All Bleating Heart Cheeses

GOODBYE CHEESE LOVERS!

10 YEARS OF AWARD-WINNING CHEESES • 2009-2019

Bleating Heart Cheese enjoyed a decade of cheesemaking in California.

Our last remaining cheeses were sold in 2019.

It was our immense pleasure to share our handcrafted, award-winning

"American Original" cheeses with all those who supported us.

This site is no longer being updated,

but all content about our cheeses and our history will remain here.

PLEASE CONTINUE SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISAN CHEESEMAKERS

Mixtress

Mixed Milk

Raw Milk • Natural Rind • Aged 2-3 months

We are totally committed to our sheep milk cheeses here at Bleating Heart, but the sheep milk is seasonal, subjecting us to a long 6 month dry spell. Even when things get going again, it takes a while for the milk to really start flowing enough to meet our needs. So what’s an insatiable cheesemaker to do? We fulfilled our bawdy appetite by blending luscious jersey cow milk with the beloved sheep milk. This 50/50 sheep-cow blend left us feeling quite satisfied and we named our new creation: Mixtress.

Shepherdista

Sheep Milk

Raw Sheep Milk • Natural Rind • Aged 2-3 months

Created in 2011, "Shepherdista" is a play on the words 'shepherd' and 'fashionista' as inspired by cheesemaker Seana's commitment to infuse some style and flair into her new-found agricultural pursuits....silver farm boots? Damn right. Wearing lipgloss when hauling milk cans? Of course. Shepherdista is made exclusively from the milk of dairy sheep who live and graze freely on open pastures. The cheese is made by hand and then aged for at least 3 months on wood shelves. We let the rind develop naturally and spontaneously - it's molds gone wild.

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Where To Buy

Click on the Where to Buy menu link above to see where you might find Bleating Heart cheeses. Keep in mind that due to our small and seasonal production, the cheeses are not always available, so call ahead to see what's in stock! If you have any questions about buying Bleating Heart cheese, please use the contact form available under the contact menu link at the top of this page to get in touch with us. Feel free to contact one of our distributors directly if you wish to make a wholesale purchase. Our cheeses are sold and served at fine food purveyors and dining establishments, or may be shipped to you direct by contacting Cowgirl Creamery at (866) 433-7834

The Bleating Heart® Name

What's with the name Bleating Heart®? Well....cows moo, goats and sheep bleat. From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

bleat : to make the natural cry of a sheep or goat

Also, it is a play on the term "bleeding heart" which is defined as "a person who shows extravagant sympathy especially for an object of alleged persecution." We certainly have extravagant sympathy for American food artisans, with a special soft spot for cheesemakers and brewers, but mainly we just thought this name was funny.

Cheese Availability

Cheese availability is subject to change, and largely depends on how much milk we are able to get at what time of year, and how much space we have in our aging rooms. We make jersey cow milk cheeses year round but our production is small. Sheep milk is seasonal because dairy ewes only produce milk for about 6 months out of the year. This means our sheep cheeses are seasonal as well. They are typically available from late Spring through Fall. From time to time, we also make mixed milk cheeses, and water buffalo cheese when we can get the milk. As our cheeses come in and out of availability, we will show it on the cheese page. If you are looking to buy our cheese, click on the Where to Buy menu link above.