REAL CALIFORNIA CHEESES
California has been producing cheese for as long as it’s been making wine — more than 200 years. Today over 50 cheesemakers are producing more than 250 varieties and styles of cow’s milk cheeses that carry the Real California Milk seal. Many of these cheeses have won awards here in the United States as well as abroad.
California’s dairy farm families and cheesemakers are proud to partner with European Imports. The Real California Milk seal is a symbol that resonates with customers who are interested in where their food is sourced. Chefs nationwide can trust in Real California dairy products because of the state’s commitment to sustainably sourcing real milk from family dairy farms that helps produce premium foodservice ingredients.
BELLWETHER FARMS
Established 1997
Founded in 1986 in Sonoma County, family-owned and operated Bellwether Farms lovingly crafts their cow’s milk dairy products using whole, full-fat milk. With a fervent commitment to traditional, artisanal techniques, Bellwether Farms’ small-batch cheeses and yogurts are found in the finest establishments nationwide and have won dozens of awards.
Products
BELLWETHER CARMODY
CASE: 1/4#
This small wheel of cheese is an original creation made at Bellwether Farms in California. It is young cheese, mild in flavor, that reminds one of both Gouda and Cheddar. Named for the road to the dairy.
BELLWETHER CARMODY WEDGE
CASE: 15/7Z
This small wheel of cheese is an original creation made at Bellwether Farms in California. It is young cheese, mild in flavor, that reminding one of Cheddar and Gouda, named for the road to the dairy.
BELLWETHER CREME FRAICHE
CASE: 2/32Z
Our award-winning French-style cultured cream is fully cultured for a rich, nutty flavor with an appealing tart finish.
BELLWETHER CRESCENZA (WHOLE)
CASE: 1/3#
This square shaped wheel was developed from the Italian original, a rindless soft ripened cheese. The soft texture has a creamy mouth feel with tartness and buttery qualities.
BELLWETHER FROMAGE BLANC
CASE: 2/30Z
This fresh cheese is made from whole Jersey milk, a classic ingredient for recipes. Use to replace cream cheese. This farmer’s cheese is made at Bellwether Farms in northern California.
BELLWETHER RICOTTA WM BASKET
CASE: 6/12Z
Never mushy or grainy, this cheese is treated with care by hand ladling the curd into every basket to drain naturally.
BELLWETHER RICOTTA, WHOLE MILK
CASE: 2/3.5#
Bellwether Ricotta is basket drained, never pumped and scooped straight from the vat. Bellwether Farms has made fresh Ricotta for the finest restaurants in the country for over 20 years!
Sample Dishes
CENTRAL COAST CREAMERY
Established 2012
Located in Paso Robles near the burgeoning wine region and the developing craft beer, artisan distilleries and fine food industries that define the area as a destination for food lovers, Central Coast Creamery produces a variety of specialty cheeses. Central Coast Creamery focuses on making small, handcrafted batches of cheese using 500 gallons or less of quality Real California milk that is free of artificial hormones and sourced from local dairies.
Products
CENTRAL COAST FAULTLINE
CASE: 1/10#
A hand-crafted artisan cheese from whole cow’s milk, made in an alpine tradition, yet creamy. The flavor is sweet, cokplex and earthy, a richness that shows in the slightly yellow interior.
CENTRAL COAST HOLEY COW
CASE: 1/10#
A hand-crafted artisan cheese made from whole cow’s milk. This semi-soft cheese is filled with small round openings characteristic of a swiss cheese nit with a smooth, creamy and sweet buttery finish.
Sample Dishes
COWGIRL CREAMERY
Established 1994
Founded over 25 years ago to celebrate organic practices and spotlight the craftsmanship of local sustainable agriculture in Sonoma counties, Cowgirl Creamery makes delicious, award-winning cheeses. Their unique offerings include an assortment of fresh and aged cheeses with their distinctly seasonal ingredients and their most popular item – triple cream Mt. Tam.
