I like cheese. Scotch that, I love cheese. I’ve been on wine trails, hiking trails, even a bourbon trail, but nothing is quite as sensual as a cheese trail. Sonoma and West Marin Counties , north of San Francisco , are returning to their roots as dairies and creameries flourish with tours and tastings of artisanal cheeses from cows, sheep and goats with unique flavors and a definite sense of place.
Peta-Where?
Peta-Where?
The cheese trail is spread out (pun intended) covering nearly 30 dairies and creameries, so the easiest thing for cheese trail ingénues is to drive from Petaluma to Point Reyes which can be easily accomplished in a weekend.
At the Weirauch Dairy |
Jana McClelland milks a cow...wow! |
The cool Metro Hotel in Petaluma |
While in Petaluma , a surprisingly pretty Victorian town, there are plenty of restaurants, art galleries and antique shops, and the Metro Hotel is a cool place to hang for the night. The building was part of an old estate, formerly the maid’s quarters. The Metro is funky, colorful and off-beat with a decidedly Parisian theme. Rooms have claw foot tubs, hardwood floors, free wireless and it’s within walking distance to downtown. There’s a small continental breakfast every morning which can be enjoyed inside, or on the side garden patio. Or visit Della Fattoria, the best known bakery just up the street with fresh baked breads, scones, croissants, and they use McClelland’s butter in their pastries.
A multitude of cheese at Cowgirl Creamery |
The drive to Point Reyes from Petaluma is less than 30 minutes. Once there Cowgirl Creamery is one of the well-known cheese makers in the region and they are distributed nationwide. Their creamery is the de facto stop for not only sampling Cowgirl cheeses but other locally made cheeses. They also have a cantina on site making sandwiches and salads using their cheese. True to their original vision of supporting local dairies and creameries, you’ll also find organic ice cream from dairies like Strauss. Cowgirl sources their milk (they don’t own cows) from local farmers who produce organic milk, in which to make organic cheese, of which their Red Hawk truly represents a specific sense of place, since it’s only made in Point Reyes due to the large concentration of a specific bacteria in town. There’s a large window to watch the cheese making, frankly a rather dull process since milk is poured into stainless steel vat and it churns away.
Getting Point Reyes cheese ready for shipping |
Street grilled oysters from Tomales Bay |
EAT & TOUR
Weirauch Farm & Creamery (http://www.weirauchfarm.com/)
McClelland’s Dairy (http://www.mcclellandsdairy.com/)
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company (http://www.pointreyescheese.com/)
Cowgirl Creamery (http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/)
STAY
Metro Hotel (http://www.metrolodging.com/)
Point Reyes Vineyard Inn (http://www.ptreyesvineyardinn.com/)
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