Shelburne, Vt. – Over 200 Vermont cheeses will be the centerpiece of the 4th annual Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival at Shelburne Farms this summer, along with dozens of specialty foods, fine wines and locally-crafted beer. The sell-out event is slated for Sunday, July 22, 2012.
More than 40 Vermont cheesemakers will showcase their products at the festival, sampling and selling hundreds of different cheeses. Artisan bread makers and small-batch chocolatiers are among the 20 specialty food producers that will join the cheesemakers, along with 20 Vermont wineries and breweries offering local and organic microbrews, ice wine, and award winning cold-climate wines.
“Cheesemaking in Vermont has grown from a cottage industry with a few well-known brands to a vital piece of our agricultural fabric,” said Rachel Schaal of the Vermont Cheese Council. “In fact, Vermont has the highest number of cheesemakers per capita. That, along with the fact that Vermont cheeses continually bring home the gold from national and international competitions, has earned us the reputation as the Napa Valley of cheese.”
New for 2012 will be a “How Cheese Works” seminar with Zoe Brickley from the Cellars at Jasper Hill and Taylor Cocalis, co-founder of Good Food Jobs. Brickley and Cocalis will explore the basic science of cheesemaking from pasture to market. Sean Buchanan of Farmplate and Alice Feiring, author of Naked Wine, Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally, will lead the popular Wine & Cheese Pairing seminar.
The Festival will also feature two free demonstrations, a Cooking Show with Nina Lesser-Goldsmith of Healthy Living Market and a Cheesemaking Demonstration with Peter Dixon, owner of Westminister Artisan Cheesemaking.
The 4th annual Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival is presented by the Vermont Cheese Council. Admission is $40 per person, or $50 with wine and beer tasting. Seminars are $45 per person and seating is limited. For additional information and ticket reservations please visit www.vtcheesefest.com or call FlynnTix at 802-86-FLYNN (802-863-5966). Early registration is strongly recommended as the Festival typically sells out well in advance.
Source: Vermont Cheese Council
