Chiriboga Blue, unusual cheese from Bavaria

Political turmoil in his home country motivated Chiriboga and his wife, who is of German descent, to move to Bavaria as young adults.

Obere Muhle gets its cow's milk from about 30 nearby family farms, whose herds range in size from three cows to eight.

After the wheels age for about three weeks, the creamery wraps them and ships them to the U.S. It takes three to four weeks for them to arrive at Bay Area retail counters, so Chiriboga Blue may still be less than 2 months old when you sample it.

What's more, the enterprise includes a small inn, a well-reviewed restaurant showcasing the creamery's cheeses and an antique shop - all in a village that, at least online, looks utterly picturesque.

Look for Chiriboga Blue at Cowgirl Creamery, Rainbow Grocery, Cheese Plus and Say Cheese in San Francisco; Pasta Shop in Oakland and Berkeley; and the Cheese Shop of Healdsburg.