley Cheese Company5300 Nicasio Valley Road, Nicasio415-662-6200nicasiocheese.com

FM F M O

The Lafranchi family enjoyed the traditional cheeses of their Swiss homeland and dreamed of making their own. Their organic dairy was the perfect resource to enable them to pay homage to their heritage. They made their first cheese in 2010 with Swiss mentor Maurizio Lorenzetti.

9. Petaluma Creamery711 Western Avenue, Petaluma707-762-9038springhillcheese.competalumacreamerycheeseshop.com

FM M OThe 102 year-old Creamery is home to organic Spring Hill Jersey Cheese, butter, and handmade ice cream from local Jersey cows as well as 100% natural Petaluma Creamery and Petaluma Gold cheeses. The store serves BBQ sandwiches, salads, and coffee daily. Tours by appointment.

17. Vella Cheese Company315 2nd Street EastSonoma, 707-938-3232, 800-848-0505 vellacheese.com

MThe Vella family has made cheese in a stonewalled building on the historic Sonoma square since the company’s founding in 1931 by Gaetano Vella. The cultures, the care and the personal hands-on techniques are the same as they were then.

Contact for Tour Options:Cheesemakers that have occasional or regular scheduled tours. Signups required. Most require plenty of notice.

1. Achadinha Cheese CompanyPetaluma707-763-1025www.achadinha.com

FM F MAt Jim and Donna Pacheco’s dairy, you’ll find 600 goats and a small Jersey cow herd. The animals graze on pastures year-round; their diet supplemented with brewer’s grain, whey and alfalfa. One of the barns has been converted to an on-site creamery and aging room. Check their website for information on tours of the dairy and cheesemaking.

2. Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Sheep Milk CheeseMarshallwww.barinagaranch.com

F MFollowing the traditions of her Basque ancestors in Spain, Marcia Barinaga makes a raw-milk Basque-style sheep cheese. Her Animal Welfare Approved flock of dairy ewes graze year-round on over 100 acres of certified-organic pastures overlooking Tomales Bay.

5. Epicurean Connection 400 W. Spain Street, Sonoma 707-935-7960sheanadavis.com

Sheana Davis is the cheesemaker and proprietor of the Epicurean Connection, celebrating 25 years of enthusiastic support for local cheesemakers. Her cheeses include Delice de la Vallee, Creme de Fromage, Creme de Mouton & Le Tois de Fromage. Epicurean Connection is open by appointment only for cheesemaking classes and guided artisan cheese tastings.

10. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese CompanyPoint Reyes Station, 415-663-8880pointreyescheese.comtheforkatpointreyes.com

FM F MThe Giacomini family makes their award-winning cheese, including Fresh Mozzarella, Toma, Bay Blue and Original Blue with milk from their own cows—processed within hours of milking. They offer farm tours and dinners, cooking classes and more at The Fork, their culinary and educational center. Reservations required.

11. Pugs LeapWhite Whale Farm 5880 Carroll Road, Petaluma 707-876-3300 whitewhalefarm.com

FM F120 Humane Certified goats roam the pastures at White Whale Farm. Here, the family-owned dairy makes farmstead, hand-crafted cheese, under the Pugs Leap label, with milk from their own animals, in a creamery built inside their historic 1867 barn. Tours are available by appointment.

12. Ramini MozzarellaTomales415-690-6644

raminimozzarella.com

FFounded by Craig Ramini & his wife Audrey Hitchcock and inspired by Italian mozzarella di bufala, Audrey uses her 100% water buffalo milk to produce handcrafted authentic Buffalo Mozzarella. Contact Audrey to picnic on the farm, sample cheese and pet the water buffalo. Tours are Saturdays only from 2-4. For reservations email craig@raminimozzarella.

13. Redwood Hill Farm & CreamerySebastopol, 707-823-8250redwoodhill.com

FM MRedwood Hill Farm is an award-winning, Certified Humane®, Grade A goat dairy farm and creamery located in Sonoma County. Family-owned and operated for over 45 years, they are committed to the sustainable production of delicious, artisan goat milk cheese, yogurt and kefir. The farm is open for public tours two weekends per year during spring. Visit redwoodhill.com/tours for dates and details.

14. Tomales Farmstead CreameryTomales, 707-878-2041tolumafarms.com

FM F

David and Tamara purchased Toluma Farms in 2003. They restored the land, certified it organic and protected it with an agricultural conservation easement (MALT). They’ve raised Animal Welfare approved goats and sheep since 2007 and began making farmstead cheeses in 2013. They produce a soft ripened goat cheese (Kenne), a soft ripened cow, goat, sheep (Teleeka), a fresh goat cheese (Liwa), an aged goat (Assa), and an aged mixed sheep/goat (Atika). 

