Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe thrilled to host first Wine and Cheese Night with Cornerfield Wine Co.

By Emily Stewart

The inaugural Wine and Cheese Night hosted by a local cheese shop will provide a taste of Huron and Perth counties.

Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe is partnering with Bayfield’s Cornerfield Wine Co. to host the deli’s first-ever Wine and Cheese Night on April 17. The evening will feature a variety of appetizers as well as a guided wine-and-cheese tasting.

Jenn Stacey, owner of Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe, said she always wanted to do a wine-and-cheese night. Cornerfield Wine Co., which has lots of fans in St. Marys, will be operating with their travelling liquor license and provide wine produced with grapes from the winery’s own vineyard.

“We’re providing the cheese. It’s going to be an exciting, fun night. I’m really, really excited about it,” Stacey said.

The guided wine-and-cheese tasting will feature four different wines for guests to try. After sampling each one, every guest will receive a free six-ounce glass of their favourite.

“It gives people time to stand there and chat and learn about what they’re eating and drinking,” Stacey said.

Stacey hopes there is enough interest for two sessions of the Wine and Cheese Night. The store will close early to prepare for the first round from 6-7:30 p.m. and will have a 30-minute cleanup before the second session. She said the event will be a chance for people to nibble on some cheese they haven’t tried before.

“Sometimes, people are very afraid to think outside the box and to try different cheeses, so this is an opportunity for us to showcase some of the amazing cheeses that we have that aren’t just your basic marble from the grocery store or old cheddar from the grocery store,” she said.

The wine-and-cheese event also showcases Canadian products, something many consumers are looking to purchase more of amid tariff threats from the United States government. Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe’s inventory is roughly 95 per-cent Canadian, with most of the cheeses coming from Ontario, including from New Hamburg, and some are from the Quebec border. There are also imports from England, Ireland, Scotland and Holland in stock.

“We really don’t carry a lot of U.S. cheese – I think we’ve got about three kinds – so this will just give us the opportunity to showcase and promote, number one, Canada, and then some of the English cheddars as well,” Stacey said.

The first 30 people who purchase tickets will be entered in a giveaway. There will also be a draw for a wine-and-cheese basket.

Visit the Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe’s Facebook and Instagram pages online for more information and updates on the event.