Marin Creameries

Monday September 1st | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (8 hrs)

Dairies, renowned creameries and a boutique winery. Hosted by Slow Food Marin and Taste of Marin (Marin Organic, The Marin Agricultural Institute and The Marin Agricultural Land Trust).

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General Itinerary

  • Marin Cheese Company – Visit the oldest cheese manufacturer in the country; makers of the famous Rouge et Noir cheeses.
  • Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese – Experience how the Italian heritage of blue cheese-making is translated into Californian.
  • Hog Island Oysters – Have lunch and learn about watershed protection while eating oysters and drinking wine (twist my art!)
  • Straus Family Creamery – See one of the best examples of a sustainably-run dairy operation.
  • Point Reyes Vineyard – Top off the day with some wine at one of the first wineries in Marin.

Cost: $139

For a longer, slower description, please read on:

Marin French Cheese Co., also known as The Cheese Factory and Rouge et Noir is the oldest cheese manufacturer in the country, Located north of San Francisco, Marin French has produced hand crafted Artisan soft ripened cheese since 1865. Rouge et Noir cheeses are similar to French and European varieties but reflect the characteristics of Northern California, producing its own regional style.

This serene Marin County facility makes World Champion soft ripened cheeses from goat and cow’s milk. These include Breakfast Cheese, Brie, Camembert, Triple Crème Bries and Blues, as well as Schloss and Schlosskranz, which is a close cousin to Liederkranz. All Artisanal cheeses are hand made with authentic old world European Cultures. Rouge et Noir brand cheeses have won top awards at the Sacramento State Fair, American Cheese Society Competitions as well as Gold medals at the World Cheese Awards. In the year 2005 the Triple Crème Brie beat the French in a world-renowned competition, which was written up in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times and Wine Spectator.

Your next stop will take you to Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese for a taste of a different type of cheese. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. makes artisan Blue Cheese. The Giacomini family commitment to producing superior quality, farmstead dairy products began over 100 years ago in the mountains of Italy. Today Bob Giacomini and his family continue the family tradition in Point Reyes Station CA. Bob began milking cows on his Point Reyes dairy in 1959. Family members will talk about their history and new cheese making operation.

After whetting your appetite with a little cheese, you will head to Hog Island Oyster Company on Tomales Bay for a gourmet lunch of local crab sandwiches and other “slow food” treats – enjoyed overlooking the waters of Tomales Bay. Lunch will be provided by Indian Peach Catering, of Marshall, whose proprietor has been long devoted to the celebration of local oysters.

Lunch will be followed by a tour of the Hog Island Oyster Farm and a tasting of their delicious oysters. Hog Island Oyster Company® is committed to raising the very best market-quality oysters and shellfish ~ for the love of oysters and the love of nature. Founded in 1983 by three marine biologists, Hog Island Oyster Company quickly became a bay area legend, producing some of the sweetest, most succulent oysters fresh from the waters of Tomales Bay. Premium oysters require clean, healthy waters and Hog Island co-owners John Finger and Terry Sawyer have dedicated their lives to improving and protecting the oysters they raise and the waters in which they are raised.

After lunch you visit the Straus Family Creamery. From the glass bottles to the methane digester to non-GMO certification, Albert and his family have pushed the limits on sustainability and farmland preservation. Albert Straus( Terra Madre delegate 2006 ) takes his parents’ life mission of caring for the earth through sustainable food production seriously. Albert has time and again proven himself an innovator in the world of sustainable food production. After converting his family dairy to organic, (the first one west of the Mississippi), he introduced reusable glass bottles which so far have prevented over 10 million pounds of waste from going into landfills. On top of that, in 2004, he installed a methane digester which converts byproducts of his herd’s manure to electricity. He now powers his creamery entirely from this extremely renewable resource. And as if that were not enough, he even fuels his electric car from cow manure!

You’ll wind down the day with a stop at Point Reyes Vineyard and Winery overlooking beautiful Tomales Bay. This small family owned winery is the only vineyard in Point Reyes. It produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes for award winning sparkling wine. In the 1990’s the Doughty family wished to diversify their 800 acre dairy operations in order to include their four children in the business. Today their diary has gone organic and their tasting room, which was the first to open in Marin since prohibition, offers samples and sales of their excellent wines including viognier, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and sparkling wines.