Must-Hit Spots on the WNC Cheese Trail
Are you interested in the WNC Cheese Trail? Are you looking for North Carolina cheese? Here’s the info you need about the best stops on the WNC Cheese Trail!
This post contains affiliate links. As always, all photographs are copyrighted Reese Moore Photography unless otherwise stated and cannot be used without express permission.
Pictured: The cheese tasting at Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery
I love a trail; whether it's an icy 7-mile trail to the LeConte Lodge or the Bourbon Trail, I'm in.
I also love cheese more than most things in this life, and I’ve been known to cut slices off a triple cream and house them sans-cracker. That’s called self-care, baby.
So, when I discovered the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail, I obviously needed to know more.
What is the WNC Cheese Trail?
(If your first answer was, “The path to heaven?” then we should be friends.)
Founded in 2012, the WNC Cheese Trail is a cooperative effort to promote artisan cheesemakers and the delicious cheeses made in the Western North Carolina mountains.
The members of the WNC Cheese Trail aren’t necessarily open for tours or visitors, so please take that into consideration when planning your experience. The cheesemakers are also spread across an expansive geographical area, so you’ll likely have to explore the cheese trail over a period of time. Think of the WNC Cheese Trail more of a guide to where amazing cheese is being made in Western North Carolina.
The trail has grown to include trail partners, such as small farms, local wineries, and breweries throughout the region. The WNC Cheese Trail also hosts the annual Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest in Black Mountain, NC.
Things to Know About the WNC Cheese Trail Before You Go:
Not all stops on the WNC Cheese Trail offer tours. Those that do require advance arrangements and ticket prices vary.
Farm offerings are subject to change, and some experiences are seasonal, so call ahead!
Remember that farming is hard work, and you’ll be visiting an active farm. If you’ve arranged a visit, wear appropriate clothing and shoes for the experience.
Pictured: The goats at Round Mountain Creamery
The Best Stops on the WNC Cheese Trail
Looking Glass Creamery
115 Harmon Dairy Lane, Columbus, NC 28722
Pictured: An epic cheese plate at the Looking Glass Creamery Farm Store on the WNC Cheese Trail.
The Cheesemaker: Looking Glass Creamery is a farmstead cheesemaker, which means they make their cheese from the milk from the cows you’ll drive by on your way to the farm store and tasting space.
This hardworking crew has spent the last 14 years refining their cheese recipes, and they’re proud to share that their “cows are bred, born, and raised by us as well and come into this world onto a bed of green grass outside (weather permitting). Outside of milking time, the cows have free range of large grassy pastures.”
The Cheese: Order the large cheese board, trust me on this one, and pick a spot overlooking the goats on the shaded patio. They’ll happily give you a to-go box for any leftovers, but the full cheese board comes with a delightful condiment array that allows you to truly “play with your food” and explore all the flavors their cheese has to offer.
Pair it with the house-made Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider if you have a designated driver - or order some to take home. (It’s quite strong!)
Hands down, my favorite cheeses were the Green River Blue and the Fromage Blanc. I could literally eat my weight in them. If they made a shirt that said, “I dream of Fromage Blanc,” I would buy it.
The Tour: Looking Glass Creamery doesn’t offer guided tours, per se, so much as you’re encouraged to wander several trails on the farm (they’ll give you a map in the farm store) and peer in the windows at the cheesemakers - which can still be very cool.
Wear closed-toe shoes and DEET-based bug spray, and learn how to identify poison ivy before traipsing about the woods.
Also Noteworthy: Did I mention they do a delightful housemade Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider? For an elegant tasting experience, enjoy a glass of cider or wine with your cheeseboard on the patio overlooking the goats and herb garden.
The cheese is, naturally, the best thing on the cheeseboard, but the pickled mustard seeds are downright addictive. Fortunately, they’re available for purchase inside the store!
Don’t forget to finish your tasting experience with one of Looking Glass Creamery’s seasonal ice creams! Order a scoop of the Lemon Lavender or Salted Caramel.
Last but surely not least, Looking Glass Creamery does U-pick sunflowers in the summer to raise money for charitable causes. I’ve picked sunflowers there two years in a row now, and both times have been a magical, relaxing experience.
Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery
327 Flat Creek Road, Fairview, NC 28730
Pictured: A beautiful cheese board at Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery.
The Cheesemaker: Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery is a small but mighty creamery focused on artisan cave-aged cheeses. Victor, the head cheesemaker, studied at North Carolina State University before continuing his cheese-making education in Vermont. He continues to conduct independent research as he handcrafts delicious and unusual cave-aged, raw-milk cheeses.
The Cheese: Listen, I eat a lot of cheese, and the Common Bear is genuinely something special. Treat yourself to a wheel of this rich, creamy deliciousness. Pro tip: hide it in the fridge from your significant other.
