12TH ANNUAL CALIFORNIA ARTISAN CHEESE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PARTICIPANTS IN BUBBLES & BRUNCH AND ARTISAN CHEESE TASTING & MARKETPLACE
Events feature Chef Sergio Monleón of La Marcha Tapas Bar, more than 100 cheesemakers and artisan purveyors
SANTA ROSA, Calif.—March 15, 2018— The California Artisan Cheese Festival, California’s premier cheese event, announces the participants and details for the final events of the festival: Bubbles & Brunch and the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace on Sunday, March 25. The multi-course brunch features a cheese-centric cooking demonstration by Chef Sergio Monleón of La Marcha, a critically acclaimed Spanish tapas bar in Berkeley, bubbles by Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, and early admission into the main event of the day, the Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace. Both events will take place at the Festival’s new, bigger location, the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Event Center in Santa Rosa. The popular weekend festival, taking place March 23-25, features an array of seminars, tours and tastings, and is expected to attract more than 2,500 guests. Tickets are now available at www.artisancheesefestival.
Bubbles and Brunch with Chef 
Sergio Monleón
Sunday, March 25
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Saralee & Richard’s Barn
Tickets: $125
The early riser gets a three-course brunch, some light-hearted culinary entertainment and advance entry into the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace. Guests enjoy a Sunday feast celebrating cheese in every course while being entertained with a live cooking demonstration by Chef Sergio Monleón of Berkeley’s La Marcha Tapas Bar. Tickets include brunch, sparkling wine and coveted early entry into the Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace at 11 a.m. before it opens to the public at 12 p.m.
Bubbles & Brunch Menu
Course 1: Seared piquillo peppers filled with Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog, caramelized onions and basil pesto, with field green salad in a Point Reyes Farmstead Bay Blue vinaigrette
Course 2: Open faced ‘croque-madam’ with confit pork, Nicasio Valley Reserve, fried egg and a Mornay sauce of Cowgirl Creamery cheese
Course 3: Bellwether Farms cheesecake with seasonal fruit compote
Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace
Sunday, March 25
12 to 4 p.m.
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Hall of Flowers
Tickets: $50 per person, $25 for kids 12 and under
In this banquet for the senses, the Artisan Marketplace brings together more than 100 artisan cheese and specialty food producers, winemakers, brewers and cider makers. Each offer their hand-crafted cheeses, delectable products that complement cheese, boutique wines, artisan-brewed beers and handcrafted ciders. Guests are invited to taste, sip, explore and discover the next wave of interesting cheese and complementing products. Vendors will be sampling and selling their wide variety of cheeses and artisan products. Every guest brings home an Artisan Cheese Festival insulated tote bag as well as a festive wine glass. Live entertainment includes Late for the Train, a folk band comprised of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists sharing traditional and original music ranging from fiddle tunes and bluegrass riffs to melancholic folk songs.
Cheesemakers showcasing their products at the Marketplace include:
- Achadinha Cheese Company
- Beehive Cheese Company
- Bellwether Farms
- Central Coast Creamery
- Chevoo
- Cowgirl Creamery
- Cypress Grove
- Fiscalini Cheese Co.
- Laura Chenel’s
- Marin French Cheese Co.
- Nicasio Valley Cheese Co.
- Nicolau Farms
- Orland Farmstead Creamery
- Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Co.
- Pennyroyal Farm
- Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company
- Schoch Family Farmstead
- Shamrock Artisan Goat Cheese
- Sierra Nevada Cheese Co.
- Stuyt Dairy Farmstead Cheese Co.
- Two Rock Valley Goat Cheese
- Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery
- Vintage Cheese Company
- Willapa Hills Cheese
- Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers
- Ace Cider
- Barber Cellars
- Bear Republic Brewing
- Bennett Valley Cellars
- Black Kite Cellars
- Bucher Winery
- Estate 1856
- Fogline Vineyards
- Gordian Knot Winery
- Heidrun Meadery
- J. Rickards Winery
- Joseph Jewell Wines
- Kelley & Young Wines
- Kokomo Wines
- Korbel Champagne Cellars
- Lagunitas Brewing Company
- Lassen Traditional Cider
- Merriam Vineyards
- North Coast Brewing Co.
