You don’t have to go to Germany to appreciate the compatibility of fine beer and quality cheeses, according to two experts on brewing and cheese-making at the University of California, Davis.

On Saturday, March 6, the public is invited to participate in an afternoon event titled Cheese Loves Beer: Mastering the Marriage, to be held from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Silverado Vineyards Sensory Theater of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

Guiding the audience toward an understanding of the compatibility of beer and cheese will be Charlie Bamforth, the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Science, and Moshe Rosenberg, professor of dairy engineering and technology, both of the Department of Food Science and Technology.

Welcoming the group will be Clare Hasler, executive director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science and an authority on functional foods.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the diversity of beer styles and flavors, as well as the more than 1,500 different cheese varieties and the evolution of their flavors and qualities. A cheese-and-beer pairing will be led from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by a reception in the lobby of the sensory theater.

Bamforth, who heads UC Davis’ brewing program, will discuss why “Beer Is Best for Brie and Beyond.” He has written several books about beer including “Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing,” (1998) and “Grape Versus Grain” (2008), which he considers to be a “completely unbiased” comparison of wine and beer.

Most recently, he recorded “The Brewmaster’s Art,” a seven-CD lecture program. Bamforth brings with him a wealth of knowledge from the brewing industry, where he worked for more than 20 years before joining the UC Davis faculty in 1999.

Rosenberg, who teaches dairy and cheese science courses at UC Davis and instructs milk-processing and cheese-making courses, nationally and internationally, will talk about “Cheese — From Serendipity to Science and Art.”

Rosenberg serves as a cheese judge at state, national and international cheese contests. His research is directed, among other topics, at cheese-making technology, the development of cheese quality attributes and cheese terroir. He is the author of more than 100 scientific articles, review and book chapters. Prior to joining the UC Davis faculty, he served as the deputy director-general and chief technology officer for the major cheese manufacturing company in his native Israel, where he oversaw the daily manufacturing of more than 50 cheese varieties.

Prepaid cost for the event will be $55 for the general public and $45 for UC Davis affiliates, or $65 per person if paid on the day of the event.

More information and registration are available from the Robert Mondavi Institute at (530) 754-6349 or online at http://robertmondaviinstitute.ucdavis.edu/event-archive/2010/cheese-loves-beer-ii