"vermont cheesemakers festival" news and stories

At the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival last weekend, it was when a girl wearing a cheese hat walked by -- we were nowhere near Wisconsin, and there were zero Packers in sight -- that we realized the extent of cheesemania 'round these parts.

The sold-out festival took place on the grounds of a farm, appropriately -- Shelburne Farms -- and its primary sponsor was Vermont Butter & Cheese. And the 50 cheesemakers present, who had lured chefs, locals and fromage freaks from far afield, delivered quite a variety of fare. From chocolate-covered cheeses to cheese-and-chili-stuffed breads, the gamut was on offer.

Tickets were cheap, too: $20 for all-you-can-cheese, with $10 for wine and beer tastes. The old and young ran amok over the verdant grounds (this one got completely lost while trying to walk from one part of the sprawling farm to another). Children sampled cheddar voraciously, farmers shook hands, and we observed more than one woman sipping beer cautiously while a baby slept nestled against her chest. It seemed like a family affair. Though panels were available on how to pair and make cheeses, it was the stuff itself that got our attention.

Our top 10 favorite cheeses and photo editor Rachel Been's attached photo gallery after the jump.