15. Two Rock Valley Goat CheeseTwo Rock, 707-762-6182

Two R

ock Valley Goat CheeseDDDeBernardi Dairy, Inc. FM F M

Dairyman Don DeBernardi’s desire to make Swiss cheese like the type made by his relatives in Switzerland led him to transition from multi-generational dairy farming to producing a goat milk cheese aged on site at the DeBernardi Dairy. Weekend tours by appointment.

16. Valley Ford Cheese CompanyValley Ford, 707-293-5636valleyfordcheeseco.com

FM F MFive generations of the Bianchi/Grossi family have raised dairy cows on this prime farmland in Sonoma County. Karen Bianchi Moreda and her son Joe now make Swiss-Italian-style cheese from the milk of their Certified Humane Raised & Handled Jersey herd.

Cheesemakers Busy Making CheeseFind these cheeses at retailers or a farmer’s market. The cheesemakers below are not open to the public.

Andante CheesePetaluma, 707-769-1379www.andantedairy.com

FMSoyoung Scanlan—dairy scientist, music lover, and former biochemist—gives musical names to her creamery and cheeses. Her products are designed to reveal the essence of the terroir, or microclimate, in which the milk and cheese are produced.

Bellwether FarmsPetaluma, 707-478-8067www.bellwetherfarms.com

FM M

The Callahan family owns and operates Bellwether Farms in the heart of Sonoma County. They began milking their sheep and producing handcrafted cheeses in 1990, making them one of the first to be part of the revival of American artisan cheesemaking.

Bleating Heart CheeseTomales www.bleatingheart.com

Cheesemakers Seana Doughty & Dave Dalton are serious about their cheese but never take themselves too seriously. Their handcrafted cheeses have whimsical names and every wheel is imprinted with a heart. The creamery is located in a renovated milk house on a historic ranch.

Clover Stornetta FarmsPetaluma, 707-778-8448cloverstornetta.com

A family-owned and operated business, Clover Stornetta Farms works closely with select family farms in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties. It processes and distributes their high-quality dairy products under the Clover Stornetta and Clover Organic Farms brands.

Dacheva Son’s CheesePetaluma, 707-486-3640

MFrom a small farm in Bulgaria to a creamery in Jalisco, Mexico. Together, Pablo Guerra, who learned the art of cheesemaking from his father and his wife Margarita, born on a dairy farm in Bulgaria, bring you a melding of cultures, reflected in their artisan cheese.

Laura Chenel’sSonoma, 707-996-4477www.laurachenel.com

Laura Chenel pioneered American goat cheesemaking. From small batches made on her Sebastopol farm in the 1970s to the new Sonoma creamery owned by French artisan cheese producer Rians Group, the brand continues to bring increased appreciation of goat cheese to the U.S.

Saint Benoît Creamery Two Rock, 530-400-4701stbenoit.com

FM OSaint Benoit is a family-owned business handcrafting small batches of organic yogurt cheese, cream-top French-style yogurt and organic vat-pasteurized whole milk from Jersey cows. They use locally sourced fruits and honey. Each item is sold in distinctive reusable crocks, jars and bottles.

Weirauch Farm & CreameryPetalumaweirauchfarm.com

FM F M O Seasonal, small batch varieties of farmstead, Animal Welfare Approved sheep cheese, as well as artisan goat and certified organic cow cheese produced by husband and wife team Joel and Carleen Weirauch.

Additional Farm ToursBodega Goat CheeseBodega, (707) 876-3483, bodegaranch.net Patty Karlin, who taught many of the cheesemakers in the area, gives tours of her farm, showing her many sustainable practices and introduces you to her goats. Call for an appointment.

Straus Home RanchMarshall, StrausHomeRanch.comLearn about Marin’s sustainable agricultural history and anecdotes of growing up on rural Tomales Bay, while strolling the pastures of this iconic organic farm, followed by an artisan cheese tasting. Led by Vivien and/or Michael Straus. Sign up online.

Key to the CheesemakersType of Animal:

Cow

Goat

Sheep

Water Buffalo

FM Available at Farmers’ Markets

F Farmstead

M Mail Order

O Organic

A project of the Marin Economic Forum: MarinEconomicForum.org

Production: Vivien Straus | Design: Lisa Krieshok Copy: Elisabeth Ptak | With initial support from Ellie Rilla

Generous support provided by Whole Foods Market, Marin Convention and Visitors Bureau and the California Milk Advisory Board