All product weights are approximate.

Prices include standard shipping to the Continental US. Orders to Alaska and Hawaii require an addition of about $15 per box for USPS flat rate. Please call or email us if you require expedited shipping.

High Moisture Jack Cheeses

Original High Moisture Monterey Jack Cheese

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 wheels are very special gifts; the blocks are more economical.

Naturally Seasoned Monterey Jack Cheese

Our naturally flavored MontereyJack cheeses contain the same creamy cheese as the original high-moisture Monterey Jack, gently infused with natural flavor. A half wheel of Garlic Jack is shown here.

Vella Pesto Jack, Rosemary Jack, and Jalapeno Jack received gold medals at the 2003 Los Angeles County Fair.

Vella Rosemary Jack and Jalapeno Jack received gold medals at the 2007 Los Angeles County Fair.

Garlic Jack: The garlic in our Monterey Jack is the best from the Sacramento Valley, using only the tender white hearts of these special garlic cloves.

2.5 lb. Half Wheel Garlic Jack

5 lb. Wheel Garlic Jack

Jalapeno Jack: The red and green Jalapeno peppers are freshly delivered to us from our special source in New Mexico.

2.5 lb. Half Wheel Jalapeno Jack

Price: $39

5 lb. Wheel Japapeno Jack

Habanero Jack: This spicy cheese is seasoned with New Mexico Habenero Chilies prepared by Mezzetta Peppers and Specialty Products.

Pesto Jack: The creamy sweetness of our 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!

Rosemary Jack: Locally grown fresh rosemary gives this cheese a delightful flavor.

2005 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

Partially Skimmed Monterey Jack

This cheese has the same texture and full flavor, with 30% less fat and cholesterol than the original high-moisture Monterey Jack. We are proud to admit that we're the only cheese maker in California making this partly skimmed Jack. Partially Skimmed Jack has an excellent firmness for slicing. It melts like mozzarella! Perfect for lasagna or any dish you like to melt cheese on, with fewer calories - so rich in flavor you don't even know you're eating a partially skimmed cheese. A treat for weight watchers!

Dry Monterey Jack Cheeses

Mezzo Secco (Partially Dry Monterey Jack)

Mezzo Secco represents our 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.

Consumers requested a firmer fresh Jack that would not get runny, yet was not as firm as dry Monterey Jack. A midway formula evolved, hence Mezzo Secco, and was offered for sale from May to October, At the end of World War II, when mechanical household refrigeration became cheaply available, we stopped making Mezzo Secco.

In 1999, we revived Mezzo Secco, and were awarded a silver medal in the US Cheese Championships. Mezzo Secco is a delicious complement to our line of Dry Monterey Jacks, and continues to earn national and international recognition.

2003 Gold Medal, California State Fair

2004, Silver Medal, International Cheese Championship

2005 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

2005 Second Place, American Cheese Society

2007, Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

2007, Silver Medal, California State Fair

2007, Silver Medal, Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association

Dry Monterey Jack Cheese

A true masterpiece of American cheese-making and an exclusive with us. Made like fresh Monterey Jack and further aged for another 7 to 10 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!

1988 International Gold Medal Winner

2004 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

Special Select Dry Monterey Jack Cheese

Special Select has all the same qualities as our Dry Jack -- just aged a little longer and better if you want to believe the hierarchy in the Cheese Industry. This cheese has a firmer texture than the 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 entrees. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

1995-96 U.S. Cheese Champion

Golden Bear Dry Monterey Jack Cheese

Golden Bear has all the same qualities as our 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.

2007 Gold Medal and Best of Division, California State Fair

Price: $47

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Price: $145

Grated Dry Monterey Jack Cheese

Hand selected aged wheels of Dry Monterey Jack grated to a fine consistency. Dried by a forced air process to retain the flavor, resulting in a natural product with no preservatives. The flavor is rich and slightly nutty. The taste is subtle, never overpowering. The salt content is low (about 1% in volume). Many of our customers use it in place of salt for flavor. Add it to your vinaigrette dressing. Sprinkle it on top of garlic bread before toasting. Mix it with your tomato sauce. Use in place of breadcrumbs to coat chicken, veal or meatballs before frying and of course, sprinkle it all over your favorite pizza. The uses are endless.

Storing: Do Not Refrigerate. Simply store in a sealed container with the rest of your canned goods.

Italian Cheeses

Asiago

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.

2006 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

Recently, we have begun to make Asiago Pepato, which adds fragrant green peppercorns to our Asiago cheese.

2003 Gold Medal, California State Fair

2005 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

2007 Bronze Medal, California State Fair

Romanello

This cheese represents another attempt to recapture the past. Until recently, the last Romanello was made at Vella Cheese in 1962. Romanello is similar to Romano, except that it is made with cow's milk instead of sheep's milk. It is a good cheese for grating. slicing, and eating.

2005 Second Place, American Cheese Society

Italian Style Table Cheese

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.

2006 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

2007 Bronze Medal, California State Fair.

Toma

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 only US factory that makes Toma.

2003 Gold Medal, US Cheese Championship

2004 Silver Medal, International Cheese Championship

2005 Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

2005 Second Place, American Cheese Society

2007, Gold Medal, Los Angeles County Fair

Cheddar Cheeses

Sharp Raw Milk Cheddar

Our Sharp Raw Milk Cheddar is aged for an estimated two years, and has a complex sharp flavor that lingers in your mouth. We've recaptured the way this cheese should taste. It's an exclusive Bear Flag Brand product and the only Aged Raw Milk Cheddar made in California!

Daisy Cheddar

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 a 10 lb. wheel of cheese. Following a traditional cheddar recipe, Daisy Cheddar wheels are made by hand, like the other Vella cheeses.

"A flavor mild enough to appeal to children, and interesting enough for the cheese board."
Janet Fletcher, San Francisco Chronicle, October, 2007

Prices include standard shipping. All product weights are approximate.