Products
COWGIRL DEVIL’S GULCH
CASE: 6/7Z
Made with organic, locally sourced milk, Devil’s Gulch is a luscious triple cream name after the narrow ravine carved along the base of Mt. Barnabe in West Marin. Fiery kick comes from pepper flakes!
COWGIRL HOP ALONG WHEEL
CASE: 1/5#
A snackable organic cheese udner the influence of hard cider, Hop Along is crafted into wheels at our Petaluma Creamery. After 45 days, this washed rind develops aromas of apple and brioche.
COWGIRL MT TAM
CASE: 12/7Z
American original, triple cream with luscious buttery texture with a unique heart that upholds texture. Named for Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, this bloomy cheese sets the standard for luxury.
COWGIRL PIERCE POINT
CASE: 6/7Z
Named for a ranch on the Pt. Reyes National Seashore, this luscious triple cream starst with organic, locally sourced milk. Each round is rich with aroma from pastures, accentuated herbs and edible flowers.
COWGIRL REDHAWK
CASE: 6/7ZRW
Named for the majestic local red-tailed hawk that flies of Marin, Redhawk is a washed rind triple cream. Bold character, meaty flavor with notes of wild sage and a kiss of ocean air.
COWGIRL WAGON WHEEL
CASE: 1/15#
Experience the liquid gold rush from the hills of San Francisco with Wagon Wheel, a versatile, snackable cheese at its glory when melted down and forged into your favorite meal.
Sample Dishes
FISCALINI CHEESE COMPANY
Established 1914
The Fiscalini family traces their roots to Switzerland, coming to America in the late 1800s. Today they make award- winning farmstead cheeses with milk from their 100-year old family farm. Through their on-farm methane digester, they are able to power their entire operation and provide power to over 300 homes nearby. Fiscalini’s unique Cheddars include old-world techniques and unique flavor combinations, while their Italian-style offerings are cheeseboard staples.
Products
FISCALINI CRAFT BEER CHEDDAR
CASE: 1/5#
Our Craft Beer Cheddar is infused with Imperial Stout, is semi-firm and has a faint marbled coloring with a rich malty rich flavor.
FISCALINI CRAFT BEER CHEDDAR EW
CASE: 8/6Z
Our Craft Beer Cheddar is infused with Imperial Stout, is semi-hard, has a faint marbled coloring and malty rich flavor.
FISCALINI FARMHOUSE CHEDDAR
CASE: 1/5#
Our Farmhouse Cheddar is a classic, it has a delicate mild buttery flavor, is semi-hard, smooth and creamy.
FISCALINI OLD WORLD CHEDDAR FORMERLY BANDAGE WRAPPED
CASE: 1/7#
Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar has been distinguished as the World’s Best Cheddar at the World Cheese Awards in London three times, and remains the only American Cheddar to win the award.
FISCALINI PURPLE MOON
CASE: 8/6Z
Farmhouse cheddar made on the family farm in Modesto which has been soaked in red wine, which gives it the distinct purple color.
FISCALINI SAN JOAQUIN GOLD 1/4
CASE: 1/7#
Rustic wheels of raw milk cheese produced on the Fiscalini farm. Mario Gonzales developed this cheese accidentally! Hard and granular, it has perfect sweetness and nutty flavor.
FISCALINI SMOKED CHEDDAR
CASE: 1/5#
Naturally smoked with apple, cherry and hickory wood chips, this handcrafted cheddar is made on the farm in California.
FISCALINI TRUFFLE CHEDDAR
CASE: 1/5#
Our Truffle Cheddar is a delicacy, it is semi-hard with an earthy bold flavor and has a black speckled coloring.
FISCALINI TRUFFLE CHEDDAR EW
CASE: 8/6Z
Our Truffle Cheddar is delicious, its semi-hard with an earthy bold flavor and has a black speckled coloring of truffles.
