With the American Cheese Society Conference and Competition in town all week at the Monona Terrace, it’s sheer cheese madness in Madison. This week will be one of the only times you’ll ever see hundreds of cheesemakers all in the same place at the same time, and many are doing special events around the state.
So, while the conference itself is aimed primarily towards cheese professionals and serious cheese enthusiasts, here’s a round-up of cheesy events where you can still meet your favorite cheesemaker and taste their cheeses.
MONDAY, JULY 29
Book Signing and Cheese Tasting with Author Janet Fletcher
Time: 6 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
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TUESDAY, JULY 30
Sartori Cheese Tasting
Time: Noon – 4 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
Alemar Cheese Tasting with Minnesota Cheesemaker Keith Adams
Time: 5-7 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
Sugar Brook Cheese Tasting
Time: 1-3 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
Sartori Cheese Tasting
Time: 2:30-5:30 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
Green Dirt Farm Cheese Tasting with Missouri Cheesemaker Jacqueline Smith
Time: 3-6 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
Holland Family Farms Cheese Tasting
Time: 5-7 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
Avalanche Cheese Company Cheese Tasting with Colorado Cheesemaker Wendy Mitchell
Time: 5-7 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Tasting with Vermont Cheesemaker Joey Connor
Time: 5-7 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
ACS Meet Madison, Hosted by Underground Food Collective
Time: 5:30 – 8pm
Location: James Madison Park, 614 East Gorham Street, Madison
Cost: $20 per person, a fundraiser for the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award, purchase at meetmadisonandthedzta.eventbrite.com
Brazos Valley Farm Cheese Tasting with Texas Cheesemaker Marc Kuehl
Time: 6-7 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 1
Roelli Cheese Tasting with Wisconsin Cheesemaker Chris Roelli
Time: 1 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
Avalanche Cheese Company Cheese Tasting with Colorado Cheesemaker Wendy Mitchell
Time: 4-6 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
Alemar Cheese Tasting with Minnesota Cheesemaker Keith Adams
Time: 4-6 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
Summer of Riesling Crawl
Time: 6:15 – 9 pm
Location: Fromagination, Fresco & Square Wine Company
Cost: $35 per person, purchase ticket at frescomadison.com/rieslingcrawl
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 3
Holland’s Family Cheese Tasting
Time: 11 am – 2 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
Beehive Cheese Tasting with Utah Co-Founder Jeanette Ford
Time: 11am – 3 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
Martha’s Pimento Cheese Tasting with Wisconsin Cheesemaker Martha Davis Kipcak
Time: Noon – 2 pm
Location: Metcalfe’s Market, 726 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison
Cost: Free
Specialty Foods Tasting with Treats Bake Shop, Smoking Goose Meat, Quince & Apple, Lala’s Nuts
Time: 11 am – 2 pm
Location: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St., Madison
Cost: Free
American Cheese Society Festival of Cheese – Taste 1,700 Cheeses!
Time: 7 – 9:30 pm
Location: Exhibition Hall, Monona Terrace, One John Nolan Drive, Madison WI
Cost: $55 per person, purchase at www.cheesesociety.org
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
American Cheese Society Cheese Sale
Time: 11 am – 2 pm
Location: Grand Terrace, Monona Terrace, One John Nolan Drive, Madison
Cost: Free, but bring cash to buy cheeses from the conference
Cheese Tasting and Reading from Cheesemonger, A Life on the Wedge, with author Gordon Edgar, America’s Coolest Cheesemonger
Time: Noon
Location: Glorioso’s Italian Market, 1011 East Brady St., Milwaukee
Cost: $35 per person, register at www.gloriosos.com
Looking forward to seeing all of my cheese friends this week in Madison! Let me know if you know of other events, and I’ll add them to this list.
