There has not been much cheese talk lately on 'Serge the Concierge'.
Is it due to the fact that I have not made discoveries that wowed me in that field lately?
Should I put cheese festivals on my to do list this summer?
Meeting the farmers and producers, getting their story first hand is fodder for writing.
I am considering at least trekking to Vermont for the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival in Shelburne on July 25th.
A few facts learned from the program notes:
Vermont is the premium artisanal cheese state with the highest number
of cheesemakers per capita: over 40 of them!
Some of the activities offered along the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne
Farms Coach Barn:
- 50 Cheesemakers
- 20 Wineries and Breweries
- 15 Artisan Food Producers
- 1 Cheesemaking Demo
- Over 100 cheeses to sample and purchase
Some of the Big Cheeses present to enlighten us during the festival are Kate Arding, co-founder of Culture magazine ('the word on cheese'), Marc Druart from the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese and Janet Fletcher, master gardener, food writer and author of a number of books, most recently, Eating Local (Andrews McMeel).
Already have plans for the Sunday, Vermont Farm Tours will offer five cheese tours ($95 per person) on Saturday, July 24.
5 options are a southern tour based in Manchester, a central tour focused on the
Brookfield area, an Addison County tour, a Hardwick-area tour, and a
Shelburne-based wine tour.
This all day event includes lunch.
Say Cheese!