4 RAMINI MOZZARELLA 175 GERICKE ROAD, TOMALES; 415/690-6633; RAMINIMOZZARELLA.COM RAMINI’S LOVE OF ITALIAN FOOD LED HIM TO THE IDEA OF RAISING WATER BUFFALO AND MAKING MOZZARELLA OUT OF THEIR MILK, MORE COMMON IN ITALY BUT VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF IN AMERICA. December 2014/January 2015 69 In typical Silicon Valley style, Craig Ramini is either brilliant, bizarre or maybe both. Only the water buffalo know for sure. After two decades as a software consultant, Ramini ran his own life through the start-up generation process. “I put sticky notes on the wall on what made me happy,” he recalls. Those clustered papers revealed three things: Ramini liked being around large, dangerous animals, he enjoyed his early years in his grandfather’s restaurant and he liked going up against overwhelming odds. Ramini quickly ruled out lion taming and decided to go into the dairy and cheese-making business. But no cows or goats for him—Ramini’s love of Italian food led him to the idea of raising water buffalo and making mozzarella out of their milk, more common in Italy but virtually unheard of in America. So a few years ago, this Silicon Valley guy, who was raised on a golf course, leased 25 acres of a cattle ranch, bought some water buffalo and got to work along with his patient wife, Audrey Hitchcock. His acreage was chosen for its proximity to the coast and nice grassy areas that appear suitably Mediterranean. The herd now stands at 37 water buffalo, all with rock star names. Van Morrison is the stud, but the band includes Janis Joplin and Norah Jones. Ramini is a natural master of ceremony, filling his tour with colorful stories. As he leads visitors into a renovated former cow-milking parlor, he shares how he kept some of the interior intact, foolishly believing that it would ease the transition. “I thought I was in good shape, that all I had to do was walk the water buffalo in, hook them up to the metal poles already in place and milk them,” Ramini says. He quickly learned that water buffalo are not so easily duped: “They nearly brought the building down.” Today, two water buffalo at a time are milked every day at 8 a.m., and one of Ramini’s proudest pieces of equipment is the espresso machine that helps get the humans through the morning. He also loves to brandish the “thornbush,” a large stainless steel implement that resembles a gnarly branch and is used to separate the cheese’s curd and whey. Mozzarella production here is small: approximately 200 pounds a week that mainly goes to local restaurants. Visitors are treated to a few precious slices and are encouraged to bring bread and wine to enjoy at rustic tables on Ramini’s field—under the watchful eyes of his horned friends. CHEESY BITES Farmstead mozzarella di bufala made from water buffalo milk. VIBE Silicon Valley gutsiness meets its Old World match. BOOTS OR HEELS Dried grass fields and rickety steps are not meant for pumps. TOUR/TASTING OPTIONS Tours by appointment only. Water buffalo mom Pat (Benetar) with calf Bonnie (Raitt) savors the grass in one of seven Ramini pastures. COURTESY OF RAMINI MOZZARELLA
South Bay Accent - Dec 2014/Jan 2015
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