A rising group of new generation and urban cheesemakers will take the spotlight at the Tenth Annual Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference - a yearly gathering of American artisan cheesemakers, retailers, distributors and food writers, on Feb. 23 – 27, 2013, in Sonoma, Calif.

Hosted by Sheana Davis of The Epicurean Connection, the conference is a premier destination for cheese industry opinion leaders from across the nation. This year, the event will highlight a core group of young cheesemakers representing a new generation in the industry. In addition, the bright lights of the big city will take the spotlight with a presentation on urban cheesemaking in Seattle, Milwaukee and New York.

Conference festivities kick off a day early in San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 23, with Cheese Plus hosting a public Winter Artisan Cheese Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. The event showcases cheesemakers leading the artisan and farmstead cheese movement, as well as wines and ales from Sonoma County. The conference proper begins Sunday, Feb. 24 at The Mac Arthur Place in Sonoma with an afternoon Winter Artisan Cheese Fair, featuring artisan cow, sheep and goat cheese producers, wines, brews, guest chefs and a Winter Mac & Cheese Cook-off. The next two days feature seminars and networking sessions at the MacArthur Place in Sonoma, and wraps up with a special one-day ZingTrain session led by Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's.

To register, email Sheana Davis at sheana@vom.com or call 707- 935-7960.
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