Cheese travel
Cheese in Virginia
Virginia's cheesemakers are small and mostly farmstead, and only a few open their gates. The best bet is Georges Mill Farm in Loudoun County, an hour from Washington, DC, whose farm store is open around the clock and whose baby goats draw crowds every March and April. Near Charlottesville, Caromont Farm runs cheesemaking workshops and kidding-season visits on set dates.
Coming Up
- 1 Mar 2027 to 30 Apr Georges Mill Farm, Baby goat season (exact dates depend on births) (expected, not yet confirmed)
Cheese Shops
Northern Virginia and Loudoun County
Georges Mill Farm near Lovettsville is an eighth-generation family farm making goat cheese, gelato and caramel. Its honor-system shop never closes. The farm itself opens for baby goat season, monthly barn dances and the Loudoun County Farm Tour in May and October. Closer to the city, Cheesetique in Alexandria pairs a cheese and wine shop with a restaurant.
Charlottesville and the Blue Ridge
Caromont Farm in Esmont, south of Charlottesville, has raised goats and made farmstead cheese since 2007. It only hosts visitors on event days: snuggle sessions with the kids in late winter and spring, and intro to farmstead cheesemaking workshops. Over the Blue Ridge near Lexington, Mountain View Farm Products in Fairfield is a Grade A dairy that makes farmstead cheese and sells it on the farm.
The Coast
In Virginia Beach, Life Is Gouda has made cheese since 2013 and sells it from a counter inside All Good Craft Granola at the Birdneck Shoppes.
Southwest Virginia
Meadow Creek Dairy in Galax makes some of the state's best known raw milk cheeses, such as Grayson, but it does not list farm visits; buy online or look for it in shops.
When to Go
March and April are baby goat months at Georges Mill and Caromont. The Loudoun County Farm Tour falls on the third weekend of May and the third weekend of October, when Georges Mill opens to the public. Caromont posts its workshops through the year, including autumn dates. Summer brings the Georges Mill barn dances.
A Loudoun Day Trip From Washington
Drive about an hour west of DC to Lovettsville. In spring, book a 10am bottle-feeding ticket at Georges Mill, then fill a cooler at the farm store. The rest of the year the store alone is worth the stop: bring cash or a cheque, because it takes no cards. Western Loudoun's wineries and the small town of Lovettsville make good afternoon stops.
Getting Around
The farms need a car. Washington Dulles is the nearest airport for Loudoun County, and Charlottesville has its own small airport for Caromont.
More Places to Taste and Buy Cheese
| Place | Town | What you can do | When | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caromont Farm | Esmont | Farmstead goat cheese; baby goat snuggle sessions in kidding season; Intro to Farmstead Cheesemaking workshops ($100) | Ticketed event days only; 2026 workshops on 27 September and 18 October | caromontcheese.com |
| Mountain View Farm Products | Fairfield | Grade A dairy and farmstead cheese, with on-farm sales at 85 Marmac Lane | Call (540) 460-4161 before you go | mountainviewfarmproducts.com |
| Life Is Gouda | Virginia Beach | Local cheesemaker's counter inside All Good Craft Granola, 513 N Birdneck Road | Tuesday to Friday 11am to 5pm, Saturday 1 to 4pm (from 11am on non-market days) | lifeisgouda757.com |
| Cheesetique | Alexandria | Cheese and wine shop with a restaurant, cheese club and platters, at 2411 Mt. Vernon Avenue | Restaurant reservations through OpenTable | cheesetique.com |
Where to Stay in Virginia
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Questions People Ask
Where can you see baby goats at a Virginia cheese farm?
At Georges Mill Farm near Lovettsville in March and April, with free weekday visits and ticketed weekend bottle feedings, and at Caromont Farm near Charlottesville during its kidding-season snuggle sessions.
Can you take a cheesemaking class in Virginia?
Caromont Farm in Esmont runs Intro to Farmstead Cheesemaking workshops on soft cheeses for $100. Dates are posted on its website.