06/2014
Angelika I still remember the time when getting edible cheese in the U.S. was almost impossible. Back in the 80ies, when we were travelling cross country, the only kind of cheese for sale in supermarkets was usually sliced and shrink-wrapped Velveeta-branded chemical cheese surrogate. A few times we found good cheese, but it was always imported from Italy, the Netherlands, or France, and only the most popular varieties like Gouda or Camembert were available. I kept asking myself why on earth a country with so many cattle farms can't get their act together to produce better cheese.

But of course this lack of interesting cheese offerings was mainly caused to consumer demand. Most people wanted cheese solely to be stacked onto cheeseburgers or sandwiches. This changed dramatically towards the end of the 90ies, when the American continent discovered that cheese goes really well as a snack with wine, and nowadays, hand-crafted cheeses have become quite popular in regions with high culinary standards, like York City, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, or Portland, where small cheese companies producing artisan cheeses are now booming.

In Marin and Sonoma county, north of Golden Gate Bridge, there's now a plethora of small cheese companies, which proudly produce artisan cheeses. Many outlets offer free tastings, similar to the vinyards in Napa and Sonoma county. When we were visiting Point Reyes the other day (see our oyster farm report: Rundbrief 06/2014), on our way home, we stopped in the small village of Nicasio. It's one of my favorite places, because it just seems like time has been standing still here, and I'm always fascinated that quiet places like this still exist not too far off from the hustle and bustle of the high-tech Bay Area. There's an organic cattle farm here which produces hand-crafted cheese, and they're called Nicasio Valley Cheese Company. They're using organic milk to make eight different cheeses. Since Michael and I prefer the strongly flavored varieties, our favorites are the "San Geronimo", which resembles Fontina and raclette cheeses, and the "Nicasio Square", which, according to the company's brochure, is similar to the Italian Taleggio. It's not surprising that these cattle farmers have discovered their passion for cheese: Their ancestors came over from Switzerland and bought land in Nicasio in 1919.

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	How To Surf
  	Surf Etiquette
  	Rustic Oyster Lunch at Point Reyes
  	The U.S. Tax Return
  	Top Products: Dryers for wetsuits and surf booties