Taste Local Cheese & Tour an Artisan Creamery
There are so many amazing local cheese producers in Sonoma County, it would be difficult to choose a favorite. However, not all of our local artisan cheese producers offer tours or have a shop where you can buy their cheeses, directly (versus through an outside retailer). Bohemian Creamery in Sebastopol offers both tours as well as an on-site cheese shop and cafe.
If you are looking for a place to pick up some fresh, local Sonoma County cheese at reasonable prices (buying directly from the producer makes a difference), Bohemian Creamery is a great choice. Owner and cheesemaker, Lisa Gottreich, opened up the small store-front, just a mile from downtown Sebastopol (though it feels like it’s out in the country) in 2015, after over five years of making and selling cheeses, mostly to restaurants and catering companies. The opening of a retail shop has allowed Lisa to sell her cheeses directly to consumers at reasonable prices, which, being such a tiny operation, would be otherwise very difficult to do.
If you are planning to be in the area and have time for a tour, I highly recommend making a reservation for a tour at Bohemian Creamery. The creamery offers a unique opportunity to tour a small boutique creamery (and normally, your tour guide will be the owner/farmer/cheesemaker, Lisa) and learn something about how artisan sheep, goat, and cow’s milk cheeses are made.
The tour offers great insight into small scale artisan cheese-making (this is a much smaller facility than any other place that offers tours in Sonoma County) as well as a tasting of ten+ different cheeses (including cow, goat, sheep & water buffalo milk cheeses) so that you can decide which are your favorites before purchasing some to take home.
The cheese shop inside the creamery also offers grilled paninis, cheese and charcuterie plates, espresso beverages and goat’s milk fro-yo if you are hungry or want to grab something to enjoy on the outside patio tables, which overlook the Mayacamas.
Tours are offered Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm (reservations required) and cost $20/person. The shop and cafe are open Friday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.
Other suggestions for places to visit nearby:
Horse and Plow Winery
Enjoy phenomenal (and reasonably priced) wines and ciders, served in a chic ‘tasting barn’ on Horse and Plow’s farm property which features lovely gardens and orchards. On sunny days, enjoy your wine or cider outdoors and under the trees with a picnic (the winery allows guests to bring in outside food).
Golden State Cider
If you’re a fan of tasting local cider, don’t miss Golden State Cider’s new taproom, located in The Barlow in Sebastopol. *If you’d like to enjoy your cider alongside your lunch or some nibbles, you can order food to-go from one of Golden State’s neighboring eateries and enjoy it at the taproom.