Taste Your Way Along the West Coast’s Best Cheese Trails

I’m standing in the tasting room of Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, a farmstead creamery in Marin County, California, peering at a black-and-white photo depicting four generations of the Lafranchi family in their Sunday best. Pointing out his grandfather, his father, and an assortment of uncles, cousins, and siblings, cheesemaker Rick Lafranchi tells me the story of how a multigenerational pilgrimage to his grandfather’s home village in the Swiss-Italian Alps inspired the family’s transition from milk production to making cheese.

“Our relatives served us these traditional regional cheeses, and they were unlike anything we’d experienced before,” Lafranchi says. “We took some home with us and shared them around, and everyone who tried them thought they were pretty special.” 

Recruiting Swiss cheesemaker Maurizio Lorenzetti for authenticity, Rick and his brothers Scott and Randy began production in 2010. Two decades later, the display case before me reveals over a dozen fresh and aged cheeses, from creamy fromage blancs to brie-style cheeses with velvety rinds to dense and tangy Alpine classics. And the Lafranchis haven’t stopped innovating, as evidenced by a slew of first-, second-, and third-place awards displayed around the tasting room. “This one just won first place in the farmstead category,” notes Lafranchi, holding up a wedge of pungent Nicasio Square, a washed-rind cheese so creamy it practically spreads itself on my cracker.

Five minutes later, we’re standing atop a ridge looking down at a herd of black-and-white Holsteins, which cluster around the milking barn in the valley below. “We milk in the morning, and that milk is at the creamery and into production in less than four hours,” he says. “That freshness makes all the difference.”

My fiancé and I are at the start of a three-day road trip, barely an hour north of San Francisco, and already I’ve learned at least five things I didn’t know about cheese-making and another handful about the history of agriculture in West Marin and Sonoma County, a story in which generations of Italian, Swiss, and Portuguese immigrants play starring roles.

Our itinerary has been guided by the Cheese Trail, an online guidebook and print map designed by siblings Vivien Straus and Michael Straus, whose older brother Albert founded Straus Family Creamery—one of the first certified organic creameries in the United States. What started as a way to promote cheesemakers in California has expanded to include Oregon and Washington, with plans to go nationwide in the near future.

“There are some incredibly interesting and different cheeses that a lot of people probably have never tasted and that you’re not going to find in most grocery stores, so venturing out into these regions is the best way to discover them,” Vivien Straus says. “And cheese tasting makes for a great road trip because it sends you off the beaten path to drive down all these beautiful country roads you probably wouldn’t see otherwise.”

Visiting tasting rooms and farm stands often offers a chance to get up close to cows, goats, sheep, herding dogs, and other animals, she notes, which is particularly special in spring when calves, lambs, and baby goats are plentiful. “All the farms are a little bit different, and some have activities like cheese-making demonstrations or even milking—it’s just fun.”

California

Following Straus’ recommendations, we head northwest along Tomales Bay to Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Together with Cowgirl Creamery, it launched the modern Marin-Sonoma cheese movement 25 years ago when Bob and Dean Giacomini introduced Original Blue, the nose-tingling blue cheese that transformed salads in homes and Michelin-starred restaurants alike.

Still run by several of the Giacomini sisters, the ranch has become increasingly visitor friendly, starting with the airy, high-ceilinged marketplace, which stocks a wide range of regional products along with a case full of cheeses. Tastings are held on an expansive patio with sheltered dining nooks and spa-style cabanas that invite you to lie back, breathe deeply, and take your time over platters of cheese accompanied by charcuterie, salads, nuts, sauces, and other pairings. The atmosphere is convivial, and staff are eager to suggest additional stops for visitors wanting to experience all the coastal offerings.

“We’re all trying to get people to go to the next spot. We tell people, ‘Go try the oysters, go to The Marshall Store, go taste the cheese at other creameries,’” says marketing communications associate Leigh Gardner-Gmeiner. “It’s a very supportive community, and everyone wants visitors to experience it all.”

