If you love cheese and you love all different types of cheese then you’ll probably enjoy CheeseFest + FERMENT. If you enjoy a drop of wine, whether fizzy and bubbly, rosy or deep and dark then you will probably love CheeseFest + FERMENT. If you add fermented anything (not just the booze) to that list of loves that you’d better put CheeseFest + FERMENT right at the top!

This year, the CheeseFest + FERMENT festival was held in Rymill Park/ Mullawirraburka over two days of glorious spring weather. More than one hundred producers from all over our state and further across Australia came together to bring entrants a feast for the senses. Admission to the festival was from $25 with children under 12 sneaking in for free. Entrance came with a branded bag and wine glass to fill with purchases and tastings throughout the day. Aside from the food and the drink there was live music a plenty and cooking demonstrations for entertainment. Those in the know brought a blanket and spent the day basking in the sunshine.

The perimeter of the venue was lined with stalls, with each offering up something slightly different. The first one we stopped at was Scull Kombucha. After not being able to make it to their brew door before they closed it down, we were very keen. If you’ve not heard of Scull, it’s an awesome kombucha brand with some creative and seasonal flavours such as loquats and elderflower (yumm!). When it came to the cheese there was literally so much on offer. All of the regulars were in attendance (Woodside Cheese Wrights, Udder Delights, Alexandrina Cheese Company to name a few) as well as some less common brands. We absolutely melted for the Vannella stall. At first it just looked like regular soft and delicious Italian cheese but that was before we tried it. There was the smokey scamorza affumicata and a gorgeous buffalo mozzarella just begging to be made into a caprese salad. When the stracciatella on bread came out (insert drool face) we entered a blissful moment to savour the creamy texture and flavours. Some of the top restaurants about town were present and were offering highlights from their menu with an emphasis on the cheesy. To cut through the savoury there was absolutely no going past the Ambra stall with their immaculate cappuccino liqueur and limoncello pops nor the Cuvee-Co Wines stall which boasted a most perfect prosecco.

So there you are; our highlights of the fermented, the cheese and the wine from CheeseFest + FERMENT 2019. See you next year!

Words by Vanessa De Chellis