Real Life Dollhouse: Cheese Fest!

Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending the 7th annual Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma California. It was everything I had always dreamed of. Endless samples of hundreds of cheeses, beers, wines, crackers, dips, olive oil, ice cream, and bread. For about three hours we made our way through the vendors, sampling everything we could get our hands on. We were like kids in a candy store.
There were many varieties of cheese represented but an overwhelming amount of sheep's milk cheeses. It could be a rising trend in artisan cheese making or just that there are many sheep farms in the region. Either way, there was no shortage of sheep's milk cheeses available to try. Another thing I noticed was the variety in Bleu Cheeses. I have a deep love of Bleu cheese, so naturally I was drawn to those vendors. The difference in taste was so much more than I had expected. I guess I have never tried different kinds back to back like that before. Some were so mild, like a seven year aged Bleu, where the color permeated the entire cheese, making it almost grey and much more solid in texture, and some were so tangy and salty, like the Big Boy Blue from Willapa Hills (which I ended up buying).
All in all, everything was delicious, everyone was kind and generous (like the pours from Lagunitas! They really filled your cup). I cannot wait till next year. And don't worry, we'll be doing a review of all the delectable goodies we brought home :)