Ignite your passion for fromage
Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3 Three tutored tastings per day
It’s all cheese, all day, each day during The Great Canadian Cheese Festival. There are three different guided tastings offered each day.
- Cheese Tasting 101, presented by Julia Rogers
- Cheddars Coast to Coast, presented by Andy Shay
- Pairing Cheese with Wine, presenter to be announced
- Breakfast of Champions, presented by Georgs Kolesnikovs
- Taste of the West, presented by Janice Beaton
- Taste of Québec, presented by Vanessa Simmons.
Tasting seminars run concurrently with the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair in the adjacent Prince Edward Community Centre. Tickets are sold separately. Most presentations include tasting of cheese and sampling of wine or beer.*
Saturday, June 2
10:15 to 11:30 am
ARTISAN CHEESE TASTING 101
A primer for those who want to appreciate cheese, not just eat it. Get acquainted with the different families and flavours of cheese. Gather tips for how to serve and accompany your favourites. Learn to taste and talk about cheese like a pro, as you enjoy a flight of seven selections.
Presenter: Julia Rogers of Cheese Culture, cheese and wine educator. Read more . . .
1:00 to 2:15 pm
CANADIAN CHEDDARS COAST TO COAST
Is there anything more Canadian than a fine cheddar? Marvel at the different taste sensations delivered by a cross-section of cheddar cheeses made in Canada, from British Columbia to Prince Edward island, with several stops in Ontario and Québec.
Presenter: Andy Shay, cheese consultant and cheese buyer at Sobeys Ontario. Read more . . .
3:15 to 4:30 pm
HOW TO PAIR ARTISAN CHEESE WITH FINE WINE
There is more to it than a decision between white and red when you want to enhance your enjoyment of cheese. Let an outstanding wine sommelier take you on a flight of Canadian cheeses and wines that inform and educate—and garner you advice you can take home.
Presenter: To be announced
After the Saturday tastings, you will want to take a breather—or a nap—before returning for the Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala at 6:00 p.m. Tickets sold separately.
Sunday, June 3
10:15 to 11:30 am
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
An introduction to what arguably are the best cheeses made in Canada today—from cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep’s milk. Taste the three cheeses, meet the three makers, start the day on a high.
Presenter: Georgs Kolesnikovs, Festival founder and blogger-in-chief at CheeseLover.ca
1:00 to 2:15 pm
WHEY OUT WEST
An introduction to the stunning cheeses of Western Canada that will forever change your perception of Canadian cheese.
Presenter: Janice Beaton of Janice Beaton Fine Cheese and Farm Restaurant, Calgary
3:15 to 4:30 pm
TASTE OF QUEBEC
Sample a selection of the iconic and the new from Canada’s leading artisan-cheese region. Paired with craft beer and crisp cider from la Belle Province.
Presenter: Vanessa Simmons of Savvy Company, cheese sommelier
TUTORED CHEESE TASTINGS: $50 each BUY TICKETS NOW!
COOKS & CURDS CHEESE GALA: $100 BUY TICKETS NOW!
* Being Ontario, no alcoholic beverages can be served prior to 11 a.m. on Saturday and 12 noon on Sunday. Age of majority regulations apply at Festival functions where alcoholic beverages are served.
