Central Point, OR – Oregon-inspired culinary events, including a farmer’s market-style artisan food and wine festival, will kick off with the Meet the Cheesemakers and Winemakers Dinner @ the Oregon Cheese Festival during the third weekend in March.
Friday, March 14th – Dinner
To commence the festival, a sumptuous meal introducing guests to participating artisans will be held at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland Friday night, March 14th from 6:15 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. The dinner is held for the benefit of the non profit 501 (c) (6) Oregon Cheesemaker Guild. Each course will spotlight a cheese made by one of the festival's artisans paired with a local wine or beer.
Saturday, March 15th – Festival
At the festival on Saturday March 15th from 10 A.M. – 5 P.M., thousands of visitors will sample cow, sheep, and goat cheese from Oregon creameries, including Pholia Farm, La Mariposa Creamery, Ochoa Creamery, Tumalo Farms, Tillamook County Creamery, Willamette Valley Cheese Co., Fern’s Edge Goat Dairy, Oak Leaf Creamery, Umpqua Dairy, Rivers Edge Chevre, Briar Rose Creamery, Face Rock Creamery, Full Circle Creamery, Portland Creamery, Rogue Creamery, and many others.
The Oregon Cheese Festival will be open to the public Saturday, March 15th from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. at Rogue Creamery, 311 North Front St .(Hwy. 99), Central Point, OR.
Held under 2 large heated tents, 14,000 sq. ft. of space, at Rogue Creamery's Central Point facility, the tenth annual festival will invite guests to shake hands with cheesemakers & other artisans. Activities will be provided for children including games, activity sheets and baby cow petting.
"The farmer's market format will present an interactive experience between makers and visitors, giving everyone an opportunity to talk about the product, the process and learn each individual cheesemaker's story," says David Gremmels, co-owner with Cary Bryant of Rogue Creamery. "It's a way to truly be connected with the source of the cheese being presented."
Southern Oregon & other local culinary artisans and beverage providers who are expected to participate include Lillie Belle Farms, Gary West Meats, Applegate Valley Artisan Breads, Cupcake Daily, Slagle Creek Vineyards, Ledger David Cellars, South Stage Cellars, Serra Vineyards, Caprice Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Crater Lake Cellars, Hot Lips Soda, Clear Creek Distillery, Bend Distillery, Klamath Basin Brewing, Oakshire Brewing, and Rogue Ales. Samples and /or sales will be offered at each booth.
A $15 entry fee includes tastings and demonstrations. A $5 wine, beer and spirit tasting fee includes a commemorative glass with the Oregon Cheese Guild logo. For more information contact the Oregon Cheese Guild website @ www.oregoncheeseguild.org , Rogue Creamery at 866-396-4704, or www.roguecreamery.com.
Our special guest this year will be Max McCalman, author of “The Cheese Plate” and renowned as one of the cheese world’s living legends for his expertise, insight and passion. He is dedicated to helping others understand and enjoy the unique pleasures of artisanal cheeses. Max has authored three books, most recently “Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager,” which won “World’s Best Book on Cheese” for 2011 from Gourmand International World Cook Book Awards. Max is a contributing editor to the leading cheese magazines: Culture and Cheese Connoisseur and is also Chairman of the American Cheese Society’s (ACS) Committee for Certified Cheese Professionals (CCP). Max’s passion for cheese and vast knowledge of the trade will help make this a unique experience for the guests.
Sunday, March 16th – Double EE
A new event created to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Oregon Cheese Festival is the Sunday, March 16th, from 10 A.M. – 2 P.M., Double EE: chEEse and bEEr. The Double EE, a friendly cheese and beer competition, challenges cheese makers and brew masters to create great tastes together along with a story behind the pairing. The three celebrity judges planned to participate are author Janet Fletcher, Cheesemonger Steve Jones, and CULTURE founder Lassa Skinner. There will be at least 10 teams participating in the event including 6 Oregon Cheese Guild cheesemakers. Tickets are $50 per audience member and the event is limited to 100 guests, and entitle guests to entry into the competition and event, an official judges score card, the opportunity to participate in the judging , plenty of time to taste the beer and cheese pairings with the makers after the competition, and a tasting tumbler” keepsake” logoed beer glass. This competition will definitely be an event to remember for any beer and cheese lover.
The festival would not be possible without the generous support of the City of Central Point, Travel Medford, and the Dairy Farmers of Oregon, Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department, USA Pear Bureau, Rogue Ales, Culture Magazine, Cheese Connoisseur Magazine, and the members of the Oregon Cheese Guild.
Source: Oregon Cheese Guild
