The Travels

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This site is no longer being updated,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

Corsica 2011

Our big trip in the Spring of 2011 was spending two weeks on the amazing and beautiful island of Corsica, where most of the cheese is made from sheep milk, along with some goat too (no cows there). We were just blown away by the dedication to local products in every shop and store we visited, even supermarkets, which all had completely dedicated sections for Corsican cheeses. In Corsica they have their own "brebis du Corse" or Corsican ewes, which are very similar to the Sarda sheep that inhabit Sardinia, their neighbor to the south.

Operation Sheep-O-Rama 2009

Map of Operation Sheep-O-Rama - Sebastopol, CA to River Falls, WI

Here is the story of my journey from the Bay Area of California all the way to River Falls, WI to pick up my sheep. Along for the ride was my sister Jennifer, who was equally lacking in experience with driving a big ass 4x4 truck or driving in snowy/icy road conditions, let alone with livestock on board. So here's the lowdown on the 1 truck, 2 girls, 5 days, 10 sheep, and 4,200 miles that were......Operation Sheep-O-Rama. This is the initial map I put together for the trip, with tentative stopping points along the way.

At the Spanish border, near El Formigal, Spain in the Basque Country 2009

My longtime BFF Minan was always in tow on my hot pursuit of cheese, and this day trip to the Spanish border high up in the Pyrenees mountains was no exception. Bienvenidos a Espana!

Roquefort, France 2009

Trip to the town of Roquefort in France, where they make the legendary and super delicious Roquefort blue cheese. The limestone caves were so awesome, and look at those gnarly aging shelves!

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.