SEPT. 30, 2019 • WINE SPECTATOR 39LE
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VINTNERS HAVE
LONG WELCOMED
VISITORS, AND
CHEESEMAKERS
ARE NOW
FOLLOWING SUIT.
Wisconsin’s Emmi RothWesley and Chloe Genovart of SoLo Farm & Table in Vermont California’s Point Reyes FarmsteadT
he best cheeses reflect the
character of their origins.
So it’s not surprising that
cheese country, like wine
country, is gaining desti-
nation appeal. Vintners
have long welcomed visitors with tasting
rooms and cellar tours, and cheesemakers
are now following suit, with creamery visi-
tors centers and sampling shops set against
pastoral landscapes where cows, goats and
sheep graze on green hillsides. The charm
is authentic and bucolic, less focused on
polished, programmed showcases and more on direct interac-
tion with the people, the process and even the animals.
Cheese is made in every state, but a few regions have estab-
lished themselves as quality leaders. We chose three destina-
tions with the highest concentration of great cheeses and enough
visitor-friendly venues to make a trip worthwhile. California’s
North Bay, central Wisconsin and Vermont all offer distinct plea-
sures, not the least being excellent cheese.Marin and Sonoma are just a short drive
from San Francisco but offer the open land
and sparse population required for agri-
culture. You could cover one region and be
back in town for dinner, but why skip a
chance to dine overlooking Tomales Bay?
Madison is the gateway to Wisconsin
cheese travel. The state capital and a major
university town, it has both quirky regional
character and sophistication. Drive about
30 minutes west, though, and you’ll find
picture-postcard rolling hills and farm af-
ter farm.
In Vermont, small towns are anchored by an old general store
and an older church steeple. Around every turn, a golden leaf,
dry-built stone wall or fork in the road evokes Robert Frost. And
as well as Vermonters preserve their past, they’re also at the cut-
ting edge of cheese production, marketing and sales.
If you have enjoyed traveling to wine country, we suggest you
give cheese exploration a try. After all, it’s just the other side of
a great match.