Another crave-able signature cheese is the Sassy Bleu, but let’s be honest: all the Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery cheese is amazing.
The Tour: This tour was, hands down, one of the highlights of my family’s summer in the mountains. We can’t stop talking about it.
We got to watch Victor hard at work, and he patiently let us ask a million questions about the cheese-making process. We were also able to peek through the door at the hand-dug cave where the cheese ages, and our tour ended with the most delicious tasting of seven different types of yummy cheese.
This informative and very personal tour offers a great window into the world of cheese-making from start to finish.
Also Noteworthy: Victor is just a really interesting human being. In addition to being the cheesemaker at Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, he also handmade the cheese-aging cave and built his own house, piece by piece… and it is a gorgeous, utterly unique home.
He’s also an incredibly talented glass blower, and the grounds are peppered with striking and unusual works of art. You’re sure to leave feeling inspired to try new things after visiting BRMC.
Round Mountain Creamery
2203 Old Fort Rd, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Pictured: The goats at Round Mountain Creamery
The Cheesemaker: Linda Seligman started Round Mountain Creamery back in 2002, and the little farm of five goats has grown into a 28-acre goat dairy with Alpine and LaMancha goats.
Nestled in the mountains outside of Black Mountain, Round Mountain Creamery became the first Grade “A” Goat Dairy in North Carolina in 2008.
The Cheese: Round Mountain Creamery specializes in heavenly flavored goat cheese, and let me tell you that I came away believing there is a right goat cheese for every meal. Offerings include sweet, spicy, smoky, and savory flavors.
Even my husband, who hates goat cheese, asked me to pick up several containers for us to enjoy at home!
The Tour: One of the best aspects of the Round Mountain Creamery is, of course, meeting the adorable goats. It was a great experience for my nieces and nephews to connect the farm animals to the food they eat. We also got to pet and snuggle some baby goats during our tour, which was amazing.
The Round Mountain Creamery tour takes you through the milking area and gives you a great look into how much work it takes to care for the goats, milk them, and then create delicious artisan cheeses.
The tasting featured all of Round Mountain Creamery’s yummy goat cheeses, and we took home tons. Our personal favorites were From the Garden, Jazzed Goat, and Cran-Nut Zest.
Also Noteworthy: Can we take a moment for these precious goats? If you love goats or are interested in learning more about these mischievous animals, keep an eye out for upcoming events at Round Mountain Creamery.
At the time of publication, RMC offers seasonal goat yoga with Asheville Wellness and “Kid counseling” through their Airbnb Experiences page.
English Farmstead Cheese
19456 US 221 North, Marion, NC 28752
Note: The owners of English Farmstead Cheese, Susan and Terry, recently announced their upcoming retirement from farming in 2024. However, I plan to leave this section up out of respect for their hard work and delicious cheese.
The Cheesemaker: For six generations, the hardworking English family has raised cows and produced artisan cheese and cheese spreads in the WNC mountains outside of Marion, North Carolina. You’ll find black and white family photos of the previous generations of farmers framed on the walls at the farmstore.
The Cheese: English Farmstead Cheese makes a variety of soft and hard cheeses, cheese curds, and cheese spreads. While they may not offer tasting experiences like some of the other stops on the WNC Cheese Trail, they sell perfectly portioned cheese spreads, gourmet crackers, salamis, and locally made pickles for a DIY charcuterie board.
Pro tip: Are you planning to visit Linville Caverns? This popular attraction is mere minutes up the road from the farm store, and they have the perfect creekside picnic tables for enjoying an impromptu cheese board.
The Tour Store: English Farmstead Cheese does not offer tours, but they do have a precious farm store that’s well worth visiting. The colorful space is filled with locally made food and gifts, and historic photos of the generations of family farmers hang on the walls. You’re welcome to tuck into your purchases in the rocking chairs or benches on the front porch.
Also Noteworthy: Sours Mountain Homestead Farm was selling their handcrafted goat milk soaps, lotions, balms, and jewelry in a pop-up on the front porch at English Farmstead Cheese when we visited, and I picked up the most adorable pair of mouse-and-cheese hypoallergenic earrings along with some luxurious bath products.
Never one to turn down sweets, my husband picked up a container of small batch ice cream from the store and devoured it in a rocking chair while I shopped! As you can see, he was happy as a clam.
A heartfelt thank you to all the farms for all your hard work and for welcoming us into your spaces. It’s been such a pleasure to learn a bit about what goes on “behind the cheese!”
And, to all my fellow cheese lovers out there, please remember to support your local farmers and makers. Look for locally made products in your neighborhood grocery store, farmers’ markets, or farm stores.
Do you love North Carolina cheese? What’s your favorite North Carolina cheese or cheesemaker? Drop them in the comments below!
