Next Weekend, Artisan Cheese Festival Party in San Francisco!

Traditionally cheese festivals are in rural areas. Maybe on a farm, likely within walking distance of animals so kids can milk a goat or two, and wearing field-ready footwear is often encouraged. For the first time ever though, the California Artisan Cheese Guild is throwing its own cheese festival in San Francisco, Saturday, September 19th. I couldn't be more excited. And not a meet-and-greet bring your favorite cheese type of thang, this is a full blown gala. While I love the romantic idea of people wandering around a farm with a beer in one hand, and gazing into the eyes of the cow that gave the milk for the wedge of cheddar in their hand just five or six months prior, I also like the idea of an urban cheese PAR-TAY (Another sexy one coming up, by the way, is the Southern Cheese Festival in Nashville this Saturday). Why? Because with so many people in San Francisco who love cheese, why not celebrate it where they are?!

If the people love cheese, I say, bring the cheese to the people. Also bring beer and wine to people. Some of my favorite cheesemakers will be at the main Meet-the-Cheesemaker delicious party Saturday night, as will Magnolia Brewing Company, Fort Point Beer Co., and Harmonic Brewing and Sutton Cellars.

The main event is :

Saturday, September 19th, DogPatch Wine Works

• CheeseMaker Celebration with live music, cheese (with the cheesemakers who made it), wine, beer, local jams, and Josie Baker Bread.
• From 6 (if VIP tickets) or 7-10pm. Get your tickets here.

Additional ticketed festival events:

• Friday, September 18, from 6:30-7:30pm, famed local cheesemonger, Emiliano Lee, will host “Preview of Cheese Fest,” a cheese and beer pairing workshop at Eat Real Fest in Oakland. Ticketed on-site.

• Friday, September 18, from 5-7pm, a hoppy happy hour of brews and cheese celebrating these friends in fermentation, will take place at Smokestack at Magnolia Brewing Co. featuring Magnolia beer and cheese from California Artisan Cheese Guild cheesemakers.

• Friday, September 18, from 6-8pm, urban winemaker Carl Sutton will host a cheese and wine evening at Sutton Cellars featuring his wines paired with cheeses from California Artisan Cheese Guild members.

• Saturday, September 19, from 10am-1pm at Dogpatch WineWorks, the San Francisco Milk Maid will teach a hands-on cheesemaking “Curd Nerd” seminar where attendees will learn the basics of cheesemaking, the stages of fermentation, and how to stretch mozzarella and fill burrata.

Hope to see you among all the fermentation!