Sample Dishes
KENDALL FARMS
Established 1987
Kendall Farms crème fraîche is made from the cream of Holstein cows. It is one of the few American versions that remain faithful to the French original, made from cultured cream without added enzymes or thickeners.
Products
KENDALL CREME FRAICHE 32 OZ
CASE: 6/32Z
Creme fraiche is a thick spreadable cow’s milk cheese ideal for use in sauces or add a dab to a blini and caviar.
KENDALL CREME FRAICHE 7.5 OZ
CASE: 12/7.5Z
This truly French-style Creme Fraiche was developed by Sadie Kendall in California. It is very smooth and silky on the palate, nutty, fresh with a clean finish. Try on Blini with caviar and Champagne!
Sample Dishes
MARIN FRENCH CHEESE COMPANY
Established 1865
As the longest continuously-operating cheese company in America, Marin French Cheese has been handcrafting traditional and original soft-ripened cheeses for over 150 years. Marin French Cheese has grown into an internationally respected cheesemaker. Their cheeses have been honored with numerous national and international awards over the years.
Products
MARIN BRIE TRADITIONAL
CASE: 6/8Z
Marin French Cheese is an award winning producer of soft ripened cheese in California. Their Brie is very traditional French in style, made in small batches and ripened both internally & externally
MARIN PETITE BREAKFAST CHEESE
CASE: 6/4Z
This is a triple-creme fresh (unripened) Brie with a buttery yet tangy flavor.
MARIN TRIPLE CREME BRIE
CASE: 6/8Z
Marin French Cheese Co. has been making soft ripened cheeses for over 100 years, this Triple Cream Brie has won awards even in France! Mild and buttery, the cheese is elegant and ripens perfectly.
MARIN TRIPLE CREME TRUFFLE BRIE
CASE: 6/15-17Z
This cheese has a rich buttery taste, with earthy tones from the truffles. The truffles are from Urbani in Italy; summer black truffles. Creamy, light yellow, with black flecks of truffle.
Sample Dishes
POINT REYES FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
Established 2000
Point Reyes first debuted their farmstead Original Blue in 2000 and have since expanded their portfolio to include pasteurized varieties like Toma, Bay Blue and Gouda. These varieties are handcrafted in Petaluma, where they source milk from neighbors who share the same sustainable farming philosophies and match Point Reyes’ high standards for milk quality.
Products
POINT REYES BAY BLUE WHEEL
CASE: 1/6#
With its beautiful, natural rind, Bay Blue has deep earthy flavors, a fudgey texture and a sweet, salted caramel finish.
POINT REYES BLUE WEDGES EW 6Z ORIGINAL
CASE: 16/6Z
Individual foil wrapped wedges of the Original Blue from the coastal farm of Point Reyes Farmstead of California. Made only from the raw milk of their closed herd of Holstein cows.
POINT REYES CRUMBLES, BLUE
CASE: 2/5#
Crumbled blue from the Point Reyes Farmstead in California, made from raw milk from their closed herd of Holstein cows.
POINT REYES ORIGINAL BLUE
CASE: 1/6.5#
Beautiful wheel of raw milk cheese made on the Giacomini family farm just north of San Francisco from their herd of Holsteins. This potent and tangy blue is great in a salad, with steak or just on its own.
POINT REYES TOMA
CASE: 1/10#
Anytime, any table, try some of the best farmstead cheese around (incidentally, in Italian, toma means cheese made by the farmer himself).
POINT REYES TOMA TRUFFLE WHEEL
CASE: 1/10#
Toma Truffle is the perfect combination of classic Toma paired with the aromatic flavors of Italian black truffles from Umbria. Toma is a buttery rich cheese that marries the earthy goodness of truffles!
Sample Dishes
SIERRA NEVADA GINA MARIE FARMERS CHEESE
Established 1997
Sierra Nevada Gina Marie Farmers Cheese is a fresh, Russian-style cheese that can be used as a filling for blintzes, lasagna, or filled pasta. Make a cheesecake or other baked desserts, spread on toast or bagels.
