Welcome to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company

Award Winning

Organic, Farmstead, Artisan Cheese

Handcrafted in Nicasio, California using authentic, traditional recipes from the alpine village of our ancestral homeland, Maggia, Switzerland

STORE OPEN DAILY: 10am-5pm

We are honored and proud our cheese has been recognized globally, nationally and locally in various competitions including the American Cheese Society, World Cheese Championships, California State Fair and Good Food Awards.

American Cheese Society
Formagella - A 2022 first place winner in the Open Division for cow's milk cheeses at the American Cheese Society Annual Competition in Portland, Oregon.
Foggy Morning with Basil & Garlic - 3rd place

The California State Fair 2019
Our cheese was presented with 4 Gold Ribbons for
San Geronimo
Nicasio Square
Formagella
Tomino
San Geronimo also won for Best of Class - Washed Rind Cheeses
Nicasio Reserve won a Silver
Foggy Morning and Locarno won Bronze

The California State Fair 2018
San Geronimo - Gold
Locarno - Gold

The California State Fair 2017
We are honored to have been presented with Gold Medals for our Tomino & Locarno!
A Silver for Nicasio Square and the
Bronze for Loma Alta, Formagella, San Geronimo and Nicasio Reserve!

Our Foggy Morning is our most honored cheese and was named best "Fromage Blanc Style Cheese" made in North America in 2015.

Twice our Loma Alta was the national award winner at the American Cheese Society annual competition in the"Soft Ripening Cow’s Milk" category.

Nicasio Reserve is a three time California State Fair Gold Medal Winner.

Nicasio Square has won numerous state, national & “Good Food” awards, along with being a top five finisher in its’ class at the World Cheese Championship in 2014.

San Geronimo has won numerous state and national awards, as well as finishing second in North America in the 2015 American Cheese Society’s, "Raclette" category

Our Story

Left photo - Our Grandfather, Fredonlino Lafranchi
Center photo - Our father, Will Lafranchi
Our mentor, cheese maker and friend from Maggia, Switzerland, Maurizio Lorenzetti

At the age of 17, our grandfather, Fredolino Lafranchi immigrated to America from Maggia, Switzerland, with the dream to one day own and operate his own dairy. In 1919, that dream became reality when Fred and his wife Zelma Dolcini Lafranchi established the Lafranchi Dairy in the western Marin town of Nicasio, California.

Fred and Zelma raised their five children on this beautiful ranch. Their eldest son, Will, our father, continued in the family business, raising us, his 6 children here and living his entire 78 years on this very special land.

During his life, Will was able to visit his ancestral homeland a number of times, and developed a special bond with his numerous Swiss relatives. Will and his extended family enjoyed many wonderful meals together, which included a distinctive selection of cheeses handmade by local artisans.

The appreciation of these fabulous cheeses left him and us with a longing to enjoy these treats back home. Our family dairy afforded the perfect resource to pay homage to this part of our heritage. Establishing the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company in 2010 has given us the opportunity to bring to reality something our father had only dreamt of.

Swiss Master Cheesemaker, Maurizio Lorenzetti has mentored our family in the art of making the cheeses of Valle Maggia to ensure they are as magical here as they are in Switzerland.

Our entire Lafranchi family is extremely proud to share our Nicasio Valley Cheese with you! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!