I went to the First Annual "Cheesetopia" event this year in Milwaukee on April 12th. It was an event where a bunch of curd nerds got together to taste artisan cheese that was produced in the mighty Midwest. It will be held in Chicago in 2016 and Minneapolis in 2017 for anyone who missed out this year.
As a Midwesterner through and through, I'm delighted that this event has come into being, so thank you Jeanne Carpenter, founder of Wisconsin Cheese Originals. You also suckered me into being a member for $35 and getting nothing more than the privilege to spend $50 more for my Cheesetopia tickets...
But I digress...I didn't know what to expect at Cheesetopia. I thought it would be small, maybe 50 people, and run like any trade wine tasting that I've been too...just gobs of people geeking out about artisan wares and gettting day drunk. I wasn't far off.
As a Midwesterner through and through, I'm delighted that this event has come into being, so thank you Jeanne Carpenter, founder of Wisconsin Cheese Originals. You also suckered me into being a member for $35 and getting nothing more than the privilege to spend $50 more for my Cheesetopia tickets...
But I digress...I didn't know what to expect at Cheesetopia. I thought it would be small, maybe 50 people, and run like any trade wine tasting that I've been too...just gobs of people geeking out about artisan wares and gettting day drunk. I wasn't far off.
I got to meet my all-time favorite cheese-maker Andy Hatch. We shot the shit for awhile and I mentioned we were from Chicago. (Why I'm allowed to say that as a suburbanite is beyond me, but I go with it...) He asked my opinion on where to have the event in Chicago next year, "What about the Aragon?" he asked. For a Counting Crows concert in 2006, great!, for a cheese geek gathering? I think not...I told him to find some fancy schmancy place in the West Loop Arts District, hopefully they take my advice.
The glorious Pleasant Ridge was on his table, of course, and I had just bought some about a week earlier, but he was selling half pound slabs for $10 even, a ridiculous deal, so we bought more. "A June 2013 wheel," he told me, "We're waiting for it to warm up a little." How I love it when folks speak my cheese geek language...I had a New Glarus Spotted Cow in me at that point, so I asked him, "so, are you going to make Rush Creek this year?" he told me yes... Yes?!? I don't want to start any rumors...but I'm hopin'!
The glorious Pleasant Ridge was on his table, of course, and I had just bought some about a week earlier, but he was selling half pound slabs for $10 even, a ridiculous deal, so we bought more. "A June 2013 wheel," he told me, "We're waiting for it to warm up a little." How I love it when folks speak my cheese geek language...I had a New Glarus Spotted Cow in me at that point, so I asked him, "so, are you going to make Rush Creek this year?" he told me yes... Yes?!? I don't want to start any rumors...but I'm hopin'!
All in all, it was a good time and it was a nice drive to visit Milwaukee on a lazy Sunday. I tried some new cheeses including Hidden Springs Manchego, and found the darling little mother and daughter duo of Dreamfarm who had delightful goat cheeses you could taste were made with a lotta love.
Stay cheesy friends!
Stay cheesy friends!