The new wave of California artisanal cheeses

Who’s making them

Pugs Leap Farm. Pascal Destandau’s and Eric Smith’s goat cheese dairy in Healdsburg produces bûches — creamy, mellow, slightly sweet logs; pavés — pyramid-shaped, a little mushroomy, with a slightly spicy finish; and Petit Marcel — fresh-tasting, slightly tart small rounds.

Andante Dairy. In Petaluma, Soyoung Scanlan makes Minuet, a luxurious mixed-milk triple-crème, with a refined texture; Acapella, soft, creamy rounds or firm pyramids of goat cheese; Picolo, a melt-in-your-mouth cow’s milk triple crème; Nocturne, a rich cow’s milk cheese with an ashed, bloomy rind; Largo, an aged cow’s milk triple crème, creamy, smooth and nutty; and Camembert-like Legato, creamy and soft with strong flavor when ripe; as well as other cheeses.

Elk Creamery. Kermit Carter makes organic goat cheeses in Elk, Calif., including Red Gold, mold-ripened and creamy, with a chile-coated rind; and ash-coated Black Gold, tangy, a little salty, with a peppery bite.

Rinconada Dairy. Jim and Christine Maguire’s sheep cheese dairy in Santa Margarita produces Pozo Tomme, a nutty, rich aged raw milk cheese with a natural rind; La Panza Gold, a rustic, earthy, golden, washed-rind cheese; and Chaparral, a smooth, creamy unpressed cheese made from sheep’s and Nubian goat’s milk.

Where to find them

The following stores carry a number of California cheeses, including a selection from the above producers. Elk Creamery cheese is also available at some Whole Foods stores. Cheese from Rinconada Dairy is available at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market.

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, 419 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 278-2855, www.cheesestorebh.com.

The Cheese Store of Silver Lake, 3926-28 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 644-7511, www.cheesestoresl.com.

Cube, 615 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 939-1148, www.divinepasta.com.

Artisan Cheese Gallery, 12023 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 505-0207, www.artisancheesegallery.com.

Many California cheeses can also be mail-ordered through Cowgirl Creamery at Tomales Bay Foods in Point Reyes, (866) 433-7384, www.cowgirlcreamery.com, or through Aniata Cheese Co. in Del Mar, (858) 847-9616, www.aniata.com.