ARTISAN CHEESE TRAIL
Sonoma County’s prized wines need artisan cheese to show their best, and for that, you need look no further than the pastoral landscape west of Petaluma. The region remains a dairy farming paradise, with mild, marine-influenced weather, lush emerald green pastures and a culture of humane animal husbandry. All in all, a nice place to be a cow.
Most of the creameries that have sprouted in this bucolic setting don’t welcome visitors. Some are bootstrap ventures without the staff or space for guests, and all are rightly obsessed with sanitation. But a few do offer tours by appointment, making it possible to plot a delicious day trip devoted to cheese and a region where it’s produced from the ground up. Bring your appetite — and a cooler.