Cheese
is the result of three important elements - the animal,
the terroir and the cheese making process. Each one
of these elements affects the style and quality of the
cheese, either together or individually. The biggest
influence on cheese is the animal from which the milk
is obtained. In Northern California, milk for cheese
making comes mostly from Holstein cows, with some Jersey
and Guernsey cows, East Fresian sheep and a wide variety
of goats.
Each
breed produces milk with its own special attributes.
Jersey milk, for example, is rich in butterfat and protein,
giving Jersey cheese a rich, buttery flavor and creamy
texture. Goat's milk cheeses, renowned for their tangy
flavor, are high in protein, calcium, phosphorus and
vitamins A and complex. Most cheeses bearing the 'Real
California Cheese Seal' do not contain lactose because
they are natural, not processed cheeses.
Terroir
is the French word, "soil", and is used in
the wine world to describe more so a 'sense of place',
or the magic that is created in the vineyard when all
of mother nature's elements work together to produce
quality grapes. In the cheese industry, terroir refers
to the geographical location of the farm, the topography
of the soil and the micro-climate, sun exposure, etc.
In Sonoma, for example, the moderate temperatures, grassy
pastures, and the ocean deanse breezes create an environment
in which cows, sheep and goats thrive. All these things
contribute to the quality, minerals and vitamins in
the grass and animal feed. The animals eat the grass,
which is then reflected in the quality and taste of
the milk. This quality and taste is eventually transferred
to the resulting cheese. In other words, there is a
direct link between the terroir and the flavor and quality
of the cheese.
In
California you will notice the terms, 'Artisant' and
'Farmstead' in the names of the cheese making companies.
Both indicate that the cheeses produced are of high
quality. Artisan generally means the cheeses are hand
made in small amounts and often produced in a traditional
way. Artisan cheese can be, but are not necessarily
made from milk obtained from the farm's own herd. A
Farmstead cheese, on the other hand, is an artisan cheese
made 'only' on the farm with milk from the herd located
on the farm. The qualities and flavors produced through
'terroir' can therefore be found in Farmstead cheese.
Located
on the outskirts of Petaluma in Sonoma County, Bellwether
Farms is renowned for their handmade, fresh and
aged sheep cheeses, all of which possess a distinctive
taste that comes from a combination of the type of animals
they raise, the terroir and their cheese making style.
The also produce cow's milk cheese from milk obtained
from a neighboring farm.
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Owned
and operated by Cindy Callahan, her son Liam and other
family members, the sheep farm officially opened in
1990. In 1994, Liam traveled to Italy to tour dairies
and learn about traditional Italian cheese making. On
this trip he discovered that, while many cheese makers
produced the traditional Italian Pecorino, all the cheeses
tasted differently. He realized that his own cheeses
would never be the same as those produced in Italy.
This was something he chose to embrace. His farm possessed
its own, unique terroir that would make HIS cheeses
distinctive.
"I
began to understand the relationship between the terroir'
and the cheese maker's style", says Liam. "Terroir
is the magic created when geography, climate, soil,
and animal feed work together to produce the quality
and taste of the milk. The cheese maker then LISCS this
milk to produce a cheese that reflects his/her personal
taste or 'style'."
