The woman behind GVINAGE
Naomi Richard Stein
A certified Master Cheesemaker — one of 37 in the world — and a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. She makes the GVINAGE cheeses at Rom Farm in the Upper Galilee.
The path
Naomi studied food engineering and agriculture at the University of Lyon in France, and later specialized in cheese at ENILEA, the Besançon-Mamirolle campus of the French national school for the dairy industry.
Cheese may be an exact science, but the greatest magic happens precisely when you can’t achieve the optimal conditions. Every time a batch strays from the recipe, I discover another depth and another flavour — and it only deepens my passion for the craft.
Why goats and sheep
The Galilee terroir where the farm sits is excellent for raising and grazing sheep and goats, but not suited to cattle — which demand large resources and “bending nature”. That does not sit with the values Naomi brings with her, so all GVINAGE cheeses are made from goat and sheep milk only.
For us, listening to the land and connecting with nature are an inseparable part of the creative process. In our view, the Galilee terroir is not suited to raising cattle, so we chose not to make cheese from cow’s milk. Even when I create a cheese inspired by Brie, Camembert or Morbier, I take the traditional recipe and, after many trials, adapt it to our goat or sheep milk and its unique character.
What I look for in a cheese
In a cheese, I always look for the story behind it. That is how you reach the deeper layers of flavour and aroma — a constant reminder that cheese is a raw material like no other.
Why Rom Farm
Since summer 2024, GVINAGE has operated at Rom Farm on Mount Kamon — an agricultural rehabilitation centre for soldiers living with post-traumatic stress and for people coping with mental illness.
When we first came to the farm, we fell in love with the story, the place, the people and the work. It was clear to us that we could contribute to this magical place.