It’s summer in Wisconsin and that means it’s time to plan an event around what else …. cheese! My inbox is filling up with upcoming events. If you’re looking for something to do this summer revolving around cheese, the options are endless. Here are a few happenings around the state:
Tuesday, July 7: Betty Lou Cruises in Madison is hosting a special Wine & Cheese cruise on Lake Monona from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. You’ll get to see the full moon rising over Madison’s skyline and eat local specialty cheeses paired with wines. Cost: $60. Sign up online.
Tuesday, July 7: Bunky’s Café at 2425 Atwood Avenue in Madison will play host to a Wine, Cheese and Hors d’oeuvres Tasting to benefit local food nonprofit REAP Food Group. I will actually be leading an artisanal cheese tasting. Chef Dan Fox of the Madison Club, Peter Robertson of RP’s Pasta and food writer Terese Allen will also each prepare small bites that highlight their culinary specialties. The event runs from 5:30 to 8 pm. Cost: $20 per person with all proceeds benefiting REAP Food Group programs. Payment at the door. No RSVP necessary.
Saturday, July 18: Wisconsin Cheese Originals is sponsoring an exclusive tour of Roth Kase USA, including the first-ever tasting of Roth Kase experimental & trial cheeses (varieties never before tasted by the public), and an amazing fondue tasting in Roth Kase’s elegant culinary center, overlooking thousands of wheels of cheese, gently aging to perfection. This experience is open to all Wisconsin Cheese Original members – join here. Event cost: $15.
Monday, July 27: Chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo, co-owner of Talula in Miami Beach, Florida, will lead a class at the Carr Valley Cooking School in Sauk City, Wis. She will share her eclectic blended style of cooking from her special risottos and homemade pastas to southwestern styled seafood. Chef Andrea is one of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s 2009 Chef Ambassadors. Event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Cost: $45. Sign up online.
Tuesday, August 25: Larry’s Market in Brown Deer, Wis., is hosting a series of cheese classes all summer (go here to view them all), but one of the most interesting will be the Blue Ribbon Cheeses Event. You’ll be among the first to try some of the award winning cheeses from the American Cheese Society’s annual competition and Wisconsin’s State Fair competition. Cost: $25.00
Happy cheese eating!