The king of Sonoma cheese passes

Ig with one of his many awards.
Image from vellacheese.com

Sonoma County isn't just about great wines.   We make a lot of world-class cheese also--something that was founded on a large, local dairy industry.

Ig Vella, owner of Vella Cheese Company in the town of Sonoma, died at 82 years old.  His father is credited with starting the premium cheese business way back during the Great Depression.   Local Italian immigrants demanded high-quality cheeses like they could get back in the old country. Perhaps Vella's most famous cheese is their Dry Jack, but personally I sure do like the Toma.

The next two generations of the family are carrying on.


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