The North Bay is known world-wide for the first-class wines produced here. A natural pairing for wine is cheese, so it’s no wonder we are also home to several fantastic cheese-makers who have a strong local following, in addition to having gained national recognition and accolades. The Marin and Sonoma landscapes are conducive to all types of cheese-making, which allows for the production of such varieties as Cowgirl Creamery’s triple cream sunset-tinted Red Hawk, which harkens the essence of West Marin, to Vella Cheese’s Dry Monterey Jack, aged 7-10 months longer than your traditional Jack for a sweet nutty flavor, to Marin French Cheese Co.’s melt-in-your-mouth Rouge et Noir Triple Crème Brie, which was the first American cheese to beat the French in an international competition for brie cheese.
Much like with wine, the soil, raw materials and the climate add to the unique regional flavors. Local, independent producers take cheese-making to new heights and these artisans have perfected their craft while taking great care of the area, the environment and the materials used, following the cheese from pasture to the market, to create distinctive cheeses that are delicious and full of flavor.
Whatever you crave – a creamy Camembert, luxurious triple cream, bold blue, sharp cheddar or a tawny schloss – here’s where to find the best of the best. Most of these gems can be purchased directly online or found at local farmers’ markets and specialty stores, including Whole Foods, Dean and Deluca, Oakville Grocery and The Cheese Shoppe in Healdsburg.
Achadinha Cheese Company (Petaluma): Established in 1955 in Bodega Bay before relocating to Petaluma, this family-run goat cheese company supports 1600 goats on 290-acres.
Andante Dairy (Petaluma): Established in 1999 by Soyoung Scanlan, a former biochemist and dairy scientist, Andante uses 100% Jersey cow’s milk, pasteurized goat’s milk from the ranch where the dairy plant is located, and mixed milk to produce the delicious cheeses which are all named after musical terms such as Picolo (a nutty flavored soft-ripened triple-cream cheese) and Nocturne (a slightly tart soft-ripened cheese that takes on a mushroomy flavor as it ages).
Bellwether Farms (Sonoma County): This year alone Bellwether Farms has won six awards for their products, from their crème fraiche to their Blueberry Sheep Milk Yogurt. (Still not sure what to do with crème fraiche? Check the recipe section of their website.) Their cheeses are used by many of the finest restaurants across the country and have been featured in The New York Times, Martha Stewart, Fine Cooking and other gourmet food magazines.
Bodega Artisan Cheese (Bodega Bay): Another family farm, Bodega Goat Ranch has been producing handcrafted cheeses in small batches for over 25 years. Bodega Artisan Cheeses include three fresh pasteurized cheeses (Fresco, Crema, and Country Cottage), two aged cheeses – one a Goat Manchego – and a dessert-style cheese.
Cowgirl Creamery (Pt. Reyes): Opened in an old converted barn in Pt. Reyes Station in 1997 by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, with milk from nearby Straus Family Creamery, Cowgirl Creamery now has shops in Point Reyes, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and facilities in Pt. Reyes and Petaluma that you can tour to learn about the cheese-making process. You can even take classes at the Pt. Reyes location.
Marin French Cheese Co. (Novato): Perhaps the gold standard of cheese-making in the area, Marin French Cheese Co, also known as The Cheese Factory and Rouge et Noir, is the oldest cheese manufacturer in the North Bay – and the country – producing hand-crafted cheeses since 1865. Exquisite, award-winning varieties include classic Brie, Camembert, breakfast cheese and an artisan series. Equally compelling are the company grounds, which are popular with picnickers, hikers and cyclists.
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company (Pt. Reyes): Grade A raw-milk blue cheese made from a closed herd of Holstein cows that graze on the certified organic, green pastured hills overlooking Tomales Bay, and influenced by the coastal fog and the salty Pacific breezes.
Redwood Hill Farm (Sebastopol): A sustainable goat dairy farm located among the redwoods in Sebastopol since 1968, Redwood Hill is committed to making the least processed artisan goat milk cheeses. Varieties include Chèvre, raw milk feta, Bucheret, and goat milk cheddars. They also produce goat milk yogurt and kefir.
Spring Hill Jersey Cheese (Petaluma): Known by locals as “The Creamery,” this local institution has been an integral part of the farming tradition in the Sonoma County area since its foundation in 1913 and produces cheddar, Jack, curds and specialty cheeses.
Vella Cheese Company (Sonoma): Makers of handmade and sustainably produced Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Asiago cheeses and known for their carefully aged and nurtured Dry Jack. Their historic Sonoma location (a stone-walled building from 1904) is open to visitors.
Additional Resources for Cheese Lovers:
The Cheese School of San Francisco – The only independent institution of its kind in the nation dedicated entirely to helping people maximize their enjoyment and appreciation of cheese.
California’s Artisan Cheese Festival – Held annually in Petaluma, this event features farmstead artisans who hand-craft small batches of cheese and support local agriculture and sustainable practices.
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Posted by: 
Frank Howard Allen Realtors
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