Class Schedules
Our Winter 2010 Class Schedule is below. Scroll down to see our current class offerings or click here to view a downloadable version: Download Schedule.
WINTER 2010 CLASS SCHEDULE
Cheesemaking 101 with Allison Hooper Wednesday, January 13
| We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Allison Hooper, the award-winning cheesemaker from Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery, to The Cheese School to lead our first-ever class focused entirely on the fundamentals of cheesemaking. Through lecture, tasting and discussion this class will provide an introduction of the basic principles of cheesemaking, and through demonstration and hands-on exploration, the class will actually make two different types of fresh cheeses. As a special treat, each student will be provided with goat milk curds, flown in fresh from Vermont, so that Allison can walk you through how to make your own chèvre to take home, molded and infused with a custom blend of herbs and zest of your choosing. This class includes a wine selection to complement the tasting. Instructor Allison Hooper |
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Sheep Showdown: Italy, Spain, Portugal Saturday, January 16
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Sheep produce remarkably rich milk – higher in fat content than other milk types – and that’s what makes sheep cheeses so easy to love. In this class we’ll explore the special terroir of Italy, Spain and Portugal by pampering our palettes with some of the most luscious, creamy sheep’s milk selections for which these southern European countries are known, covering the gamut from classic Manchego, to Tuscan gems, to precious productions from the highest peaks in Portugal. Paired with a couple of carefully selected wines to complement the tasting, this classes promises to have you proclaiming, ‘baaah-eautiful!’ Instructor Michele Buster |
Northern Italian Cheese & Wine Thursday, January 21
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The true heart – il cuore – of Italian cheese and wine is in the north. Italo-philes know that only the north can proudly lay claim to flavorful Fontina, robust Robiola, mighty Montasio, and glorious Gorgonzola – and to the beautiful Barberas, Barolos and Barbarescos of the Piedmont, and the tremendous Nosiolas, Pinot Blancs and Chardonnays of the Trentino-Adige region. A great pair leads the pairing – Laura Werlin, author of Cheese Essentials and several other acclaimed books on cheese teams up with Ceri Smith, proprietor of Biondivino, an Italian wine boutique, to teach this class. Instructors Laura Werlin & Ceri Smith |
Fondue Saturday, January 23
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Nothing is better for beating that funky, foggy, rainy, wintry feeling than breaking out the fondue pot, uncorking some wine, and getting busy doing the big melt. In this hands-on class – led by, Lenny Rice, author of Fondue, a top-selling book on the subject – we’ll experiment with several different fondue recipes using a variety of alpine and other hearty cheeses in all their warm, creamy glory, both for dinner and dessert. And we’ll have lots of delicious dipping accompaniments and a couple of wine selections to add to the fabulous fondue fun. Come solo and be ready to mingle, or come with a group of your favorite family and friends! Note: This class is also offered on January 25. Instructor Lenny Rice |
Fondue Monday, January 25
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Nothing is better for beating that funky, foggy, rainy, wintry feeling than breaking out the fondue pot, uncorking some wine, and getting busy doing the big melt. In this hands-on class – led by, Lenny Rice, author of Fondue, a top-selling book on the subject – we’ll experiment with several different fondue recipes using a variety of alpine and other hearty cheeses in all their warm, creamy glory, both for dinner and dessert. And we’ll have lots of delicious dipping accompaniments and a couple of wine selections to add to the fabulous fondue fun. Come solo and be ready to mingle, or come with a group of your favorite family and friends! Note: This class is also offered on January 23. Instructor Lenny Rice |
Cheeses of France Wednesday, January 27
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Don’t knock the French for sometimes acting like the world revolves around them. In the case of cheese, they’re right. France is undeniably the historic and cultural epicenter of all things fromage. The enormous variety and centuries of expertise that are represented in French cheesemaking are a true wonder. This class will cover the age-old grand classics, small production treasures, and extraordinary everyday wheels that put the ‘ooh-la-la’ in French cuisine, and includes a couple of French wine selections to complement the tasting. Note: This class is also offered on March 30. Instructor Colette Hatch |
Mountain Cheese & Wine Thursday, February 4