It’s all about the lambs and baby goats at Toluma Farms and Tomales Farmstead Creamery, where the monthly guided walking tour includes a visit to the barn and a tasting of soft, spreadable goat and sheep milk cheeses. For a very different kind of lodging option, the farm features a four-bedroom house available as a farm stay where guests can watch how the cheese gets made and assist in herding animals. (Warning: Your alarm clock may be a rooster.)

For the last tour and tasting of the day, we head to Achadinha Cheese Company in Petaluma, where owner and cheesemaker Donna Pacheco refers to the dairy’s cows as “the girls” and makes comments like, “it’s a question of terroir—it’s all about what the girls are eating.” Taking us through every step in the labor-intensive process, Pacheco demonstrates the dedication that goes into making the huge wheels of Portuguese-influenced Broncha and the cube-cut California Crazy Curds with names like Mellow Yellow and Herbie Curd, which she seasons with distinctive combinations of garlic, chile peppers, and herbs.

“It’s a very delicate process. I have to do the first 25 minutes of every batch myself,” she says, miming a stirring action over the vast curdling basin. “I just can’t let that part go.” Clearly enthusiastic about sharing her hard-won knowledge, Pacheco gives cheese-making lessons to pre-arranged groups.

After all that cheese excitement, the Lodge at Marconi offers an escape so serene that the biggest event of the night may be watching the fog thread its tendrils through the pines or listening to the haunting call of an owl in the branches overhead. Overlooking Tomales Bay and protected within a 62-acre state historic park, the property’s concrete structures—the remaining cement bases of former antenna towers—signal the site’s importance as one of the country’s earliest wireless telegraphic communications stations. It’s also echoed in the collection of antique radios and telegraph machines displayed in the lodge. 

Don’t miss watching the sunset over the bay from a cluster of Adirondack chairs positioned at the top of the hill or dining at Mable’s, the resort’s tree house–like restaurant, where options such as the daily fish stew, smoked-trout-and-potato dip, and fattoush salad seasoned with za’atar are standouts.

Oregon

The Willamette Valley may be best known for the wine-tasting rooms and vineyards that checkerboard its gently sloping hills, but the fertile land sheltered between Oregon’s Cascades and the Coast Range is also home to a smattering of creameries and cheesemakers introducing new traditions and offerings to the farm country bounty.

At Briar Rose Creamery, perched on a hillside overlooking both forests and vines, owner Sarah Marcus hands us a tray of cheese samples through the serving window of her covered and heated “cheese porch” farm store. Along with its thorough—and complimentary—tasting, Briar Rose sells accompaniments like locally produced salami, jam, and crackers. After making our selections, which included the soft and custardy Butterbloom with its delicate buttermilk flavor and the semi-firm Callisto, similar to fontina, we sit down to enjoy a picnic while gazing out over the valley’s patchwork of forests and vineyards.

Rousing ourselves for a post-lunch stroll, we head to the Guadalupe Loop Trail on the 1,300- acre grounds of Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey, which makes its network of tranquil hiking trails open to the public. The quiet, shaded hiking loop takes you through a lush Douglas fir forest, offering views of Mount Hood. 

From there, it’s on to Soter Vineyards for a tasting that’s as much an education in the biodynamic farming practices of the winery’s Mineral Springs Ranch as it is a chance to compare the redolent pinots and mineral-dry chardonnays on offer. Watching the sun glow gold over the budding vines from the winery’s hilltop patio, we toast the promising start to our trip before making the 15-minute drive to a sleek silver Airstream Overlander at The Vintages Trailer Resort, our home for the next two nights. 

Like the neighboring Spartan Manor, Westwood, and Vagabond, our home on wheels is painstakingly restored in retro-glam decor and fully outfitted with an outdoor grill, cruiser bikes, coffee, and hot chocolate. After a quick spin around the grounds and a simple homemade dinner of pasta and salad topped with Briar Rose’s feta-inspired Fata Morgana, we head to the festive firepit to make s’mores and swap tips and recommendations with an all-ages assortment of guests.

