Cheese and Wine Galore: California Artisan Cheese Festival 2018
The 2018 California Artisan Cheese Festival took place at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join one of the Friday tours — if I was, I think I would have had a pretty tough time choosing one as they all looked interesting and fun! There were ten tour options available that took you on an intimate tour to a local farm/creamery to learn about the role of farmers and the region as you’re guided on a walking tour. The tours included tastings of cheese and wines, lunch, and most of them included transportation too!
Luckily, I was able to make it to the Sunday Bubbles and Brunch with Chef Sergio Monleón of La Marcha Tapas Bar (located in Berkeley) and Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace. We enjoyed a little cooking demo and delicious three-course brunch with bubbly from Gloria Ferrer Winery that made the early morning commute from the South Bay worth it! Each of the courses included cheese, and the eggs were sponsored by Clover, located in Sonoma.
After we were done eating, we were escorted into the Hall of Flowers for early entry into the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace. I’m SO glad we had an hour’s head start on all other attendees because the lines got quite long as all other attendees started trickling in. The hall was filled with so many different cheese, wine, and beer/ale purveyors as well as other food products from baked goods to jams and beef jerky. There were so many vendors with delicious goods that it was impossible to try everything, but I certainly wanted to. It was so much fun wandering the hall with so many great products to discover and taste.
I’m so glad I was able to attend this event this year. I can’t wait to see which farms, creameries, wineries, and breweries will be attending next year. Perhaps next year I can get more of my friends to attend together. If you’re a cheese, wine, and beer lover, make sure to follow the California Artisan Cheese Festival’s social media channels for information on next year’s event:
Since we made such a far drive up to Sonoma, my friend and I decided to stop at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur. I kind of stumbled upon the place accidentally as I was searching for places to stop at in Marin; I definitely want to return again if I’m in the area. The plaza is full of eateries, clothing shops, bookstores, and outdoor space for the little ones to run around. The white shiplap (hey, watching Fixer Upper has paid off!) on the buildings gave the place a cozy country feel.
We stopped at Rustic Bakery, who was also at the festival, for some coffee and avocado toast. The sun was shining, and the weather was perfect if it wasn’t for a bit of wind. We joined the small crowd also sitting outside on the patio comprised of several white wood picnic tables. It was quite relaxing and a nice little break before we made the rest of our journey home.
I wish all of my Sundays could be so fun and full of delicious food! Thank you so much California Artisan Cheese Festival for having me, and I’ll certainly keep an eye out for next year’s event.