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You’ll be shouting your love of cheese and wine from the mountaintops after indulging in this tasting. Climb up to the best mountain-style cheeses from all over the world paired with Vin Jaune, Vin de Savoie and other wines from the foothills and valleys to which mountain cheesemakers have traditionally brought their wheels to market. Many mountain cheeses are acclaimed for their creamy, nutty, sweet goodness – perfect qualities for pairing with wines made from Savagnin, Chasselas, Rousanne and other grapes that do well in cooler climes. Instructor Colette Hatch |
New World Cheese & Wine Tuesday, February 9
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Cheesemaking and wine production in the New World – the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even South America – are often characterized by innovation. While the basic styles and processes often hark back to European roots, new challenges and the freedom from time-honored AOC and DOC specifications have both required and enabled New World cheesemakers and winemakers to try new things. The result? Cheeses and wines that are just as delicious as the European counterparts that inspired them, but often with a twist, and there is no better guide to these carefully selected pairings than highly acclaimed author and educator Laura Werlin. Instructor Laura Werlin |
Cheese & Wine Pairing Wednesday, February 10
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Pairing cheese and wine to bring out the best in each is by no means an exact science. When you get it right, you definitely know it, elevating what is already delicious into a taste experience that is truly transcendent. Get it wrong, and what should be a great cheese or wine falls flat. In this class, which is part of our popular Cheese 101 series, you’ll learn some general guidelines that will help you get it right more often than not, and some tasting tips that will help you identify your own personal favorites. Note: This class is also offered on March 26, April 28. Instructor Daphne Zepos |
Creamy Goodness: Crèmes & Champagne Friday, February 12
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This class is all about pairing luxe taste treats like bubbly champagnes and other sparklers with cheery cheeses like buttery triple crèmes and other velvety gems. There is simply no better way to welcome any weekend – and this one in particular -- than by washing down the silky, buttery goodness of a perfectly ripened triple crème with the floral, fruity, delicately effervescent bubbles of a true champagne and other special sparklers. Note: A similar class is also offered on February 14. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Creamy Goodness: Crèmes & Champagne Sunday, February 14
| Treat your valentine to a ‘mouthfeel’ to remember or tickle your tongue with a group of friends. There is simply no better way to celebrate this day for romance – or at least not in public – than by washing down the silky, buttery goodness of a perfectly ripened triple crème with the floral, fruity, delicately effervescent bubbles of a true champagne and other special sparklers. Note: A similar class is also offered on February 12. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Basic Cheese Primer Wednesday, February 17
| As part of our popular Cheese 101 series, this class is the fundamental first step in your ‘everything you’ve always wanted to know about cheese’ journey. Through tasting, structured discussion, and questions and answers, you’ll learn the basics about what cheese actually is, how it’s made, and how cheeses are typically classified. You’ll also get an introduction to the great cheese making regions of the world and you’ll learn key tasting skills that can enhance your appreciation of cheese for the rest of your life. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting. Note: This class is also offered on February 18, April 8, April 9. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Basic Cheese Primer Thursday, February 18
| As part of our popular Cheese 101 series, this class is the fundamental first step in your ‘everything you’ve always wanted to know about cheese’ journey. Through tasting, structured discussion, and questions and answers, you’ll learn the basics about what cheese actually is, how it’s made, and how cheeses are typically classified. You’ll also get an introduction to the great cheese making regions of the world and you’ll learn key tasting skills that can enhance your appreciation of cheese for the rest of your life. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting. Note: This class is also offered on February 17, April 8, April 9. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Winter Artisan Cheese Tasting Saturday, February 20
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In conjunction with the 8th Annual Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference, hosted by food dynamo Sheana Davis, the Cheese School of San Francisco welcomes cheesemakers from around the country along with local winemakers and brewers for an intimate tasting where artisans share their very best standbys as well as their new creations with their peers and interested enthusiasts. Think of this as a fun and festive cocktail-style party for cheese, wine and beer lovers, with abundant samples and pours. Advance registration is required. Host Sheana Davis |
