Cheese Directory

Rocky Butte is a washed curd cheese aged at least six months made from 100% farmstead goat milk. Named for the granite pluton that marks the end of the Santa Lucia range visible from our creamery, it is a very mild cheese with a creamy paste. Goaty, tangy, creamy.

Spicy Fromage Blanc is a great snack or spread. It's filled with delicious Goat Horn Chile from Oaktown Spice Shop in addition to the chili paste, Sambal Oelek. The spice is balanced nicely by the fresh, creamery flavor of the cheese.

A creamy texture with bits of real bacon are offered in the bacon. This cheese is the perfect addition to macaroni and cheese or even sprinkled over a baked potato.

A brie-style cheese, rich and buttery.

Cumin is a very herbal cheese with a distinct spice; yet, sweet undertones.Choose a richer style Carneros Chardonnay or Paso Robles Viognier when considering a white. If the cheese finds it way onto a burger, turn to a medium bodied red such as a Monterey Pinot Noir or Sonoma Grenache.2018 - Bronze, California State Fair

The Diamond Reserve is a raw milk cheese that is aged over nine months giving the texture plenty of crystals. The overall flavor embodies a rich caramel taste with butterscotch notes.

This raw milk, Spanish-style cheese is fully aged. The semi hard texture provides a unique creaminess with sweet, slightly spicy undertones and a long, lactic, pineapple finish.

Garlic herb offers a sharper flavor with a rich garlic profile. This cheese goes perfect in an omelet or quiche, or grated over french bread as a garlic butter spread.Whites are best suited for this combo as they are void of tannins. A crisp Napa Sauvignon Blanc or Central Coast un-oaked Chardonnay provides a tangy contrast to the mild garlic component.

Cheese curds are the moist pieces of curdled milk that can either be eaten alone as a snack, or used for other things. Their flavor is mild with the same firmness as cheese; but, has a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh cheese curds squeak against the teeth when bitten into which some would say is their defining characteristic giving them the common name of "squeakers”.

Like the jalapeno, this too has a sharp peppery profile and a classic touch of heat that sneaks up on you.The heat goes best with a wine that has a touch of sweetness. It addition to the recommended semi sweet Riesling or Gewurztraminer, consider pairing with a sparkling Muscat.

The jalapeno has a sharper, peppery profile with a distinct jalapeno aftertaste. This cheese melts well on a quesadilla or in macaroni and cheese.The touch of jalapeno heat calls for a wine with a touch of sweetness or ripe fruit. A white such as a California or Washington State semi sweet Riesling or Gewurztraminer will stand up to its zing. For a red, look to ripe Zinfandels from Lodi or Paso Robles with ample berry and spice.

This mild cheese embodies a rich, creamy, buttery flavor with a smooth texture. It melts well on a grilled cheese or raclettes and is the perfect addition for scalloped potatoes.The distinctive creaminess of this cheese pairs well with a Sparkling Rose or Blanc Noir. Your wine choice should provide good acidity for this cheese. A dry Sauvignon Blanc or dry Riesling will showcase the cheese when it is melted.

The onion and parsley marry well in this sharp flavored cheese. Melt over a hamburger or on a ciabatta and ham sandwich.A riper style North Coast Sauvignon Blanc or Oregon Pinot Gris provide a nice richness to compliment this full flavored cheese.

Cheese curds are the moist pieces of curdled milk that can either be eaten alone as a snack, or used for other things. Their flavor is mild with the same firmness as cheese; but, has a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh cheese curds squeak against the teeth when bitten into which some would say is their defining characteristic giving them the common name of "squeakers”.

The smoked cheese offers a delicious smoked flavor with a unique woodsy undertone. Add a slice of Smoked with ham and apple to make a quesadilla.A full flavored Sierra Foothill Tempranillo or Syrah with a touch of oak comes to mind with their tobacco characteristics. Also consider a medium dry sparkling wine, especially if this cheese is combined with apples or a pear.

Made in the style of a Brie, Green Hill is perfectly smooth and silky.

