Arts & Entertainment
Video: The Art of the Nibble at the Artisan Cheese Fest
Annual event created as a way to promote dairy industry and help producers make connections
It was a feast for the senses at the Artisan Cheese Festival over the weekend as an estimated 2,000 people flocked to the Petaluma Sheraton to sample an array of not only cheeses, but wines, figs, olive oil, baked treats and other delicacies.
Check out our video footage from Sunday's Artisan Cheese Marketplace on the right
At the chef's stage on Sunday, well-known chefs gave cooking demos to salivating audiences while Saturday was devoted to workshops on everything from how to become a cheesemaker to learning how to evaluate cheese like a pro. And for the lucky few who nabbed tickets early, there were tours of local farms, followed by lunch or dinner on the premises.
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This was the fifth anniversary of the festival, created to educate people about the joys of artisan cheese and help producers make connections. And that they did, hobnobbing, passing out business cards and, of course, nibbling on samples of date wheels, bread sticks and hard, soft and stinky cheeses.
An addition, attendees were awarded an impressive foldout Sonoma Marina Cheese Trail map, sure to provide lots of ideas for yummy day trips in the months to come.
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Proceeds from the three-day event benefit Petaluma Future Farmers of America, Redwood Empire Food Bank and Sonoma Land Trust, among others.
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