Tour D: Pastures to Proof: Bold Northern California Craft

Location: This tour departs from and returns to Flamingo Resort & Spa

Address: 2777 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95405

Cost: $185 per person

Featuring:

• Mt. Eitan / Redwood Hill Farm
• Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers
• Ambix Spirits with Cypress Grove 

We will start this tour with a visit to the goat farm that supplies all of the milk used for Mt. Eitan cheeses. Nestled among the picturesque redwoods of Northern California, Redwood Hill Farm, also known as Capracopia, has roots in the “back-to-the-land” movement, when Kenneth and Cynthia Bice moved their family from urban Southern California to rural Sebastopol in 1964. Today, the farm is home to dairy goats, an olive grove, fruit orchards, flower fields, a vegetable garden, and a flock of chickens. You will enjoy a guided tour of the farm, meeting kid goats and dairy goats, exploring the milk parlor, and finishing with a guided tasting of Mt. Eitan cheeses crafted from the farm’s milk.

Next, we will visit Wm. Cofield in Sebastopol, home to Sonoma County’s first proper British-style cheesemaker. Today, Wm. Cofield has recently joined forces with its sister company, Alemar Cheese Co., which crafts French-inspired, grass-fed cow’s milk cheeses using time-honored techniques and meticulous attention to detail. Both Wm. Cofield and Alemar cheeses are made on-site. On this tour, you’ll witness the artistry of traditional British-style cheesemaking firsthand, observing every step, from milk vats to the aging rooms and the packaging area. The experience concludes with a tasting of their exceptional cheeses, offering a perfect finale to a day exploring Sonoma’s rich creamery culture. After the tour and tasting, you will enjoy a delicious lunch provided by Wm. Cofield before heading to our last stop. 

Conclude the day at Ambix Spirits with a guided tour of the orchard and distillery, where apples take center stage. Learn about the local history and tradition of apple brandy in Northern California and how Ambix carries that legacy forward through careful, small-batch production. The visit concludes with a curated tasting of their apple wines and apple brandy paired with a cheese tasting of exceptional goat cheeses presented by Cypress Grove, offering a refined and fitting finish to a day rooted in craft, agriculture, and place. 

This tour will depart from and return to Flamingo Resort and Spa. Please note return times are approximate. 

*Transportation for tour included in ticket cost. 

**All sales are final and events take place rain or shine.