Artisanal cheese in California

The Los Angeles Times has a terrific, if long, piece on the rapidly expanding California cheese business.

Here's an excerpt:

The benchmark for California cheese is higher than ever in a market that finally has caught up with a few pioneers who were way ahead of the curve. Both the flavors and types of cheeses are constantly evolving.

From the highest end (an elegant triple crème made with cow's milk crème fraîche stirred into fresh goat's milk curds) to the more accessible (a creamy farmhouse sheep's milk cheese drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and cracked black pepper or a buttery, rich, handmade cheddar) — cheese-wise, probably no other state has as much to offer.

California now has the most artisan cheese producers in the country.

Click here for the full story (registration required to read it).