Port, Chocolate & Cheese Tuesday, February 23
| Come experience the amazing interplay of some of the world’s most luxurious taste sensations: port, chocolate and cheese. In this fun and interactive event, we will explore chocolates from around the world, and pair them with several types of Port and dessert wines, with carefully selected cheeses adding layers of flavor and texture to the proceedings. Instructor Marni Rubin, a wine expert and chocolate connoisseur, will guide us through how chocolate is made, from bean to bar, as well as how the best dessert wines, cheeses and chocolate can all be understood according to similar factors and dimension such as aroma, taste, texture, finish, and terroir. Instructor Marni Rubin |
Cheese, Wine & Good Health: Perfectly Delicious, Perfectly Nutritious Wednesday, February 24
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Max McCalman, celebrated scholar, author and creator of the fabled cheese programs at Picholine and Artisanal in New York, has long been inspired by what he calls the holy trinity of gastronomy: cheese, wine & bread. In this very special class, he’ll share how and why cheese really is a ‘near-perfect’ food for good health and nutrition – not to mention the pleasure of good taste – particularly when paired with the right wine selection and good bread. This rare west coast appearance by Max is not to be missed! Instructor Max McCalman |
Cheese & Charcuterie Tuesday, March 2
| Cheese and charcuterie are really about solving the same problem: how to preserve the flavors and nutritional value of two precious foods, fresh milk and raw meat, that would otherwise have a very short shelf life? Wil Edwards will lead this class in exploring how cheesemakers and charcuterie artisans each go about their craft, the explosive and concentrated flavors that can result from the preservation process, and the links between the two – from farm to table. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting. Instructor Wil Edwards
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Whisky & Cheese Thursday, March 4
| Whiskey and the blues always go together, and we’re not just talking about music. The complex, smoky symphony of flavors you find in most single malts and other whiskeys are a great match for the right cheese partner. In this class we’ll sample a variety of cheeses that have enough bold richness to bring out the best in select whiskeys. Sip it slow, sip it smooth, and enjoy exploring some new taste discoveries. Instructor Sheana Davis |
Cheeses of Italy Monday, March 8
| This class provides a tasting tour of all the major cheese-producing regions of Italy. We’ll explore the regional cultures that define Italian cuisine and customs, and the cheeses that go hand in hand with them, revisiting some of our favorite formaggio friends and introducing some harder to find specialties along the way. With a selection of traditional Italian wines and accompaniments bringing out the very best flavors of the cheeses, the rallying cry for this class is simple: buon gusto Instructor Judy Creighton |
British Cheeses & Port Wednesday, March 10
| While true Port originates in the Douro Valley in Portugal, it’s long been immensely popular in England. The British have historically held a strong grip on the Port trade, still seen today in the best Port names like Dow, Graham, Taylor and Warre. They’ve even made a great tradition out of mixing homegrown Stilton with Port – but that’s not the only cheese that pairs beautifully with a Ruby or a Tawny. This class delves into the wonderful traditions and exciting flavors that characterize the centuries-old partnership between British cheeses and fortified wines. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Cheese from Farm to Table Friday, March 12
| The magic of artisan cheese is that it's a living food, and never more so than when the complete story of a hand-crafted cheese, from farm to table, is revealed and explained. In this class, talented instructor and photographer Wil Edwards presents a slideshow of some of the fascinating cheesemakers he’s encountered in Europe and America, brings their stories to life, and recounts the fascinating journey that brings the precisous fruit of their labor – literally as we taste them – to our table. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting. Instructor Wil Edwards |
St. Patrick's Day Special: Cheese & Beer Wednesday, March 17
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Can’t make it to Dublin? Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at The Cheese School in style and be dazzled and delighted by how well cheeses from Ireland and beyond pair with all different styles of beer and pub drinks, from lagers and ales to stouts and hard ciders. Learn how a classic pub experience – complete with storytelling, corned beef and cabbage, and good cheer –really brings out the best in cheddars, farmhouse style cheeses, and more. Shake your shamrock with us! Instructor Wil Edwards |
