Artisanal Cheese Center Unveils Its First-ever Master Class

Artisanal Cheese Center
Unveils Most Comprehensive Cheese Class in Nation
Learn from leading Cheese Experts at Artisanal Cheese Center's First-Ever Master Class

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 world's finest artisanal cheeses, has just announced its first-ever "Master Class."
This latest offering from the Artisanal Cheese Center's Education Program has a dynamic curriculum that is ideal for cheese enthusiasts, culinary students and food and beverage professionals. Each week's class concentrates on a specific topic, from milk type to cheese making, affinage to appreciation, with class time divided between the classroom and Artisanal Cheese Center's state-of-the-art on-site aging caves. The first session of this 6-week in-depth learning experience, unavailable anywhere else in the nation, begins March 8, 2004.

The Artisanal Cheese Center's Master Class program is the first and only of its kind, with an approach that provides participants with exclusive access to an all-encompassing cheese education curriculum. Each Master Class student will have the opportunity to taste approximately 140 cheeses, age their own cheese in the Center's caves and learn how to professionally evaluate cheese, to name a few of the tangibles. The class will engage each of the five senses weekly, using lectures, slides, demonstrations, tastings and hand-outs to foster a well-rounded educational experience. At the end of the course, students will have received a comprehensive education in the intricacies of cheese, cheese making and affinage, that is unparalleled by any other cheese courses offered in the country.

Featuring a World Renown Cheese Expert

Led by Daphne Zepos, the Director of Affinage (cheese-aging) of the Artisanal Cheese Center --whose passion for cheese is contagious--students will thrive in an intimate, interactive setting. A former board member and executive committee Secretary for the American Cheese Society, Ms. Zepos is the co-founder of the American Cheese of Choice Coalition, which protects raw milk cheeses, as well as a world renowned judge at today's leading cheese competitions. Zepos is an active member of SlowFood, the American Cheese Society and Oldways Preservation Trust. Daphne is among the most outspoken cheese advocates in the United States and is well respected for her knowledge of industry trends as well as her up-to-the-minute pulse on the political climate surrounding cheese.

Master Class Details
The weekly classes will be held every Monday, March 8th - April 12th from 6:00pm  8:00pm. Fee for the Master Class is $450.00. The class will be offered again in June, 2004.

Space for the Master Class is expected to fill quickly. 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 additional details on the Master Class or for information on other course offerings from the Artisanal Cheese Center's Cheese Education Program.

Below are the weekly subjects to be covered during the Artisanal Cheese Center's six-week "Master Class" series:

Week 1 - March 8, 2004, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
General Introduction to Cheese

Week 2 - March 15, 2004, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Classification of Cheese

Week 3 - March 22, 2004, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Different Cheesemaking Techniques

Week 4 - March 29, 2004, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
How to Taste and Evaluate Cheese

Week 5 - April 5, 2004, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Pleasure of Cheese: Pairing Cheese with Wine with Max McCalman

Week 6 - April 12, 2004, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Cheese Today in America