March 2015                              Artisan Cheese Festival

We love cheese and we love local. This event is in it's 9th year and it screams both.

Not all the cheese is local but probably 80% or more is. The chef's and cheese mongers are. It attracts people from all over the country and it's right here in Sonoma County where the farms are.

This year Friday evening was all about cheese mongers working with a single cheese. The space was filled with bite size morsels displayed.

Saturday has a full schedule of seminars that take place in the hotel's many conference rooms. We have attended many in the past and this year opted not.

The Grand Tasting on Saturday evening has many Sonoma County and a few Bay area chef's serving a creation that incorporates a cheese. This is the event to enjoy food and wine. Our table was set in the middle of the room, a great spot to recommend people to different tables for wine pairing's. We were pouring Pinot of course but Chardonnay and Cab Franc as well.

Nick's Cove from Tomales Bay served a Lobster Poutine that paired great with our Chardonnay.
Ahwhanee had beef cheeks on a polenta cake that we recommended with our Horseshoe Bend Pinot.
There was a very fun grilled tomato sandwich with cheese soup by the Duck Club in Bodega Bay.
So many incredible ideas you might consider attending next year.

Sunday is the very popular market place where hundreds of people come to taste the individual cheeses and purchase. Many other cheese friendly products are being sampled as well as wines, beer and ciders. Mat takes this event under his wing and I stay in the Tasting Room. He comes home tired and full with many stories of the people he's met from all over the country that have favored our wines and the opportunity they had for the introduction. It is great exposure for us and we love supporting this very cheesy event.

Check the web site for next year. It is a must put on the calendar for March's schedule 2016.

artisancheesefestival.com