NOW 15% off the following classes through Sunday at midnight.

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Craft Beer & Artisanal Cheese
Thursday, May 3rd

For May's installment of Craft Beer & Artisanal Cheese, we've invited special guest Kelly Taylor, brewmaster for Kelso of Brooklyn. Kelso is New York City's newest brand of beer and most recent creation of the Greenpoint Beer Works, who provide the beer for Heartland Breweries all across New York. Kelso is focusing on lagers - lagers need more space to brew, need more time to brew, and are altogether unique in the small-batch craft beer market. And what a pairing for handcrafted cheese! Join Jon and Kelly as they present the perfect pairings for Kelso's finest, including their Nut Brown Lager and Chocolate Lager.

French Cheese & Wine
Friday, May 11th

Traditional yet timeless, the cheese course is the essence of France's culinary excellence. Join industry expert and acclaimed Affineur Daphne Zepos on an exciting journey through the French countryside, sampling the finest examples of luscious cheeses and delicate wines. Discover why exquisite cheeses and wines from the same terroir are such harmonious partners, why luscious triple creams are perfect with Champagne, and many more of Daphne's tried-and-true rules of the ''Service de Fromage''.

Austrian Wines Waltz with the Artisanal Cheeses
Monday, May 14th

The brilliant wines of Hopler winery in the eastern province of Burgenland and a selection of stellar cheese from the Artisanal Center caves in western Manhattan will be featured in a gastronomic waltz across the top of your palates this evening. Presented by wine expert Daphne Amory and cheese guy Max McCalman, this seminar/tasting will present delightful balances in cheeses and wines that are sure to be lovely and memorable.

Perfect Parings
Thursday, May 17th

Throughout history, cheese and wine have enjoyed a harmonious relationship, bringing together the best examples of great craftsmanship in a union worth more than the sum of its parts. Every so often, we find pairings that go above and beyond, complimenting each other in a way that can only be described as extraordinary. Some people refer to them as ''Marriages Made in Heaven.'' We're calling them ''Perfect Pairings.'' Whether alone or perfectly paired yourself, join Fromager Waldemar Albrecht to experience an exciting, new, and elevating journey of the senses.

American Whiskey & Artisanal Cheese
Tuesday, May 29th

Bourbon, Rye, Corn Whiskey, Wheat Whiskey, even Moonshine - America has as wide and varied (not to mention fantastic) a whiskey tradition as any culture the world over. And American Whiskey makes a wonderful pairing for Artisanal Cheese! This Memorial Day, make it a four-day weekend - join Artisanal Manager Jon Lundbom and Whiskey expert LeNell Smothers from LeNell's Wine & Spirit Boutique in Red Hook (home to New York City's largest Bourbon selection) for a unique tasting covering a variety of America's finest spirits paired perfectly with artisanal cheeses from around the globe.

Cheese Basics
Thursday, May 31st

This unique, hands-on exploration of the world's finest artisanal cheeses is the perfect overview for any beginner. From the history of its accidental creation to its intricate styles and complexities, cheese is back, and no one knows it better than our vivacious Fromager Waldemar Albrecht.

Weekly Trivia

Question: Which cheeses are sometimes referred to as the King of Cheese and why? Find out in the next Artisanal e-newsletter!
- The Artisanal Staff

Last Time We Asked: What exactly makes Brie cheese a Brie?

Answer: Technically a Brie cheese must come from the region of Brie east of Paris. From that region there are numerous cow milk cheeses that are made pretty much the same way and that have similar appearances. There are two types of Bries that have the coveted A.O.C. designation: the Brie de Meaux and the Brie de Melun. Neither of these is legally available in the U.S. as they are made with unpasteurized milk and they are at peak long before the 60 day minimum age required for raw milk cheeses imported into the U.S.

There are other non-A.O.C. cheeses from the Brie region that are made with either pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, though the pasteurized bries have much diminished aromas and flavor profiles. These versions tend to be less 'stable' and have shorter shelf lives. This is probably partly because they are more vulnerable to contamination; being made with pasteurized milk they become somewhat 'compromised' lacking much of the 'good' bacteria naturally present in mammalian milk. To make those pasteurized versions of Bries more stable and tastier these brie types are often over-salted.

The Brie name alone does not enjoy international protection unfortunately. This means that there are many many imitations produced outside the Brie region and completely out of France. These almost always have little relationship to the real deal outside of their appearances and textures. Many of the other French Bries that are available in the U.S., and thusly made with pasteurized milk, are very nice though.

Browse Brie and Brie-style cheeses

Do you have a question for our trivia section, or some trivia of your own to share?
Send it to editor@artisanalcheese.com and we may use it in a future newsletter!