Set along scenic M-22 on the Leelanau Peninsula, Black Star Farms is a stunning 160-acre estate of vineyards, orchards, and rolling hills — and it's the perfect stage for an extraordinary, intimate cooking demo followed by dinner hosted by one of the most captivating personalities who has built a career around a passion for agriculture and food.
Afrim Pristine is Canada's foremost cheese expert and the world's youngest Maître Fromager — or Cheese Master — a title rooted in a family legacy spanning four generations at Toronto's iconic Cheese Boutique. A dynamic culinary storyteller and Food Network host of Cheese: A Love Story, Pristine has dedicated over 25 years to mastering the art and science of cheese — studying under cheese masters across France, Spain, England, and beyond, and building relationships with the world's finest producers along the way.
For this special evening, Afrim brings his signature artistry to the Black Star Farms estate, collaborating with Black Star Farms chef Leah Moerdyk, whose intimate knowledge of the land and its flavors grounds every course in the extraordinary bounty of northern Michigan's farms, orchards, and waters. Together, they have crafted a multi-course dinner that weaves the bold, complex character of artisan cheeses with locally-grown ingredients, paired alongside Black Star Farms' internationally award-winning estate wines, offering a unique reflection of the remarkable Leelanau Peninsula terroir.
An intimate cooking demonstration and dinner at the estate. Wine poured from the vineyard just beyond the table. Cheese elevated to an art form. Come enjoy northern Michigan hospitality at its most extraordinary.