A first-hand look at who, what, when, where & why
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The Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference was filled with educational sessions for retailers, distributors and cheesemakers from California and beyond. Now in its eighth year, the event provides valuable learning tools and ample time to network. And as you might expect at a cheese-centric event, there are plenty of cheeses to sample and discover. Sheana Davis, the conference's organizer, dislikes nametags, so she doesn't offer them. Instead, she wants attendees to mingle and introduce themselves.
Photos courtesy of James Fanucchi. |
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Two San Francisco retailers planned events on Feb. 26 in conjunction with the Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference. Ray Bair, owner of Cheese Plus, hosted an artisan cheese fair at his store in the afternoon. |
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Sam Mogannam, owner of Bi-Rite Market, organized an evening tasting event at 18 Reasons — a nonprofit started by Bi-Rite that engages the community through food and art. Attendees were able to sample and taste six cheeses, and meet their respective cheesemakers, including Karen Moreda of Valley Ford Cheese Co. and Chris Roelli, both pictured. |
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Sheana Davis, right, samples some of the goodies offered at the artisan cheese fair held at Cheese Plus, owned by Ray Bair, left. |
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Weighing in at 8 pounds, the small-but-mighty Roelli Cheese Haus's Dunbarton Blue (below), from Shullsburg, Wis., won the conference's cheese-rolling competition. It consistently out-rolled other wheels, both large and small. |
