Artisanal Cheese Center Announces Winter Class Schedule

ARTISANAL CHEESE CENTER ANNOUNCES WINTER CLASS SCHEDULE FOR CHEESE EDUCATION PROGRAM
Entertaining classes offer ideal environment for cheese enthusiasts of all levels

New York, NY The Artisanal Cheese Center (500 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor 212.239-1200), a 10,000 square foot multi-functional facility dedicated to the enjoyment, education and sale of the worlds finest artisanal cheeses, has announced its winter class schedule.

The Artisanal Cheese Center houses the first facility to feature a dedicated Cheese Education Program. The curriculum offers cheese enthusiasts and food and beverage professionals interactive sessions. Each class offers a tasting of the finest, hand-selected cheeses--straight from Artisanal Cheese Centers on-site aging caves--carefully paired with wine.

Classes are taught by some of the nations leading experts including:

Max McCalman
A recognized authority on wine and cheese pairing, Max McCalman serves as the Artisanal Cheese Centers Dean of Curriculum. McCalman also holds the title of Mantre Fromager and heads the countrys top cheese program at Manhattans acclaimed Picholine. McCalman is also author of The Cheese Plate and currently working on his second book.

Daphne Zepos
Ms. Zepos is the Artisanal Cheese Centers Director of Affinage (cheese aging). She is also founder of the American Cheese of Choice Coalition, which protects raw milk cheeses, as well as a judge at cheese shows across Europe each year. Zepos is an active member of SlowFood, American Cheese Society and Oldways.

The Artisanal Cheese Center also welcomes instructors and chefs, including wine expert, Gerry Dawes and Nancy Radke, the US Representative of the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio.

Classes offer a full range of interesting topics to accommodate everyone from cheese novices to culinary experts. The Artisanal Cheese Centers classroom is equipped with a professional demonstration kitchen that accommodates up to 70 students. The room is also available for catered affairs, private tastings and special events.

To reserve your spot or learn more about upcoming classes, please sign up at
www.artisanalcheese.com or call 212.239.1200. Please visit the website for class highlights and
additions to the winter schedule. Upcoming Artisanal Cheese Center classes include the
following (please see next page for complete class descriptions):


February - March Class Descriptions
Enroll on the web. www.artisanalcheese.com, or call (212) 239 1200


Cheese Plate Composition
February 3, 2004 6:30pm, $75.00
Max McCalman shares his knowledge and expertise in creating several types of cheese plates. Youll learn the terms and techniques that he uses routinely as the Maitre Fromager at Picholine to create a variety of successful cheese flights. The information in this class will surprise you- learn the details of progression from goat, sheep, cow, mild to strong, soft to hard and young to old, and the correct ways to interpret these rules. Max will show you the traditional way to cut, present and serve specific cheese types. What great skills to acquire if you like to entertain at home.

Indigenous Grape Varietals and Cheeses of Spain
February 5, 2004 7:00pm, $75.00
In recent decades, Spain's push for international wine respectability led many producers to overly promote the country's best known quality grape, tempranillo, and such newly planted foreign varietals cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay. Producers put far less emphasis on their own often distinctive native grapes, but now many winemakers and wine aficionados are beginning to realize that such native Spanish varietals as albariqo, verdejo, mencma, monastrell, garnacha and cariqena are capable of producing world-class wines. Gerry Dawes will pair wines-all made from Spanish indigenous grapes--with a spectacular lineup