Head Back To School With Artisanal!

It's that time again...the annual rush for uniforms, notebooks, pens, pencils, and chalk...and, of course, an apple (or Cheese!) for the teacher, as we send the kids off back to school. Don't you kind of envy them, learning new things, expanding their minds and their social circles too? Why not seek some higher education for yourself and join us at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center for a 101 class with Maitre Fromager Max McCalman, or learn more about Western Australian Wines and Cheese Pairings, or how to make Mozzarella cheese! So many great classes to choose from and don't forget our Master Intensive Class in November where you can taste over 60 hand crafted cheeses and learn everything from the history of cheese making to how to open your own cheese shop! Please check out our exciting fall class calendar and we look forward to schooling you in cheese education soon!
VIEW ALL CHEESE CLASSES

Cheese & Wine 101
September 6, 2007
With Max McCalman

In this single session class, Max provides a roadmap for matching various cheese types with the wines that best suit them. He introduces cheese basics, including milk types, textures and flavors as well as how to shop for, care for, and serve fine cheeses. Then he guides you through choosing wines that complement each cheese type. You'll be invited to sample some of the cheese and wine pairings and discover marriages that suit your own personal taste.

Hands-on Mozzarella
September 11, 2007
With Daphne Zepos

Learn to make mozzarella! Fromager Daphne Zepos invites you to a unique hands-on experience, the only class where you can make, taste, and take home the fruit (or rather, ball) of your labor - but not before indulging in a one-of-a-kind tasting of fresh mozzarellas from the US and Italy. Summer would not be the same without fresh mozzarella - with shucked corn and watermelon slices, or with basil and fresh tomatoes. Just in time for the peak season of picnics and patio parties, this class is a delicious primer on enjoying - and making - fresh mozzarella. Wine will be served. Limited seating.

The Color of Flavor: Western Australian Wines with Cheese
September 17, 2007
With Waldemar Albrecht

Western Australia offers a marvelous array of wine region options, from the warm climate of the Swan Valley and Perth Hills to the crisp, windswept region of the Great Southern. What makes these regions interesting is that between them they cover the gamut of wine styles; from the superb Chardonnays and Cabernets of the Margaret River region to the lifted Rieslings and Shiraz from the Great Southern and the rich, ripe reds, and whites of the Perth Hills and the Swan Valley. Join Paul McArdle, winemaker of Fonty’s Pool, and Fromager Waldemar Albrecht in a lively and delicious presentation as they pair a diverse selection of artisanal cheeses with fine Western Australian wines!

French Cheese & Wine
September 18
With Daphne Zepos

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". The indispensable foundation of all cheese knowledge, the French fromage is illuminated in this class in all of its delicious glory.

Craft Beer & Artisanal Cheese
September 20, 2007
With Elizabeth Lyons

Over the past ten years, Dogfish Head in Rebohoth Beach, Delaware, has established itself as a pioneer in American craft beer. Often referred to as "the extreme brewers," Dogfish Head has produced a wide range of beer styles from World Wide Stout (18%) to their newest release, Festina Peche (4.5%). This September, join Jon and Elizabeth Lyons from Dogfish Head in tasting beers from Dogfish Head's award-winning lineup paired perfectly with the finest artisanal cheeses from America and the world over.

The Ultimate Parmigiano Reggiano Experience
October 8, 2007
With Daphne Zepos

If there is a cheese we cannot conceive living without, it is good Parmigiano Reggiano. For this unique class we are very honored to have with us Giorgio Cravero from G. Cravero in Bra, Italy. The Cravero family has been selecting and maturing only the most excellent Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano wheels for five generations. Join Daphne Zepos and Giorgio Cravero for an in-depth Parmigiano Reggiano tasting that will delve deep into the history of Parmigiano Reggiano cheesemaking, the land from which it originates and of course the many flavors of this king of cheeses. Wines and accompaniments will be paired to form a perfect, classic marriage with the cheese.

The Master Class: Intensive Class for Professionals
November 4, 5 & 6, 2007
With Daphne Zepos and Max McCalman

This intensive, 2 & 1/2 day seminar is specially-designed for cheese-lovers and industry professionals living outside New York City. The Artisanal Premium Cheese Mater Class covers the entire world of cheese, from milk types to cheesemaking, affinage to appreciation, placing an emphasis on service, selection, and proper care of cheeses for the food service professional.

Question: Is it OK for cheeses to be left out of refrigeration for several hours? Find out in the next Artisanal e-newsletter!
- The Artisanal Staff

Last Time We Asked: Why do Robiolas seem to be so different? Some are wrapped in leaves, most are not, some are all cow milk, some are made with mixed milks.

Answer: The family of Robiola cheeses is one of the larger ones, at least in diversity. They are predominantly produced in Lombardy, located in northern Italy. The name Robiola may have come from the name of the village of Robbio, yet it may have derived from the Latin word for red -- rubium -- which is the rind color of many of those cheeses.

Most Robiolas are made with cow's milk but some are made with mixed milks or goat milk. Many Robiolas do have reddish rinds, due to the presence and action of that wonderful bacterium -- the b. linens. Others have a different rind coming from a strain of penicillin called Geotrichum, and other Robiolas have natural rinds that are then wrapped in leaves.

The Robiolas are cheeses that are usually consumed when quite young; they are not meant to age for several months. They usually have a high moisture content compared to many cheeses, making them a little softer in texture. These cheeses also come in different shapes, but they are almost always made in small formats. This way the young moist Robiolas can be consumed entirely in one or a couple of occasions, and soon after they are purchased.

Besides all that there are few distinguishing characteristics that make Robiolas. One quality we've noticed about the Robiolas is that most of them seem to pair favorably with a broad range of wine types and they rarely disappoint, not too strong but not boring either.

For more information on this trivia and other exciting cheese questions, get your autographed copy of The Cheese Plate by Max McCalman.

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!