- Paul Mathew Vineyards
- Pennyroyal Wine
- Pierce Ranch Vineyards
- Russian River Vineyards
- Seismic Brewing Company
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- Sonoma Portworks
- Trione Vineyards & Winery
- Baci Chocolatier
- The Baconer
- Beaujolais Panforte
- Beck’s Bakery
- Black Pig Meat Co.
- Bryerton’s Roasted Almonds
- California Endive Farms
- CapaBunga
- Chef Josef’s Seasoning Blends
- Cookie…take a bite!
- Copperfield’s Books
- Culture Magazine
- Diane’s Sweet Heat
- DRY Soda Company
- Estate 1856
- Farm Chocolate
- Farm Fresh to You
- Food Crafters Alliance
- The Garden Wild
- Golden State Pickle Works
- Hiroko’s Ceramics
- Humboldt Hot Sauce
- Interiors by Lynn
- Jake’s Castro Kitchen
- Jamnation
- Jimtown Store
- Kelly’s Jelly
- Lala’s Urban Farmstand and Jam Bar
- Lucero Olive Oil
- Mi Distinctive Tastes
- Monarch Bitters
- Natureland Farm
- Oh Bees
- Petaluma FFA
- Petaluma Visitors Program
- R & J Toffees
- Redwood Empire Food Bank
- Revolution Bread
- Rustic Bakery
- Salt and Spoons
- Sinful Salt
- Sola Bee Farms
- Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District
- Sonoma Land Trust
- South Paw Seasonings
- Sparrow Lane
- Tahoe Kitchen Co.
- TCHO Chocolate
- Volo Chocolate
- Whole Foods Market
- Wine Lover’s Jelly
Baby strollers are not permitted in the Marketplace. All ticket sales are final, and all events will take place rain or shine. Parking is complimentary.
Generous sponsors of the California Artisan Cheese Festival include American AgCredit, Beehive Cheese Company, Bellwether Farms, Central Coast Creamery, City of Santa Rosa, Clover Sonoma, Cowgirl Creamery, Culture Magazine, Cypress Grove, Donald and Maureen Green Foundation, DRY Soda Company, EcoTensil, Edible East Bay, Edible Marin & Wine Country, Ellipses PR, Exchange Bank, Fiscalini Cheese Co., Flamingo Resort Hotel & Conference Center, Formaticum, Hotel Petaluma, John Boos/Boos Boards, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Mike Hudson Distributing, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Oliver’s Markets, Pennyroyal Farm, Pisenti & Brinker LLP, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Pure Luxury Transportation, Real California Milk, Rustic Bakery, Seismic Brewing, Sheraton Sonoma County – Petaluma, Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District, Sonoma County Tourism, Tahoe Kitchen Co., Tony’s Fine Foods, Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery, Visit Santa Rosa, Whole Foods Market, Willapa Hills Cheese, and Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers.
About California Artisan Cheese Festival
A 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, the California Artisan Cheese Festival strives to increase cheese appreciation, educate consumers about artisan cheeses, support the cheesemaking community and its sustainability, and celebrate the creations of California’s many farmers and cheesemakers. The festival began in March 2007 as the first-ever, weekend-long celebration and exploration of handcrafted cheeses, foods, wines and beers from California and beyond. In keeping with its dedication to the community, the Artisan Cheese Festival has donated more than $105,000 in grants to local nonprofit partners that support local sustainable agriculture including the California Artisan Cheese Guild, Sonoma Land Trust, Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), the Redwood Empire Food Bank and the Petaluma Chapter of the Future Farmers of America. For more information about the California Artisan Cheese Festival, visit www.