cheeseunderground cheese, jeanne carpenter, wisconsin cheese originals

New Fall Cheese Class Series Announced

Hey Cheese Peeps! In an effort to alleviate the hate mail I’ve been getting because all of my Wisconsin Cheese Originals classes are sold out through the end of the year, I just added four new tasting and talking classes. Whoo-hoo!

Here are the details:

You get to hang out with me, Jeanne Carpenter, American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, on a Sunday evening and taste and learn about at least four different cheeses each time. You may purchase classes separately for $25 each, or purchase the entire four-class series for $90.

We meet at the lovely Firefly Coffeehouse, 114 North Main Street in downtown Oregon, Wisconsin, located just a quick 10 minutes south of Madison. Classes start at 6:00 pm. Each is limited to 20 attendees. Classes include a complimentary glass of wine, beer or beverage of your choice.  

This is important: These classes sell out fast, so reserve your seat in advance at www.cheesetickets.com

September 25
Cheese 101: Taste the Eight Categories of Cheese
Start out with an introduction to the eight different types of cheese – fresh, semi-soft, soft ripened, surface-ripened, semi-hard, aged, washed rind, and blue. Learn and taste your way through your very own cheese board of eight artisan cheeses, then take the board home and impress your friends with your new-found knowledge.

October 23
American Farmstead Cheeses
Perhaps some of the most eye-appealing and palate-pleasing cheeses are those hand-crafted on the same farm as where the animals – cows, sheep or goats – are milked.  Learn the stories and taste four of the best farmstead cheeses made in America today.

November 20
The Best of American Original Cheeses
The United States is home to some of the most innovative cheesemakers in the world. We’ll taste four original cheeses dreamt up by cheesemakers either through sheer genius or, more often, by mistake. Hear the stories of what it takes to create an award-winning American Original.

December 4
Cheese & Chocolate Pairings
Give yourself an early holiday gift with tickets to this festive tasting of four American artisan cheeses paired with four different chocolates from local chocolatiers. Learn tips and tricks of pairing sweet with savory, and get ideas for holiday gifts for your friends and family!

cheeseunderground cheese, jeanne carpenter

New Cheese Geek Classes Announced

After teaching a small group cheese class last week, I discovered how much I enjoy sitting down with a few folks, cutting into some wheels of cheese, and taking a deep dive into a topic. So voila – a new series of what I’m calling “Cheese Geek Classes” have been born. Each class is limited to just eight people. We’ll sit around a table, eat some cheese, study a topic in-depth and probably drink a beer or two. I hope you’ll join me!

Here we go:

July 21 – Cheese Geek Class – The Art and Science of Aging Cheese
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Firefly Coffeehouse, 114 N Main St, Oregon, WI

Join Jeanne Carpenter, American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional for a small-group study on the art and science of aging cheese. We’ll explore four different types of cheese rinds and taste four of the very best artisan cheeses made in America today. Learn why cheesemakers add ash to surface ripened cheeses, why natural rinds are particularly tricky, and learn the difference between a cheese washed in beer and a cheese washed in whiskey. Tickets: $28 and seats must be reserved in advance. Limited to just 8 attendees. Includes glass of wine, beer or beverage of choice. Register at www.cheesetickets.com

August 23 – Cheese Geek Class – Learning the Lexicon of Cheese Flavors
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Firefly Coffeehouse, 114 N Main St, Oregon, WI

Join Jeanne Carpenter for a small-group study on how best to describe the many flavors you taste in cheese. After this class you’ll stop calling cheddar “sharp” (as Pat Polowsky, Wisconsin author of Cheese Science Toolkit would say: “A knife is sharp. Cheese is not.”) We’ll taste four unique American artisan cheeses and learn how to describe them using cheese descriptors such as brothy, roasted or herbal. Afterward, you’ll be able to impress your wine snob friends with your new cheese lexicon. Tickets: $28 and seats must be reserved in advance. Limited to just 8 attendees. Includes glass of wine, beer or beverage of choice. Register at www.cheesetickets.com


September 29 – Cheese Geek Class – Understanding Crystals in Cheese
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Firefly Coffeehouse, 114 N Main St, Oregon, WI

Join Jeanne Carpenter for a small-group study on how and why cheese crystals – those little flavor bursty bits from heaven – form in cheese. We’ll study two types of crystals: calcium lactate and tryosine, learn why each forms in different types of cheese, and how cheesemakers encourage their growth. Plus, of course, we’ll taste four different cheeses, with – you guessed it – crystal features. Is your mouth watering yet? Tickets: $28 and seats must be reserved in advance. Limited to just 8 attendees. Includes glass of wine, beer or beverage of choice. Register at www.cheesetickets.com

cheeseunderground fromagination, jeanne carpenter, sara hill, Wisconsin cheese

The Cheese Geek & Cheese Guru Present Fall Class Series

Two women (spoiler alert: one of them is me) dedicated to teaching, writing, and most importantly, eating Wisconsin artisan cheeses, are teaming up to lead a fun fall class series at Fromagination in Madison.

Sara Hill, of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, whose license plate reads CHZ GURU, and me, whose license plate says CHZ GEEK, will launch our “Cheese Geek and Cheese Guru” fall class series in September.

Attendees may sign up for all three classes at $90 per person, or for each class separately at $30 per class. Class size is limited to just 15 people, making this an intimate and informal setting, perfect for asking questions. Sessions start at 7 p.m. and seats must be reserved in advance at www.wicheeseclass.com.

The Cheese Geek and Cheese Guru Fall Session at Fromagination includes:

Tuesday, Sept. 25: Best Cheeses in America
Having just returned from the 2012 American Cheese Society Conference, Sara and I will bring back five of the best new cheeses made in America. Attendees will taste five award-winning cheeses from around the country, learn their stories, and get the opportunity to purchase up to one-half pound of each to take home.

Thursday, Oct. 4: Ocktoberfest, Wisconsin Style
Who does craft beer and artisan cheese better than Wisconsin? No one. Attendees will taste four Wisconsin craft beers, expertly paired with four Wisconsin artisan cheeses, hearing the behind-the-scenes-stories of each beer and cheese.

Wednesday, Nov 14: European Vs. Wisconsin Cheeses
Old World favorites vs. New World upstarts: attendees will judge whether Wisconsin cheesemakers are holding their own, or may we daresay winning, the race in crafting world-class original cheeses. Attendees will taste eight cheeses, four European and four Wisconsin, hearing the stories of each, with the opportunity to purchase each at evening’s end.

I look forward to seeing you at the classes!