Where to Go if You’re a Cheese Lover

Will travel for cheese! Like wine and chocolate, I’m always amazed at how much goes into creating all the varieties of cheese we come across in our day to day lives. There’s so much history and tradition behind each variety, it makes planning a cheese-themed trip all the more fun! Below is a list of places any cheese aficionado would love to experience.  

A Cheese Lover Bucket List

Québec Province, Canada

Considering its French origins, I’m not surprised Québec is home to over 500 varieties of cheese! The practice goes back to 1608 when Samuel de Champlain brought cows over from Normandy. You can create a whole itinerary around visiting all the different Québécois formageries! I’d start off in Québec City with a visit to Les Fromages de l’isle d’Orléans. There you can see where the very first cheese was made in both North and South America. Then check out the Eastern Townships’ Cheesemakers Circuit. Wherever you go, don’t forget to try cheese out in the most Canadian way possible – as curds on poutine!

Wisconsin

Any football fan immediately associates the Packers with the famous cheeseheads and for good reason – cheese is a serious business in Wisconsin! It’s the largest cheese-producing state in the country, accounting for over a quarter of all of our cheese production!! The history goes back to the 1800s when European immigrants settled in the territory and began building up dairy farms. It was Anne Pickett who officially established the first commercial cheese factory in 1841. For reference, today there’s around 1,500 factories producing 600 different kinds of cheese.

As a result, there are so many cheese-themed ways you can explore. If you’re in Madison, check out Fromagination for their artisan cheese. You can even take a class like how to put together the perfect cheeseboard. Outside of the city, look into doing a wine and cheese trail in Green Country or, if you visit in August, join the Tour de Cheese Bike Ride! You can also check out the Cheese Curd Festival in Ellsworth, and in Reeseville, Specialty Cheese Company is made of five old cheese factories that date back to the 1860s. Meanwhile, in Weyauwega, you can learn how Weyauwega Star Dairy made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest ever string cheese! Check here for two different itineraries depending on which part of the state you’re in.

Emilia-Romagna, Italy

No cheese lover can miss out on the Italian region Emilia-Romagna! As a whole, cheese in Italy has a very long history going back to the Middle Ages and many cheeses can only be made in specific destinations. Italy calls it DOP or PDO (destination of origin), and Emilia-Romagna has six of them: parmigiano-reggiano, provolone valpadana, grana padano, squacquerone di romagna, formaggio di fossa di sogliano, and casciotta d’urbino. The key when planning your trip is to look for caseificios, or dairies and cheese factories. If you’re in Modena, take a tour of Caseificio Castelnovese to see their cathedral, aka the room where they store 77,000 wheels of parmigiano reggiano!!

Normandy, France

France is another country where cheese reigns supreme. Records show cheesemaking goes back to the Roman Empire (when France was part of what was known as Roman Gaul), and today there are over a thousand varieties of cheese. Like Italy with its DOP, they have appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC/AOP), and currently 363 types of cheese have that designation. As a fan of camembert, I’d recommend centering your trip around Normandy, France. The region is also known for livarot, pont-l’evêque and neufchâte cheeses. All four come from the villages they originated from, making the perfect cheese route. Start off at Maison du Camembert, a museum dedicated to the cheese and then map out your trip from there.

Sonoma County, California

According to legend, cheese in California can be traced to pioneer Clara Steele in the 1800s when she began making cheese using wild cattle milk and her English grandmother’s recipe. And, of course, we have David Jacks in Central California to thank for Monterey Jack!

If I were to narrow your cheese-themed trip down to one area, though, I’d recommend going to beautiful Sonoma County. Most people think of it as wine country, but it also has a healthy artisan cheese industry and even hosts the California Artisan Cheese Festival every year. Follow their cheese trail for places like Achadinha Cheese Company, which specializes in farmstead cheese. This means they make the cheese (by hand!) on the same property where they raise their cows. The beauty is that they work with their cows’ natural cycles so their cheese differs every season based on the weather and what the cows are eating.

Vermont

Vermont may be one of the smallest states in the US, but it packs a punch when it comes to cheese production. Cheesemaking here goes back to the early 1800s, and in the mid-1800s, you could find cheese co-ops. Today it’s home to around 600 dairy farms and produces 150 types of cheese. Follow their cheese trail and plan your visit in September during the Vermont Cheese Week. If you’re not sure where to start, Crowley Cheese is one of the oldest farms in Vermont.

The Swiss Alps

As if anyone needs much of a reason to visit the Swiss Alps! Alpine cheese as a whole goes back to Roman times, and “Swiss cheese” was first mentioned by Pliny The Elder in the 1st Century. These days, cheese is part of Switzerland’s national identity and nearly all cow’s milk here goes towards cheesemaking. Because you’re in the Alps, one of the best ways to plan your trip is to hike or bike between cheese stops. There are different trails depending on which region you’re in. For example, in the canton of Bern, you can follow the Emmental Cheese Route via e-bike. And while in Bern, you can also stop by Gstaad for Molkerei Gstaad’s cheese grotto!

P.S. If a trip to Switzerland sounds like a lot, check out Traverse City, Michigan. Leelanau Cheese specializes in raclette cheese.

Cheese Valley, Netherlands

What a gouda way to end this list with none other than Gouda, Netherlands! Fun fact: this popular yellow cheese isn’t actually made in Gouda. It was only named after the city because Gouda had the sole feudal rights in Holland to trade cheese. Instead you’ll want to also plan a visit to what’s known as Cheese Valley. Start in Gouda with the Cheese Experience and if you’re in town on a Thursday, check out the Cheese Market at, well, the Markt square. Then plan to get out to Cheese Valley and follow one of these fun routes!

And there you have it! Some brie-lliant destinations any cheese lover would enjoy. Any I’m missing? Let me know below!