The history of Ojos Negros, Baja California's cheese is as old as the best of its product. It goes back to the end of the XIX century with arrival of Italian-Swiss Pedro Ramonetti to the region where he handcrafted a tradition that now, four generations later, is perpetuated by Marcelo Castro.
The small family company of ranch "La Campana" (the Bell) became an enterprise that has reached far beyond the area's limits and, in addition to being on the tables of the most exclusive restaurants, Ramonetti's brand has been included in the Especial Edition of Larousse's Encyclopedia of Dessert. Their quality level has made them one of Mexico's best farmhouse cheeses along with the Bola Cheese of Ocosingo, Chiapas and a variety of Cotija Cheese from Michoacán.
La Campana produces 400 kilos of cheese every day (approximately 882 lbs) prepared with only salt, milk and curd: ingredients of a true homemade cheese. It is worth mentioning that the process itself is entirely manual.
To keep their excellent cheese quality up, Marcelo saw the need of building an underground stone wine cellar never before seen in America until that moment- with the optimal humidity levels (90%); to maintain that moisture an underground construction as well as 1.6 ft thick stone walls were mandatory.
The work of architects Juan Ruiz Valdés and Guillermo Rodríguez López, this wine cellar("Cava" in many languages) has a lobby where family photographs are on display alongside with pictures of the cheese-crafting process, it also has an elevator for the cheese, another room with less humidity and finally the chamber surrounded by stone with storage capacity for 10,000 pieces of cheese; here is where the aging process occurs, it takes from 6 months to 2 years.
The difference between products ripened inside a stone cellar is that, because of the humidity, the cheese remains creamy and strong thanks to the delicate coat it develops.
The tasting menu of la Cava includes six varieties of cheese: Natural (regular), With Herbs (basil, pepper and rosemary), Aged for 6 Months, Aged for 2 Years, Butter and Ricotta. They all come with craft-baked bread, marmalade and the wine of the house (Ramonetti 1911).
*Images courtesy of "La Cava de Marcelo".
If they have enough time, visitors should consider staying for a delicious outdoor meal, too; not only is the staff attentive, the restaurant offers a menu bound to keep guests coming back.
Getting to La Campana Ranch may prove to be an adventure on itself, though, since you have to travel through a dirt road and the cellar is not open to public all year long. We recommend you to plan your trip ahead so you can enjoy without setbacks this new destination in Baja: "La Ruta del Queso" (The Cheese Route).
For more information, visit the official website or call to 01152 646 175 70 73. Also, you will find directions on this map.
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info@b1mas4.com
"Binomio(1+4) Frontera Digital" is an electronic magazine born in the Tijuana-San Diegoregion that tackles political, social, economical and cultural issues.
Original Text : Gabriela Vidauri / Binomio 1+4
Translation : Karen Balderas Licea
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