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.
