Explore the California Cheese Trail in Marin, Sonoma
A one-of-a-kind experience with unique gifts to match
Renowned for its artisanal cheese production, Marin County is home to a unique experience that promises to delight cheese enthusiasts and culinary explorers alike – the California Cheese Trail. This trail offers a unique opportunity to explore local creameries, sample an array of award-winning cheeses and source one-of-a-kind gifts for the holiday season.
Launched in 2010, the California Cheese Trail features more than 75 cheesemakers with nearly 20 locations in Marin and Sonoma counties. From classic bries and cheddars to varieties crafted from goat, sheep and buffalo milk, the trail offers a fromage to suit everyone’s tastes. An interactive map at cheesetrail.org provides details about each cheesemaker, including their operating hours.
Support artisan cheesemakers
The concept for the trail originated with Marin native Vivien Straus, who grew up on a farm and is passionate about supporting independent farmers. She currently manages the Straus Home Ranch in Tomales Bay, a hotspot for private events and farm stays that happens to be her childhood home.
“Cheesemaking is an art form and we are so lucky to have these fabulous cheeses right in our backyard,” Straus said. “Trying our local cheeses and visiting the farms is a fun adventure everyone should take.”
This holiday season, the California Cheese Trail is launching a special digital gift card that can be redeemed at participating businesses statewide that support artisan cheesemakers. The gift cards are also redeemable for classes, tours, wines and restaurant meals.
Shop gourmet gifts
First-time trail visitors may wish to begin their journey with a visit to the storied Marin French Cheese Co. in West Marin, which boasts being the nation’s oldest cheese company. Founded in 1865, the creamery uses milk from nearby dairies to produce more than a dozen cheeses.
The creamery features 700 acres of picturesque picnic grounds and a cheese shop that includes a café and daily cheese-tastings. Kelly Levin, the company’s marketing communications manager, said it’s the ideal stop for food lovers in search of gifts.
“We have locally-made wooden cutting boards, jams, honey, artisan chocolates, olive oils and tapenades,” Levin said. “You can make your own gift box to give to someone, order a premade one online or we can create custom baskets in store while you taste our cheeses.”
Taste the history
In addition to savoring delectable cheeses, the trail provides a fascinating peek into each cheesemaker’s unique process, traditions and history. Some even offer a behind-the-scenes tour of their dairy operations.
One such business is the Nicasio Valley Cheese Co. established in 2010 by the Lafranchi family. They offer nine different cheeses inspired by their Italian-Swiss heritage. Cheeses are made from certified organic milk sourced from the more than 450 cows on the 1,150-acre Lafranchi Ranch in Nicasio. The 104-year-old ranch has a vibrant history.
“When people come to visit us for one of our special guided cheese tastings, we talk about our family’s history starting with my great-grandfather. We also take people to the ranch to learn about the dairy operation and then our head cheesemaker guides them
through a sampling of our cheeses,” said Rick Lafranchi, who oversees the ranch’s sales and marketing.
Visitors can purchase individual cheeses, select from curated sets or make their own custom gift boxes, which can be shipped nationwide along with holiday greetings.
Meet the herd
Moving northwest along the trail to Tomales, the Toluma Farms and Tomales Farmstead Creamery offers cheese tasting and farm tour events where visitors can interact with the farm’s herd of 80 sheep and 200 goats. Launched a decade after the 160-acre Toluma
Farms property was established in 2003, the Tomales Farmstead Creamery crafts eight seasonal cheeses made from fresh sheep and goat milk.
Tamara Hicks, farm and creamery coowner, enjoys teaching visitors how to build beautiful cheeseboards and introducing them to her animals.
“People are just amazed at how sweet the goats are. We’ve had numerous occasions of someone holding a baby goat for the first time and crying,” Hicks said. “The joy people get from the experience is infectious.”
Hicks and her team relaunched their cheesemaking classes this fall, which had been on hiatus due to the pandemic. Gift certificates for classes and tasting tours are available.
By supporting local creameries this holiday season, Straus said visitors contribute to the sustainability of a way of life that is deeply rooted in the history and culture of Marin County.
“Every one of these farms is doing something different and creative. It puts a smile on my face every time I visit them,” Straus said.