Bay Area has new star cheesemonger in Bi-Rite's Zach Berg

Berg, 29, competed against roughly 35 other mongers in this annual daylong contest, which is held to elevate the stature and skill level of America's cheese merchants and guarantee them a good time doing it.

Contestants take a written exam, participate in a blind tasting and demonstrate their salesmanship at a mock cheese counter.

Ten finalists compete on stage before a live audience, reality-TV style, in challenges that reveal their expertise at cutting, wrapping and pairing cheese.

Berg now runs the cheese department at the new Divisadero Street store, a cut-to-order counter that requires more customer service than the grab-and-go format at the original Bi-Rite.

[...] his second-place finish entitles Berg to an all-expense-paid trip to the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival next summer and VIP visits to creameries.