With a dessert menu like this, small wonder Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival has fully sold out.
Tickets are still available for All-Day Cheese-Tasting Seminars on Saturday and the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair on Sunday.
Here’s what’s still available in seminars. Because the full range of topics no longer is available, the All-Day Seminar admission price has been reduced to $100.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4: ALL CHEESE, ALL DAY
Keynote Presentation: 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
An introduction to what arguably are the best cheeses made in Canada today—from cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep’s milk. Taste the three cheeses, meet the makers, start the day on a high.
Tasting Seminars, First Session, 10:15 to 11:30 a.m.
Canadian Cheddar: A Vertical Tasting
A great way to entertain, vertical tasting means tasting the same cheese at various ages, from as young as possible to well-aged. Tasting different cheddars in this manner will introduce your taste buds to the amazing range of flavours to be found in Canada’s favourite cheese.
Presenter: Deborah Levy of Dairy Farmers of Canada, cheese educatorLunch: 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
A healthy buffet lunch for All-Day Seminar Pass holders by Waring House in Picton.
Tasting Seminars, Second Session: 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.
Battle of the Blues
Marvel at the different taste sensations delivered by a cross-section of blue cheeses made in Canada, from Tiger Blue in British Columbia to Dragon’s Breath in Nova Scotia with several stops in Ontario and Quebec.
Presenter: Andy Shay of AndyShay.com, cheese consultant and cheese buyer at Sobeys OntarioWine or Beer with Cheese: How Does One Decide?
Presenter: Andrew Laliberté of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, chef and sommelierTasting Seminars, Third Session: 2:45 to 4:00 p.m.
Europe’s Cheese Classics
Roquefort, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyere and others, why are they still the yardsticks by which all cheese is measured? How close are North American cheesemakers to catching up? Taste a selection of classics.
Presenter: Gurth Pretty, cheese guru and author of The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal & Fine CheeseArtisanal Cheese Defined and Defended
Why integrity of ingredients matter. Why turning milk into cheese is a craft. Why the bond between and farmer is important, and worth preserving. What’s with MMIs? A selection of artisan cheeses for tasting.
Presenter: Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy, cheesemakerInvest in Cheese/Getting started in cheesemaking
For cheese lovers interested in getting into the business of cheese.
Presenter: Andy Shay of AndyShay.com, cheese consultant and cheese buyer at Sobeys Ontario
All-Day Tasting Program includes one adult admission to full day of cheese talk and cheese tasting, Saturday, June 4, including a Festival tote bag, a buffet lunch, the keynote presentation and one seminar in each of three sessions. In most seminars, the cheese will be paired with wine, beer or cider. FREE parking