There is no bad cheese. Of course, there can be bad cheese if it gets old or gets run over and squished by a truck (that's not what we're saying). But most cheese, even the most basic and rubbery of types, can be redeemable. No, you probably don't want to slice that stuff up and put it next to some fancy grapes for your next wine party, but you can melt it and mix it in with some macaroni and hot sauce and it can find a little oomph. That's the beauty of one of the planet's great dairy stories–there's always hope.

And there's always the other end of the scale, the dreamlike bites that are worlds away from rubbery, everyday cheese. The word "artisan" is often used to describe these crumbly, zingy gems, because they're made with love and care in a very hands-on, attention-filled way. These are the cheeses that get celebrated at California's Artisan Cheese Festival, which recently announced its schedule, and the fact that tickets are on sale for the spring gathering.

Click here for more on the Cali Artisan Cheese Fest!