Tillamook Monterey Jack is a mild, creamy cheese with a smooth, buttery flavor and easy-melting texture, ideal for slicing, shredding or cooking.

Atika - meaning “two” — an aged goat and sheep Manchego-inspired cheese, aged at least 5 months. Good Food Award winner.

A soft cow cheese in honor of bossy females everywhere who get shit done and a popular cow name by 1844.

Kenne - meaning “one” — a soft, bloomy-rind goat cheese, aged 2-3 weeks. Good Food Award winner.

Koto'la - meaning “frog woman” — a brined feta-style goat cheese

Liwa - meaning “water” — a soft, Chèvre-style goat cheese. American Cheese Society Award winner.

Teleeka - meaning “three” — a soft, bloomy-rind, triple-milk cheese made from our sheep and goat milks, with local A2 Jersey cow milk from Silva Family Dairy. Good Food Award winner. American Cheese Society Award winner.

Blueberry Cheddar cheese combines the classic cheddar flavor with the sweetness of blueberries, offering a unique, fruity, and creamy cheese experience. It can be described as a delicious, slightly sweet, and smooth cheese.

Turn up the heat with our Buffalo Cheese Curds—made from creamy Muenster curds and kicked up with bold cayenne pepper.

Ever wish pizza and cheese curds had a baby? Boom. Wish granted.

At Tri-State Cheese, Colby is more than just one of our best-sellers — it’s a piece of American cheese history.

Our Colby Bacon cheese blends creamy Colby with real bits of bacon for a rich, savory bite.

Colby Jack, or Co-Jack/Cojack, is a cheese produced from a mixture of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses.

This Cheese is made in a Colby base. It is great for snacking, burgers, & salads.

Rich, smooth, and delightfully creamy, our Full Cream Gouda is a classic Dutch-style cheese.

Used on Everything, Mozzarella cheese is known for its soft, mild, and milky flavor.

Full Cream White Cheddar is a mild cheddar with a semi-firm body and a smooth, sweet, slightly nutty flavor.

Creamy, mild Muenster cheese blended with savory garlic and fresh chives for a rich, flavorful twist.

Crafted from fresh green Muenster cheese, our Garlic & Dill Curds are a bold twist on a Midwest favorite.

Our classic Muenster gets an herby upgrade with a bold blend of garlic and aromatic herbs.

Green Onion cheese has all the mild creamy body and texture of Muenster.

These savory curds are made from our creamy Muenster base and blended with just the right amount of green onion for a mild, flavorful bite.

Muenster Cheese with a blend of Habanero, and high heat Jalapeno pepper.

Cheese with a minced picante horseradish for a nice zesty kick to a mild and creamy cheese.

Muenster cheese with whole Jalapenos.

A perfect blend of creamy Muenster and rich Colby curds, lightly salted for classic, squeaky goodness.

Semi-soft muenster cheese.

A delightful cheese with good Bacon flavor with a sufficient black pepper coming thru.

Pepper Jack Cheese is a Colby cheese with a blend of red and green Jalapenos.

These creamy Colby cheese curds are seasoned with classic ranch flavor—herby, tangy, and downright addictive.

Thunder Jack Cheese is a Co-Jack cheese with a blend of Chipotle, Jalapeno, & Habanero peppers, with a medium heat.

Thunder Jack Cheese curds don’t whisper—they roar.

Swiss is a hard cheese with a nutty flavor & a firm texture. Colby is a mild, crowd-pleaser of a cheese, so it is friendly with all sorts of drinks. Combine the two (Twisted Swiss) and it goes with just about anything.

Made from fresh Muenster cheese and lightly salted, our White Muenster Cheese Curds are a deliciously simple snack.

Made from fresh Colby cheese and lightly salted, these golden curds are full of rich, buttery flavor and that classic squeaky bite.

Cranberry Cheddar cheese offers a delightful blend of creamy cheddar with the tartness and subtle sweetness of cranberries, providing a unique and versatile flavor profile.

Jalapeno Bacon Muenster

Soft double-cream washed-rind cheese with a creamy interior, showing a smooth, supple texture that becomes runny as it ages.

