CHEESE TRAIL MAP -
https://cheesetrail.org/trail-map/

south along the SONOMA MARIN coast 

Valley Ford Cheese Co.
14390 Highway 1, Valley Ford, CA 94972
Ph: (707) 293-5636
http://www.valleyfordcheese.com/

Five 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 and blue cheese from the milk of their Jersey herd.

Tomales Farmstead Creamery
5488 Middle Rd., Tomales, CA 94971
Ph: (707) 878-2041
https://www.tolumafarms.org/

David Jablons and Tamara Hicks purchased Toluma Farm in 2003, restored the land, and protected it with an agricultural conservation easement. They began milking 200 goats in 2007, sheep in 2013 and produce goat and mixed-milk cheeses since 2012.

Ramini Mozzarella

175 Gericke Road, Tomales, CA 94971
Ph: (415) 690-6633

Audrey and Craig Ramini began with 5 water buffalo, a shoe string budget and a big dream. The first 4 years were spent , building relationships with the buffalo and learning to make the cheese. They rented a small farm and pasture, renovated the dairy and designed a farmstead creamery. By 2012 they were successfully selling out of all the cheese they could produce.

Today, Audrey continues to make fresh mozzarella with milk from her water buffalo herd.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
14700 Highway 1, Point Reyes, CA 94956
Ph: (415) 663-8880
https://pointreyescheese.com/

The family’s journey started in 1938 when Grandfather Waldo Giacomini moved his family to Point Reyes, where Bob, his son, was raised. In 1959 with his new bride Dean, Bob purchased the dairy to sell milk to the local creamery. He had a dream to make cheese.

In the late 90s, their four daughters (Karen, Diana, Lynn and Jill) came back to the farm (leaving various business careers behind). In 2000 they began producing the first wheels of Original Blue, California’s only classic style blue cheese, later adding additional cheeses.

Nicasio Valley Cheese
5300 Nicasio Valley Rd, Nicasio, CA 94946
Ph: (415) 662-6200
https://nicasiocheese.com/

Over 100 years ago, 17-year-old Fredolino Lafranchi left his home in Maggia, Switzerland, to come to America with the dream of owning and operating his own dairy. He and his wife, Zelma, made their home on a 1,150 acre ranch in Nicasio in northern California and established the Lafranchi Dairy.

Fredolino’s son, Will, later made many trips back to the ancestral village of Maggia, forging relationships with his extended family and tasting many delicious cheeses. Recently, Will’s sons, just as passionate as their father and grandfather, went back to Switzerland to study cheesemaking, later bringing back master cheesemaker Maurizio Lorenzetti to mentor the family in the art of making the cheeses of the Valley Maggia. With morning milk from their herd of 400 cows, the five Lafranchi siblings opened one of a growing number of small farmstead creameries in the area, and began producing their own Nicasio Valley Cheese Company cheeses.

Stop by their shop in the small town of Nicasio for a view through the window of the cheesemaking (weekdays are best for that) and to taste and pick up some cheese and picnic supplies.

Cowgirl Creamery

80 Fourth Street, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Ph: (415) 663-9335
https://cowgirlcreamery.com/

Cowgirl Creamery makes cheese with heart. In 1997, Cowgirl Creamery started with a dream shared between two college friends and business partners, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith: To celebrate organic practices and spotlight the craftsmanship of local sustainable agriculture in Marin and Sonoma counties.

Today, Cowgirl is carrying the torch of the food revolution that started in its own backyard. Organic. Farm-to-Table. Delicious, award-winning cheese. It’s in their DNA. And it defines their famous creations, including the beloved triple cream Mt. Tam.

SOUTH EAST HIGHWAY 1

Marin French Cheese
7510 Petaluma Point Reyes Road, Petaluma, CA 94952
Ph: (707) 762-6001
https://marinfrenchcheese.com/

As the longest continually-operating cheese company in America, Marin French Cheese has been handcrafting traditional and original soft-ripened cheeses for over 150 years.

Our small-batch cheeses are made with traditional cultures and all natural milk sourced from local dairies within 20 miles from the creamery.

Stop in to sample and purchase award-winning cheeses, grab a signature sandwich at the Deli-Café and picnic by the picturesque pond.

Achadinha Cheese Co.
750 Chileno Valley Rd, Petaluma, CA 94952
https://www.achadinha.com/

In 1955, William Pacheco started dairying with a herd of cows in Bodega Bay. The Pacheco family moved to Petaluma in 1969, and in 1997 Jim and Donna Pacheco and their 4 children sold their cows and switched to goats and began making cheese. They still have Jersey cows and a myriad of other farm animals.

Spring Hill Jersey Cheese
621 Western Ave, Petaluma, CA 94952
Ph: (707) 762-3446
https://www.springhillcheese.com/

Rich, organic 100% Jersey Milk is the secret to Larry Peter’s cheese. Larry raises his Jerseys on a farm just on the outskirts of Petaluma. The Petaluma Creamery, where Spring Hill Cheese is made, is the largest creamery in the area. Taking a tour (appointments required) is fascinating.

At the creamery, where the cheese is made, is also the Petaluma Creamery Cheese Shop, where you can pick up cheese, as well coffee, fresh baked goods, Panini’s and BBQ, gourmet homemade ice cream, custom gift baskets, and many other specialty items.

Clover Sonoma
91 Lakeville St, Petaluma, CA 94952
Ph: 800-237-3315
https://cloversonoma.com/

Clover Sonoma (previously named “Clover Stornetta”) sources fresh milk from a select group of Clover’s small family farms along the Northern California coast.

Clover has roots in the North Coast dairy industry reaching back to the 1890’s and can be recognized by their always-fun Clo billboards. Clover was the first dairy in the nation to earn American Humane Association certification for the care they give their cows.

EAST FROM THE COAST

Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers
6780 McKinley Street, Suite 110, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Ph: (707) 755-0130
http://www.wmcofieldcheese.com/

Keith Adams and Rob Hunter, college friends who reconnected, have started a new venture in the Sebastopol Barlow. Starting out with fresh curds, they soon will release their Stilton-style blue and a Clothbound Cheddar. Stop by their creamery and retail shop that carries not only their cheese, but the best of the local cheeses and other select favorites.

Matos Cheese Factory
3669 Llano Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
Ph: (707) 584-5283

Joe and Mary Matos grew up on the lush volcanic island of Sao Jorge in the Portuguese Azores. It happens to be an island that is noted for its delicious cheeses. When Joe and Mary relocated to Santa Rosa in the 1970s, they carried the recipe for their homeland’s native cheese with them. St. George — named for the island — is a full-flavored cow milk cheese with a cheddary depth and a rich texture.
Drive up the driveway of their farm to find their shop and aging room in the barn. If you don’t see anyone, ring the bell for attention.
They will cut a hunk of their famous St. George cheese for you to sample and then you can purchase.

Bohemian Creamery
7380 Occidental Road, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Ph: 707-293-3336
https://bohemiancreamery.com/

Bohemian Creamery is home to some of California’s most wildly individual cheeses, all hand-crafted in a tiny hilltop creamery that overlooks Mt. Saint Helena. The storefront and comfortable patio are openfor cheese samples, cheese plates, an ever-changing array of other dairy delicacies, and regular Saturday and Sunday tours.