A cheese with a killer name like Dream Weaver—which often prompts people to break into the chorus of its namesake 1970s hit song—merits an equally memorable label. Central Coast Creamery owners Reggie and Kellie Jones wanted to create a look for their washed rind wheel that embodies the “sweet, slow life” of their home state of California.
They shared their vision—including a DayGlo color scheme inspired by the poster for the iconic surfing film The Endless Summer—with Monterey-based designer Melissa Thoeny. She came up with several concepts that the duo began whittling down. “At first we thought of putting a dreamcatcher in the background,” says Reggie Jones. “But that evolved into the hammock idea, with the palm trees. And there was another version in which the goat had a daisy in its mouth.” They finalized the label earlier last summer, just before Dream Weaver won best in class at the American Cheese Society Judging & Competition in July. The clincher for the chosen design? “I love the look on the goat’s face,” says Jones, laughing. “That smirk, that real California chill expression. And the lime-green color of the label paired with the orange rind—it adds to the Endless Summer feel.”
Kristine Jannuzzi
Food and travel writer Kristine Jannuzzi (aka @nyccheesechick) fell for formaggio the first time she tasted Pecorino Toscano in Florence some 20 years ago. She has been a frequent Culture contributor since 2013, and her work has also been published in La Cucina Italiana, Italy Magazine, and British Heritage Travel, among others. A bilingual dual American and Italian citizen, Kristine currently hosts private cheese tastings and visits to cheesemakers in Tuscany.
