Artisinal cheese tour operator Cheese Journeys has announced a tour specifically for cheese-loving tourists for Labor Day weekend near Philadelphia. For that tour, turophiles will have the opportunity to sample cheeses produced in the greater Philadelphia region and in neighboring Chester County. Also on the itinerary will be local beers and wines, artisan spirits and farm-to-table cuisine.
The excursion, scheduled for Sept. 1-4, will be co-hosted by Tenaya Darlington, aka “Madame Fromage,” a writer and cheese expert. Co-hosting the trip will be Anna Juhl, the founder and CEO of Cheese Journeys.
“I fell in love with the people and the food culture of Philadelphia the first time I met up with Tenaya,” Ms. Juhl, whose five-year-old company is based in New York, said in a statement. “The city’s food culture is diverse and authentic, and the beautiful farms and rolling hills of Chester County remind me of the rural countryside where I grew up in the Midwest.
“I knew then it would become an obvious choice for an American Cheese Journey.”
Travelers will discover the traditions and innovations that make Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cheese culture so unique. Stops will include visiting two of the area’s celebrated cheesemakers, Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm and Tom Schaer of Meadowset Farm. The cheese pilgrims will also enjoy a private tasting with cheesemakers from Farm at Doe Run, a “Cheese Festival” at Artisan Exchange, dinner at the nationally acclaimed Talula’s Table and a private after-hours event at Di Bruno Bros., where the owners will provide unique pairing pairings for the local cheeses.
For accommodations, the tourists will stay at Chester County’s Inn at Grace Winery, situated on 50 acres in the Brandywine Valley.
“Chester County is Pennsylvania’s Loire Valley,” added Ms. Darlington. “With its fertile soils and lush pastures, it’s become a hub of cheesemaking on the East Coast and a stunning place to visit.
“I’ve spent the last decade exploring the many creameries around Philadelphia, and I can’t wait to share these experiences with the guests on this Cheese Journey.”
Guests will also tour Rowhouse Spirits, a Philadelphia distillery, and the Victory Brewery.
For more information visit CheeseJourneys.com.
• Eric Althoff can be reached at twt@washingtontimes.com.
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