Cheese & Beverage Pairing 101 Tuesday, March 23
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This class dives deeply into the fundamentals of flavor to take a fresh new look at pairing cheese with all kinds of beverages. Wine is the age old and standby for cheese. Many people are also waking up to beer as a natural match for most cheeses. And leading-edge bartenders are elevating cocktails up to culinary status, also worthy of food pairings. Usually, each beverage-type is explored as a cheese pairing on its own. Now, respected cheese authority and educator Daphne Zepos, leads us through a side-by-side tasting, revealing what makes each winning beverage pairing really click. Instructor Daphne Zepos |
Cheese & Beer Pairing Wednesday, March 24
| Wine is divine – but beer can be better. And sometimes in the case of pairing with cheese, it’s much, much better. Get ready to be dazzled and delighted when we show you how a wide variety of cheeses pair so well with ales, lagers and pilsners. Acclaimed San Francisco cheese writer Laura Werlin and pioneering City Beer Store owner Beth Wathen will walk the class through the fundamentals of different beer styles, cheese types, and help you develop your own approach to the pairings to bring out the very best taste in each. Instructors Laura Werlin& Beth Wathen |
Cheese & Wine Pairing Friday, March 26
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Pairing cheese and wine to bring out the best in each is by no means an exact science. When you get it right, you definitely know it, elevating what is already delicious into a taste experience that is truly transcendent. Get it wrong, and what should be a great cheese or wine falls flat. In this class, which is part of our popular Cheese 101 series, you’ll learn some general guidelines that will help you get it right more often than not, and some tasting tips that will help you identify your own personal favorites. Note: This class is also offered on February 10, April 28. Instructor Kirstin Jackson |
Cheeses of France Tuesday, March 30
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Don’t knock the French for sometimes acting like the world revolves around them. In the case of cheese, they’re right. France is undeniably the historic and cultural epicenter of all things fromage. The enormous variety and centuries of expertise that are represented in French cheesemaking are a true wonder. This class will cover the age-old grand classics, small production treasures, and extraordinary everyday wheels that put the ‘ooh-la-la’ in French cuisine, and includes a couple of French wine selections to complement the tasting. Note: This class is also offered on February 10, April 28. Instructor Colette Hatch |
How to Taste Cheese Thursday, April 1
| We all know how to eat. Open mouth, insert food, chew, swallow. But how many of us really know how to taste? Thoughtful, careful, conscious tasting of cheese – in a way that helps you understand, remember and discuss your preferences so that you can explore and develop them more fully – is a skill to be learned. This class provides you with an organized approach to all of the sensual aspects of cheese appreciation, focusing on the palate. A truly special, taste bud-opening experience not be missed by students who want to bring their appreciation of cheese to a whole new level. Instructor Daphne Zepos |
Basic Cheese Primer Thursday, April 8
| As part of our popular Cheese 101 series, this class is the fundamental first step in your ‘everything you’ve always wanted to know about cheese’ journey. Through tasting, structured discussion, and questions and answers, you’ll learn the basics about what cheese actually is, how it’s made, and how cheeses are typically classified. You’ll also get an introduction to the great cheese making regions of the world and you’ll learn key tasting skills that can enhance your appreciation of cheese for the rest of your life. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting.Note: This class is also offered on February 17, February 18, April 9. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Basic Cheese Primer Friday, April 9
| As part of our popular Cheese 101 series, this class is the fundamental first step in your ‘everything you’ve always wanted to know about cheese’ journey. Through tasting, structured discussion, and questions and answers, you’ll learn the basics about what cheese actually is, how it’s made, and how cheeses are typically classified. You’ll also get an introduction to the great cheese making regions of the world and you’ll learn key tasting skills that can enhance your appreciation of cheese for the rest of your life. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting. Note: This class is also offered on February 17, February 18, April 8. Instructor Judy Creighton |
Perfect Presentation: The Art of the Cheese Tray Saturday, April 10
