Événement

Central Coast Cheese and Wine Celebration

Experience the Terroir of Monterey County at its best!

Join the producers from Garden Variety Cheese, Schoch Family Farmstead, Carmel Valley Ranch Creamery and Cima Collina Winery at the Cima Collina tasting room in Marina to celebrate local agriculture and the work of the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County. All proceeds will be donated to the RCD for their work in protecting and conserving local farmland, wildlife, and waterways.

We will be offering up tastes of award-winning sheep, goat and cow's milk cheeses from Central Coast farmstead cheesemakers Garden Variety Cheese, Schoch Family Farmstead, Charlie Cascio of Carmel Valley Ranch Creamery, Stepladder Creamer and Central Coast Creamery and pairings of locally produced wines from Monterey County wineries Cima Collina, McIntyre Vineyard and Smith Family Wines. Foustman's Salami will be sampling their artisanal uncured salami. There will be sampling of Happy Girl Kitchen's line of famous preserves along with honey from Las Lomas Lavender and Honey. Chef Rebecca King will be preparing small bites as well. We would like to thank American Ag Credit for being a sponsor of this event.

We will be celebrating the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County with a presentation on their work in the region. The RCD provides direct assistance to Monterey County landowners and managers to voluntarily protect their soil, water, and wildlife. Their work has resulted in the establishment of voluntary conservation and restoration projects on over 80 farms by collaborating with over 160 farmers and land managers. The RCD provides education, project planning and support services for a range of resource management methods including erosion control, water quality protection, habitat enhancement, fire and fuels mitigation coordination, flood management, irrigation efficiency, and nutrient management. Their conservation and restoration work is critical to maintaining an environmentally sustainable and economically viable agricultural sector while maintaining a high quality of life throughout the county.

Please pre-purchase your tickets for the event here! We will be selling tickets at the door for $50 as well.

About Cima Collina Winery: Cima Collina produces artisan wines from small Monterey vineyards. The idea of an artisan wine is the partnership with growers who meticulously cultivate vineyards, the insistence on using only carefully chosen fruit, and the creation of wine on a barrel-by-barrel basis.The focus on Monterey vineyards is an acknowledgment that this region is now and will continue to produce wines that are interesting, compelling and unique. With environmentally and socially conscious operations, Winemaker Annette Hoff Danzer specializes in vineyard designated Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, with small lot offerings of Tempranillo, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Bordeaux and Rhone varietals.

About Garden Variety Cheese: Garden Variety Cheese is a small farmstead sheep dairy located on 40 acre Monkeyflower Ranch in Northern Monterey County. Their sheep produce lovely, rich sweet milk that makes fabulous cheese and yogurt. To ensure the health and well-being of the animals and the high quality of the milk and cheese from Garden Variety Cheese, the 100 milking ewes there are fed on fresh pasture, alfalfa hay and organic brewers grain from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and organic grain from Modesto Milling. Their products can be found at seven local farmers markets as well as local stores and restaurants.

About Schoch Family Farmstead: Today, Schoch Dairy is one of only a few family dairies remaining in Monterey County. Milking less than 80 purebred Holstein cows, the Schoch family have held true to their commitment to quality over quantity. John Schoch, 2nd generation dairyman, literally takes a hands-on approach to running his business while doing most of the milkings himself. While producing artisan quality farmstead dairy products, John Schoch and his 3 sons have also been focused on maintaining their legacy of land stewardship. They have been actively involved with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County, and the Community Alliance of Family Farmers. Recent projects have included native hedgerow plantings, riparian habitat restoration, wastewater collection and reuse, composting, erosion control, nutrient management practices, improved pasture management and rotational grazing, just to name a few.

About Charlie Cascio and Carmel Valley Ranch Creamery: In 2016, when a wildfire swept through Big Sur and destroyed most of the cheesemaker's farm and livelihood, he had just enough time to evacuate his Swiss nanny goats and seek shelter in his cheese cave. Today, Charlie and his goats make unique, creamy cheese blends for The Ranch and invite guests to meet the adorably spunky ladies who supply the milk for his creations.

About Foustman's Salami: Foustmans Salami is a family-owned business specializing in creating unique styles and flavors of artisanal uncured salami. This medium-course, Italian dry salami is naturally dry-cured, and we never use chemical nitrates or nitrites. Our old-world style salami is hand cured, using traditional dry-curing practices that have been passed down from the Old Country and kept alive by passionate salami makers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The makers of Foustmans salami are direct descendants of this proud Italian culinary tradition, and have been producing artisan salami in the San Francisco Bay Area for four generations.