Herb-coated fresh cow’s milk cheese with crumbled pieces on a wooden surface, shown next to packaged Tulip Tree Creamery Nettle cheese.

Nightshade is a long-aged cheese inspired by Fons' favorite, Old Amsterdam. This washed-curd cheese is rich and full-flavored, with a hint of sharpness balanced by deep caramel undertones.

Discover Queen Anne’s Lace, a soft-ripened geo-rind cheese from Indiana’s Tulip Tree, celebrated for its rich creaminess and award-winning flavor.

Square soft-ripened cheese with a white rind on a wooden board, styled with figs, flowers, and a cheese knife, alongside a 2017 Good Food Awards winner badge.

Urban Stead’s Kentucky-style Beer Cheese blends Quark and Braxton Brewing Storm Ale for a creamy, addictive, and perfectly spreadable beer cheese delight.

These delicious fresh squeaky cheese curds are day 1 cheddar.

This award-winning Camembert-style cheese is a lovely little white creamy pillow of cheese that has earthy flavors and a slight mushroom finish.

This award-winning traditional Dutch-style gouda evokes flavors of salted caramel and butterscotch with a remarkably long-lasting umami finish.

Traditional pimento flavors with an Urban Stead twist. We use our quark as a base, add in our chopped cheese curds and then season with traditional pimento flavorings for our Ohio Valley Pimento. Merging to create an addictive spread you'll want to put on everything!

Quark is a fresh, creamy farmer’s cheese made in the traditional Eastern-European style.

Street Ched is an award-winning traditional English-style Clothbound Cheddar aged a minimum of 16-18 months.

Tomme d'Evanston, a fresh-tasting elegant alpine-style cheese, is mild and nutty, with subtleties of fresh straw and a hint of mustard on the finish.

Estero Gold is handmade in the style of an Asiago, reminiscent of a Montasio, two of the famous cheeses from the Swiss-Italian dairy country. This young cheese, at about 6 months aged, is very pliable, with grassy, fruity overtones. As it continues to age, the flavor deepens, becoming complex and nutty. It has an open texture with small holes and straw-like coloring. Its subtle, creamy and buttery taste nicely complements other foods. Its fine rustic flavor can be paired with any wine. It also melts wonderfully in pastas and polenta, or try it shredded on a salad.

This is the same cheese as the Estero Gold, only this is aged for a minimum of 18 months. As it ages, it develops a stronger flavor, a harder and dryer texture, and becomes similar to a parmesan style cheese. If you enjoy extra-aged cheeses with those little granular “crunchies” known as crystals, you will love this cheese. The “crunchies” are formed from the amino acid tyrosine, which are common in high-protein, extra-aged cheeses. The “Reserve” is a great cheese for grating and also goes amazing with a glass of red wine.

Grazin' Girl is Valley Ford's newest available cheese and is just beginning to hit the market. This cheese has a rustic, basket weave exterior while the interior is a buttery color with tasty notes of sweet cream along with blue streaks and patches throughout. It is amazing in salads, sauces, and it is exquisite drizzled with a little honey.

Highway One is a version of an old style Fontina. Its texture is silky and creamy, with the traditional Fontina flavor that pairs great with Italian wines and cuisine. This unpasteurized cheese has been aged for at least 80 days. It is mildly fruity, with a nutty flavor and aroma. It is a perfect anytime cheese; great for melting as well as on a sandwich or on an appetizer plate with crackers.

This cheese originated in the commune of Asiago in the province of Vicenza, region of II Veneto in Italy. It was originally made from sheeps' milk, but it is now universally made from cows' milk. The result is a sweet curd, grana-type cheese with a pleasant aroma. In concert with our other grating cheese, Dry Monterey Jack, Asiago may be used as a table cheese when young. Our founder, Thomas G. Vella, proudly claimed that this is the first Asiago made in California in 70 years.

Hoops that shape cheese wheels come in different sizes, and a single-daisy wheel was 22.5 lbs. Later, cheesemakers devised the "California Daisy"which makes an 11 lb. wheel of cheese. Following a traditional cheddar recipe, Daisy Cheddar wheels are made by hand, like the other Vella cheeses.

