MADISON, Wis. – More than a dozen nationally renowned speakers and Wisconsin cheesemakers will present a wide array of tasting and educational seminars at this fall’s Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival.
The seminars, set for between Noon – 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, will take center stage at the Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, a two-day event that draws more than 1,000 cheese lovers from around the country, all of whom descend on Madison for a weekend of tours, seminars, dinners and the popular Meet the Cheesemaker Evening Gala.
Tickets go on sale in September. Seminars are each limited to 32 participants and range in price from $20 – $35. The line-up of seminars & speakers includes:
- Cheese Making 101: So you think you want to be a cheesemaker? Cheese Technologist Dean Sommer from the Center for Dairy Research covers the fundamental principles of the art and science of cheesemaking.
- Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Scotch Paring: Spirits Master at Vom Fass USA, Greg Long, proves artisanal scotches are just as good as pairing with artisanal cheeses as wines and beers. Explore four scotches and four cheese pairings.
- A New Era for Wisconsin Cheddar: Cheesemakers Tony Hook and Joe Widmer are ushering in a new era of specialty Cheddars. Taste four aged Cheddars, ranging from 2 to 12 years, moderated by Steve Ehlers, of Larry’s Market.
- Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Rum Pairing: Coming all the way from Los Angeles, Barrie Lynn – The Cheese Impresario presents a fresh perspective on cheese pairings with four different Wisconsin artisan cheeses and four different rums.
- Creating Dairyland: A Conversation About How Cows Saved Wisconsin: Author Ed Janus talks about how caring for cows saved Wisconsin’s soil, created our landscape, brought prosperity to our state and still shapes our way of life. Cheesemakers Sid Cook and George Crave join Ed in the conversation and bring their favorite cheeses to share.
- Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Craft Beer Pairings: Explore why pairing artisan cheeses with craft beers is such a hot trend. Chef Sara Hill will lead a tasting of six different Wisconsin cheeses and six different micro-brews from Wisconsin.
- International Cheeses Vs. Their Wisconsin Counterparts: Wisconsin artisan cheeses win more awards than any other state, but how do they compare against their international counterparts? Taste and compare six different cheeses with Fromagination owner Ken Monteleone.
- Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairings: Experience tells us there are natural partners in certain wines and cheeses. Wine connoisseurs Jady & Gisele Grad will lead a tasting of four wines with four exclusive Wisconsin cheeses.
Additional cheese festival events include all-day Friday farm and creamery tours, a Friday evening Meet the Cheesemaker Gala, Saturday farmer’s market tours with lunch at Fromagination, and ten different Saturday evening Cheesemaker Dinners at participating Madison Originals restaurants.
Tickets for all events go on sale to members of Wisconsin Cheese Originals on Sept. 12, with remaining tickets available to the public one week later. Visit www.wicheesefest.com to learn more.
Wisconsin Cheese Originals thanks the sponsors of the Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, including: Gold-Level sponsors Klondike Cheese, World Import Distributors, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board; Silver-Level sponsors BelGioioso Cheese, Dairy Business Innovation Center, Emmi Roth USA, Fromagination, Organic Valley, Uplands Cheese; and Bronze-Level sponsors Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Edible Madison, Fromartharie, and Meister Cheese.
About Wisconsin Cheese Originals
Have Fun. Do Good. Eat Cheese. Wisconsin Cheese Originals shares information about Wisconsin artisan cheeses through a variety of events, all in the spirit of celebrating Wisconsin cheesemakers. It also offers an annual $2,500 scholarship to a beginning cheesemaker to help launch new artisanal cheeses and sponsors the Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival. www.wisconsincheeseoriginals.com
Source: Wisconsin Cheese Originals
