Holy Cow. Kendall Antonelli here, and I'm totally geeking out over this tasting event. For those that have a base knowledge of cheese and/or love food science and/or are lifelong learners, this is an ideal tasting event for you. (Can you tell how excited I am by that long sentence?!) We'll have representatives from world-renown Jasper Hill Farm (Vermont) and Neal's Yard Dairy (England) to guide us in a deeper-level discussion and exploration of cheese. I've personally visited both these businesses, and I always learn something new from these awesome cheese legends. This format will be different from our other experiences; expect slides and notes! As of now, topics include:
- How to properly taste a cheese (volume vs complexity & persistence)
- Spider Graphing and other ways to note cheese perceptions/flavors/quality
- Farmhouse vs. Industrial and the impact on the milk
- Raw vs Pasteurized
- Animal vs Vegetarian Rennet - Taste the SAME cheese side-by-side but made with two different rennets: NYD Colston Bassett
I recommend that you've attended one of our Signature Tasting Experiences before this to have a base knowledge of what we call the "Seven Styles of Cheese" and "how we taste." However, that is not a requirement.
One ticket = one person and includes:
- 10+ cheeses (!!! - yes, at least 10, and still finalizing the menu)
- additional treats and pairing bites like pickled veggies, cured meats, preserves, crackers (GF crackers avail if requested in allergies), and more
Beverages?
While water is provided at the tasting, you may choose to add on our recommended wine flight at the time of ticket purchase (below). Additionally, you may purchase beverages at the event, selecting from wine, beer, cider, sparkling water, and non-alcoholic wine. Note: We charge a service fee per bottle brought into our tasting room.
Reserved Seating
We assign seats prior to your event. If you wish to sit with guests who are purchasing separately, we must be notified in advance. At the time of ticket purchase, there is a question prompt for you to list others in your group. Please note that we cannot seat groups larger than 8 at the same table. (Big groups? Check out our FAQs.)
About Our Guest Hosts
Yvonne Yeoh is the Sales Director for Neal's Yard Dairy (NYD). Yvonne fell in love with cheese through her time as a pastry chef and has now been in the industry for about 15 years. MORE HERE. NYD is considered one of the world's leading selectors, that is, they visit cheesemakers and taste through 100+ wheels of cheese at a time to find the profiles they like best. Moreover, they support new makers and work to keep traditional makers sustainable by providing regular support and feedback, while also maturing cheeses to their ideal state in their aging rooms (previously railroad arches!).
Kim Iannotti is a National Sales manager at Jasper Hill Farm (JHF). She has been in cheese for almost 20 years, is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, and always brings a smile, ton of knowledge, and maybe a cheese costume to every event. JHF is a farmstead cheesemaker in Vermont who specialize in raw milk cheeses and aging them in their 22,000 square-foot underground cave-aging system. They've won multiple awards, including numerous Best of Show grand titles.
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Know Before You Go:
- TIMING: We try to start our events as close to on time as possible. Please arrive on time or a little early. (Doors open 15 min before start time.) We'll guide all guests through a 1.5 hour tasting, leaving an additional 30 min for socializing. Total event time is 2 hours.
- LOCATION: Event will be held in-person at our South Lamar Community Tasting Room (1100 South Lamar, Suite 1130).
- PARKING: Ample parking is available onsite. Click HERE to see map.
- FAQs: Please read our frequently asked questions below, which cover:
- Cancellations & Refund Policy
- Allergies & Dietary Preferences/Needs
- Large Parties
- Age Restrictions
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