The cheese judges really liked the addition of jalapeño peppers to Vella's Daisy Cheddar.

A true masterpiece of American cheese-making and an exclusive with Vella. Made like fresh Monterey Jack and further aged for another seven to ten months. Firm, pale yellow with a sweet nutty flavor. This cheese is great for grating, shredding, slicing, cooking or just plain eating. Marvelous in toasted cheese sandwiches, omelets and souffles. Delicious shredded on pasta, soups or tacos --for a taste that is unique and special. Can also be added to casseroles and enchiladas. Dry Monterey Jack will become one of your favorites!

Garlic Jack is enriched with California grown garlic.

Golden Bear has all the same qualities as Vella's Special Select Dry Jack but it is aged from two to four years to make it even better!! This cheese has an even firmer texture than the Special Select Dry Jack due to its extra aging. Golden Bear is delicious eaten by itself when cut with a cheese wedge, or grated over any Italian delicacy.

If you like Vella's spicy cheeses, you will love this one. They added habañero peppers to their Dry Jack recipe and then aged the wheels for a year to allow the flavors to blend and mature. Delicious!!

This spicy cheese is seasoned with habañero chilies.

This cheese is the California version of Fontina and has been recognized as a unique cheese type in competitions during the last few years in which it has been available. Excellent as a dessert cheese with fruits, a table cheese for snacks or an ingredient in all cheese recipes. Its subtle flavor and semi-firm texture represents the finest products of the California cheese-makers' art. Definitely recommended for use in Latin dishes.

The red and green jalapeño peppers are freshly delivered from their special source in New Mexico.

Mezzo Secco represents is an attempt to return to the 1930s. The genesis for this cheese lies in the need for a soft or medium soft cheese to hold up during the hot summer months in an "ice box." In California from the 1920's thru 1946, mechanical household refrigerators were found only in the homes of the wealthy, or in commercial establishments. The majority of households by far had iceboxes that were cooled by a melting block of ice. When summer weather came, milk and butter were placed directly onto the ice box, and other foods that needed cooling--including fresh cheese--were left to fend for themselves in the adjoining compartment.

There is no richer or more delicious Monterey Jack anywhere. Its rich, buttery, creamy texture and taste leaves a clean fresh flavor in your mouth. At room temperature, it's as soft and creamy as a fine Brie, but far more economical. The imprint of the muslin cloth on the back of the wheel shows that it has been rolled and shaped by hand (no machine-made cheese can ever match this level of character and individuality).

The creamy sweetness of this Pesto Jack should not be missed. The result is a cheese suffused with piquant and delicate flavors. Great for spiced grilled cheese sandwiches. Wonderful alone, with crackers or grated on your favorite pasta dish!

This Italian type cheese has been made by Vella Cheese Company as a dry grating cheese. However, they decided to make a younger, sweeter version for slicing and fresher use. By experimenting with various cultures, we arrived at this formula.

Made with their own fresh rosemary, giving this cheese a delightful flavor.

Sharp White Cheddar is aged for an estimated two years and has a complex sharp flavor that lingers in your mouth.

Special Select has all the same qualities as our Dry Jack but is is aged a minimum of one year and up to two years. Special Select has a firmer texture than their traditional Dry Jack due to its extra aging (much like aged Reggiano Parmigiano) but it is well worth the effort. Special Select complements the flavor of fruits and wine and is excellent with pasta entrées. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

This soft, slightly-ripened cheese from the Piedmont area of the Italian Peninsula was originally made on the farm or in small local factories. It was a regional cheese. As the factories became larger, this cheese has been available in lesser amounts because it takes a great deal of hand labor and care. We believe we are the first US cheese factory that makes Toma.

Our original White cheddar that has been cloth bound and cellar aged 9 months. This award winning recipe has limited availability, grab it while you can!

Vintage Bleu is a recipe from Southern France. It has a mild bleu flavor with a slightly salty finish

White cheddar & Cabernet wine, need we say more?

White cheddar & chipotlé peppers- this crowd pleaser is our most popular cheddar