We embark the next day on a full cheese immersion, starting with a jaunt south to Salem to check out the Don Froylan Creamery, where Francisco Ochoa and family make traditional Mexican shredded and crumbled cheeses such as cotija, Oaxaca, and queso fresco. Named for their father, who envisioned the creamery but didn’t live to see it open, Don Froylan offers tastings and serves quesadillas with a salsa bar. 

Now heading northeast, we stop by the farm stand at Lady Lane Farm, where Garry and Lacey Hansen sell butter, milk, ice cream, and farmstead cheese under the Garry’s Meadow Fresh brand, all produced from their herd of 85 Jersey cows. The shop also stocks its own farm-raised eggs and beef as well as fresh roasted coffee.

We finish our day at TMK Creamery in Canby, known for its irreverent attitude, where the farm’s 40 Holsteins are referred to as “cowlebrities” and an on-site distillery produces a vodka-like spirit called “cowcohol,” offered in an ever-changing selection of cocktails. There’s even a beer on tap, Thirsty Heifers, brewed in partnership with nearby Oregon City Brewing Company.

“We use the whey from the cheese-making process, which is fermented and then distilled into a spirit,” says Todd Koch, who runs the farm with his brother Marc, wife Tessa, and sister Shauna Koch Garza. “And from the brewery, we get the spent grain and feed it to the cows.”

The farm stand’s food truck serves up fried curds, mac and cheese, and dishes made with Angus beef from the family’s own herd. After downing Angus steak quesadillas, we join the group gathered in the milking parlor for the creamery’s popular Milking with Marc experience, one of many hands-on activities the family offers.

“We wanted to create a platform where people can come and feel comfortable asking questions,” Todd Koch says. “Most people don’t have much experience being on a working farm, and it’s fun to watch people engage with the cows and see how everything works.”

Washington

You don’t have to venture far from Seattle to find yourself in Washington’s lush farm country. Our journey begins at Neighbor Lady Cheese in the eastern suburb of Renton, where Jan Addison shares her family’s cheese-making heritage in evening classes out of her creamery, open by appointment. Humor is a hallmark here with cheeses bearing monikers like Goooda, Black Jack, and Holy Cow. And you can’t miss the Neighbor Lady Cheese stall at the Maple Valley Farmers Market, where cheese is displayed in fuchsia, turquoise, tangerine, and lemon-yellow net bags. 

As you head southwest to Olympia, take a short detour to the historic former logging town of Buckley, where the Buckley Inn makes a perfect home base for your cheese trail journey. The 13-room, 1950s-era roadside motor lodge, painted a cheerful yellow, maintains its classic vibes while offering modern touches such as air conditioning and refrigerators. Nearby, Mount Rainier Creamery & Market sells milk, cream, half-and-half, and ice cream from its farm in Enumclaw. It is a great spot to pick up cheeses from area cheesemakers, including Fantello Farmstead Creamery, also in Enumclaw.

On the outskirts of Olympia, visit the weekend farm stand at Lost Peacock Creamery to cuddle goats and sample halloumi, semisoft Baby Golden Child, and three varieties of fresh goat cheese. Passionate about family farming, husband-and-wife owners Matthew Tuller and Rachael Taylor-Tuller also offer tours and cheese-making classes by prior arrangement.

It’s no wonder that the doe-eyed Guernsey cows at Domina Dairy and Creamery, just outside Napavine, look so healthy and well cared-for; co-owner and dairyman John Ahmann is the local bovine veterinarian. Their milk goes straight into co-owner Sheila Ahmann’s small-batch raw and pasteurized milk cheeses, which include a Gouda-style, cheddar, and a version of Tomme, all of them notable for their vivid golden color, which comes from Guernsey milk’s high vitamin A and beta-carotene content. One of the smallest licensed dairies in the state, the 31-acre farm is open to visitors by appointment only. Domina’s cheeses are also popular fixtures on Saturdays at the Olympia Farmers Market, which runs April through October.