You know the Seattle Cheese Festival is coming. You could do what you did last year, and wander like a lost goat through the crowd of other pushy cheese fiends. Or, you could forego that junior high instinct to shove as much dairy into your gullet as possible in the least amount of time, and actually learn something.Behind the tastings and the (slightly anticlimactic) rolling of the truckles, you’ll find the Seattle Cheese Festival’s educational side. Ever wonder what gives Northwest cheese its own unique terroir? Take a class from world-renowned cheese expert Jeffrey Roberts. Want to learn more about affinage, the art of caring for and aging cheese, and deciding when it’s stinky enough to eat? Sign up for a seminar with Peter Dixon, another big cheese of cheese, and one of the guys who helped get Estrella off the ground. Wonder what barriers cheesemakers face when trying to get their products to market? Attend a panel where reps from Mt. Townsend Creamery, Herve Mons Affineur Company, and DeLaurenti will walk you through what it takes to get the goods off the farm.The classes are $50 or less, and based on my experiences last year, well worth it. Plus, you get to rub shoulders with the biggest names in cheese.For a full seminar listing, see the Festival’s website.Seattle Cheese Festival, May 16 to 18, Pike Place Market.