Products
SIERRA GINA MARIE FARMERS CHEESE
CASE: 10/1#
Fresh and wonderful cultured Farmers Cheese, made in a Russian-style and ideal for baking or as a lighter side replacement for cream cheese. Use for pasta, blintzes and cakes, as well as a topping!
Sample Dishes
SIERRA NEVADA CHEESE COMPANY
Established 1997
Sierra Nevada Cheese Company’s award-winning cheeses are hand-crafted in micro-batches with grass-fed, non-GMO, and Real California organic milk. The hallmarks of their authentic artisan creamery are: Community, wholesome ingredients, dedication, and handcrafted foods. Their products can be found under both Sierra Nevada and Gina Marie labels along with the Graziers designation.
Products
SIERRA CREAM CHEESE SINGLES
CASE: 30/2Z
Handcrafted with three simple ingredients: cultured milk, cream and sea salt. This product is made by draining in a muslin cloth for 3 days. Melt in your mouth, no gums or stickiness. Old fashioned!
SIERRA CREAM CHEESE SPREAD
CASE: 12/8Z
Made the old-fashioned way with just milk, cream and sea salt, this delicious cream cheese has no stabilziers or gums, you will taste and feel the difference as it melts in your mouth.
SIERRA HATCH CHILE JACK
CASE: 2/5#
Our Sierra Jack Hatch Chile is handmade by our cheesemaker in small micro batches with milk from local, family-owned dairy farms. It has a smooth creamy texture with New Mexico Green Hatch Chile peppers!
SIERRA ORGANIC SALTED BUTTER
CASE: 12/8Z
Made in California this salted organic butter is made from high butterfat and vat cultured to give added richness and flavor.
SIERRA ORGANIC UNSALTED BUTTER
CASE: 12/8Z
Made in California this unslated organic butter is vat cultured to give it extraordinary flavor and richness.
SIERRA TRUFFLE JACK WHEEL
CASE: 1/6#
Truffle Jack is a smooth and cream jack cheese with a perfect balance of aromatic Italian truffles and portabella mushrooms creating additional umami flavor.
Sample Dishes
VELLA CHEESE COMPANY
Established 1931
Since 1931, Vella Cheese has been a companion to the finest foods in the world. As an ingredient, sprinkled on top, or served alongside the full fresh flavor and smooth creamy texture of Vella Cheese is guaranteed to satisfy.
The success of Vella Cheese lies in the personal attention each day’s production is given. Quality starts in the pasture. Every cow is not the same. Every day is not sunny; every blade of grass is not green and lush. But, if you insist on the finest breeding of herds, the finest feeds, the greatest care in milking and transporting the top grade milk, so that you have the best possible natural raw material, you have set the stage for super cheese.
Products
VELLA DRY JACK AGED 7 MONTHS
CASE: 1/8#
Hand crafted wheel of Jack cheese aged a minimum of seven months to have a dry texture similar to Parmesan. Rubbed with cocoa powder and pepper.
Sample Dishes
VINTAGE CHEESE COMPANY
Established 2011
Vintage Cheese specializes in open-vat, hand-crafted artisanal cheeses made using century-old recipes, perfected with time and their unbeatable slow-pasteurization process. Believing that the very best flavor is achieved with their skilled handiwork and old world farmstead style practices, Vintage Cheese uses California milk from local dairies, and good old-fashioned waiting to create cheeses with complex flavor and textural characteristics.
Products
VINTAGE CHEDDAR, CHIPOTLE
CASE: 2/5#
This raw milk cheddar made by Vintage Cheese is mottled with colorful chipotle peppers. The delicious cheddar is complimented by the smokey, light fiery flavor of the chipotles. Great w/beer and tequila.
Sample Dishes
