Cheese and wine (and beer) go hand in hand (in hand), so putting these together on a balmy March evening in Petaluma, California, made perfect sense to me. Recently I attended the California Artisan Cheese Festival‘s “Chef vs. Chef – The Best Bite” competition, where about 20 restaurants vied to woo the public each offering a dish created using a regional cheese. Just about everything cheesy was here, from simple cheese-on-cracker presentations to a homey presentation of beef cheek barbacoa with Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel arepas. Cheesecake bites nestled in beside lobster poutine and salmon-goat cheese flatbreads.

What however to make of the elaborate ricotta, strawberry, and chocolate dessert… topped with crispy little fish? I can still taste this one, weeks later…

My favorite nibble of the night had to go to John Ash & Co., which produced a delightful item: Willapa Hills mac ‘n’ cheese and Hobbs’ bacon stuffed inside a homemade pretzel roll with Willapa Hills Lilly Pad cheese sauce. Decadent? You better believe it. But inventive and delicious, too.

My top sips were from Bucher Winery (two great pinot noirs), Paul Mathew Vineyards (another pinot), and Sonoma Portworks in the wine world. As well, two beers stood out: Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and Baeltane Brewing’s Saison.

Fun times all around! I look forward to checking it out again in 2016.

About Post Author

Christopher Null

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

See author's posts

Related Stories:

Highlights from the California Artisan Cheese Festival 2016 Highlights from the California Artisan Cheese Festival 2018 Review: Wines of Sonoma-Cutrer and Pt. Reyes Cheese, 2020 Tasting Tasting Report: Family Winemakers of California 2009