| Part of our popular Cheese 101 series, this class provides you with all of the tips and tricks you need to assemble and present a cheese tray with fabulous flare and fantastic flavor. Starting with what to look for when shopping for cheese and how to talk to your cheesemonger about your preferences, through to handling it once it’s home to maintain maximum flavor and longevity, and culminating in building a spectacular cheese boards and displays, you’ll learn how to build and present cheese that showcases your own personal style for home entertaining. This class includes a couple of wine selections to complement the tasting. Instructor Judy Creighton |
American Belgians & Cheese Wednesday, April 14
| Beer in Belgium comprises the most diverse collection of quality beer in the world, comprised of varieties such as the popular lager to lambic beer and Flemish red. While Belgian beer-brewing origins go back to the Middle Ages, American craft brewers have recently been borrowing from Belgian-styles with outstanding results. This class showcases the very best in Belgian style ales and lagers made on our turf, paired with beer-friendly cheeses from both sides of the Atlantic that are selected to enhance the total flavor experience and elevate it to something truly memorable. Instructor Sheana Davis |
Three-Day Intensive Cheese Education Program Sunday, April 18 - Tuesday, April 20
| Following rave reviews for the programs we held in May and October of 2009, The Cheese School is pleased to again be offering its Three-Day Intensive Cheese Education Program designed to equip participants with the knowledge they need to procure, sell, care for and serve premium cheeses at a professional level. Led by Daphne Zepos, a veteran instructor who has previously taught this program at The Cheese School of San Francisco as well as ‘Master Class’ programs at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center in New York City, program includes more than 25 hours of instruction, structured tastings covering more than 70 cheeses as well as wines and other carefully selected specialty food accompaniments, a tour of a local creamery, three lunches, two breakfasts, and classroom as well as take-home materials, including a certificate of completion. Click here for more details and registration information. Lead Instructor Daphne Zepos |
Springtime Cheeses, Loire Valley Wines Friday, April 23
| The air is sweet and grassy springtime milk is flowing! Spring cheeses generally aim to showcase freshness, and are known for expressing the flavor notes of the beautiful mix of grasses and other greenery that cows, sheep and goats are enjoying at this time of year. Whether from right here in America or from some of the most traditional cheesemaking areas throughout Europe, spring milk cheeses tend to pair beautifully with the fresh, juicy Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc wines of the Loire Valley. Come tiptoe through the tulips with us at this light and lively springtime tasting! Instructor Kirstin Jackson |
American Cheese & Wine with Laura Werlin Monday, April 26
| Thinking bright orange or shrink-wrapped in plastic? You're in for a delicious surprise. Cheeses made right here in America have come a long way in recent years. The Cheese School is pleased to have San Francisco's very own Laura Werlin –renowned author of Cheese Essentials and other great books – as she leads this class in sampling, discussing, and exploring the stories behind a selection of world-class American cheeses, perfectly matched with American wines. Instructor Laura Werlin |
Cheese & Wine Pairing Wednesday, April 28
| Pairing cheese and wine to bring out the best in each is by no means an exact science. When you get it right, you definitely know it, elevating what is already delicious into a taste experience that is truly transcendent. Get it wrong, and what should be a great cheese or wine falls flat. In this class, which is part of our popular Cheese 101 series, you’ll learn some general guidelines that will help you get it right more often than not, and some tasting tips that will help you identify your own personal favorites. Note: This class is also offered on February 10, March 26. Instructor Colette Hatch |
Cheeses of Spain & Portugal Thursday, April 29
| Iberian cuisine seems to be the ‘it girl’ of the foodie world these days, as daring and inventive as any contemporary culinary movement on the planet. But it draws on some venerable traditions that rival those of France and Italy, and cheese is a very big part of it. From the Basque and Pyrénées regions in the north to the sun-kissed coast of the Mediterranean and the green mountain ranges of Portugal, Iberian dairy farmers – ‘lecheros’ in Spanish – have been producing wonderful cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheeses for centuries, and the wine to go with it. This class includes a couple of Iberian wine selections to complement the tasting. Instructor Juliana Uruburu |
Visit our friends at Cheese Plus located at 2001 Polk Street or online at http://www.cheeseplus.com.
