We were invited to participate in a pair of classes up at Stone Brewing World Bistro this past Sunday and it was a great time.
Our friend Marnie Clarke (who is planning to open her own cheese shop up in LA County later this year) joined us for the classes and also added a great dimension of her own. She recently spent time making cheese at Winchester Cheese Co. up near Temecula and also hails from an extensive line of dairy folk – her grandfather founded Alta Dena Dairy – so her insights on the process of making of cheese were a great addition.
Stone’s Education Director Ken Foster and our favorite cheese monger George Palmer were miked up and gave introductions to each of the six tasty flights. The groups were raucous and made for a grand time. The first class was joined by the ‘Arrogant Bastard’ himself, Stone founder Greg Koch, who had some nice words to share and took a few snaps he then tweeted to his massive group of Twitter followers. Always spreading the love!
With the beautiful backdrop of Stone’s lush gardens, the setting was almost as perfect as the menu! Here’s what you missed…
1) Stone Sawyer’s Triple paired with Winchester Cumin Gouda 2) Stone Pale Ale paired with Bellwether Carmody 3) Stone IPA paired with Piave Vecchio 4) Stone Smoked Porter paired with Pecorino Nocino 5) Arrogant Bastard Ale paired with Purple Haze Stuffed Peppadew 6) Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale paired with Noord Hollander
We are thrilled to join our friends from O'Brien's Pub for a very exclusive event featuring a lineup of incredible beers from Belgium's Malheur Brewery. If you've attended a few of our beer and cheese classes with O'Brien's, then chances are, you've sampled at least one of these rare, bottle-conditioned brews. As it happens. O'Brien's is the #1 Malheur account in the western US and as such owner Tom Nickel has been able to pull together an unprecedented lineup of 5 distinct Malheur brews for this event including the rare Malheur 6, as well as the 10, 12, and the champagne-style Brut, and Dark Brut. The brews will be paired with an equally exceptional menu of fine artisan cheeses from Taste. Add the lively and informative discussion lead by Tom and Taste cheese monger George Palmer and you have an incredible evening in store. Don't miss out - we expect this to sell out quickly! Sign up at either O'Brien's or Taste.
Malheur & Cheese Tasting $40 Sunday, July 19th, 6:30pm ***Second Class Just Added!*** Sunday, July 26th, 6:30pm O'Brien's Pub 4646 Convoy Road, San Diego
Who says summer school is a drag? Not us! Our Cheese101@ Taste Summer Series of classes is designed for maximum enjoyment. No homework or tests required, just a guaranteed good time spent savoring artisan cheeses, craft beers and fine wines. With such a great lineup of classes, we know it'll be tough to choose which to attend. Why limit yourself? With our special Summer Series pricing, the more classes you attend, the more you save!
Individual Class $45
Any 2 Classes $80 (Save $10!)
Any 3 Classes $115 (Save $20!)
All 4 Classes $140 (Save $40!)
Discounts require advance registration and full payment at time of enrollment.
Summer Series Schedule
Knights & Whites
Wednesday, June 3rd, 6:30pm
We're excited to kick off our Summer Series with a special even featuring our friend Rey Knight, owner/producer of San Diego's own Knight Salumi Co. join us for this fun first class of summer. We'll pair a selection of tasty white wines and artisan cheeses with the complex, spicy flavors of the different varieties of Knight Salumi. Definitely a non-vegetarian class!
All American Wines & Cheeses w/Special Guest Michelle Keller of Sonoma'sKeller Estate
Tuesday, 6/23 6:30pm
July 4th is just around the corner and to help you get ready for your Independence Day celebration, we've planned a special All- American evening featuring some of the country's finest artisan cheeses and wines. We're excited to welcome a very special guest, Michelle Keller of Keller Estate, a winery her family founded more than 20 years ago. Originally produced for the enjoyment of family and friends, Keller Estate wines have only been publicly available since 2001. With her family's second generation now at the winery's helm, Michelle has spent most of her life amid the fascinating world of winemaking. Although she recently relocated to Southern California, she remains an active participant in the family business from harvest to market. We're looking forward to learning more about her rich heritage and sampling some of her family's award-winning wines. We'll feature these and other fine domestic wines, paired with exceptional cheeses from some of America's finest artisan producers.
Perfect Picnic Pairings
Tuesday, 7/21, 6:30pm
The third class in our Summer Series features our favorite wines and cheeses for picnics in the park, backyard barbeques, beach parties and other summertime gatherings. With June gloom a distant memory, July's warm summer days are just too inviting to stay indoors. This class will offer some great tips for selecting cheeses and wines perfectly suited for summertime gatherings. And of course we'll sample some of our favorites and discover a few new ones too. Unlike the weather outside, class will be held in a cool, climate controlled room. Summer school was never this cool!
Beer v. Wine II
Tuesday 8/18, 6:30pm
A few months ago in our first-ever beer versus wine challenge, we featured six cheeses that we felt went equally as well with the wine and beer we paired with each of them. Students discussed the differences and debated their preferences before voting at the conclusion of each flight. Much to our surprise, the final tally was a tie with each beverage winning 3 flights. Despite the even split, the debate over which beverage is best with cheese continues so we've decided to try again. And this time, we guarantee a winner will emerge! To make sure, we've added another flight making a tie is impossible! Join us as we weigh through a whopping seven flights of excellent artisan cheeses, each expertly paired with a beer and a wine and collectively decide which beverage is the superior match. Be a part of history as we finally bring an end (at least a temporary halt) to the great cheese pairing debate!
