The Joy of Cheese January Events

We're going to start the year with a bang--four events in three venues. Let's get right to the point.

Thursday January 8 at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
The 8 Best Cheeses in New York City
Let's get back to basics with a tasting of the eight best hand crafted cheeses available in New York. No, I'm not saying exactly what we'll have, but expect names like Beeler, Mons, Cravero and Guffanti to be in the house. Oh, okay, I'll divulge this much, the Roquefort alone will be worth the price of admission. Tickets are $25; there will be dark chocolate, fruit and at least one mystery cheese (which may be ninth and/or tenth best cheese in Gotham), you pay for your drinks as you go. For reservations contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com or pay in advance at
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/50650

Tuesday January 13 at 7 at The 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington Ave
A Wine and Cheese pairing class.
I will co-lead a class with noted wine expert Meg Staloff featuring six phenomenal wines and six remarkable cheeses to match. It's a class whose theme will be revisited on April 1 and 29.
Tickets are $50 and available on the Y's website,
http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?productid=T-LP5FW35

Wednesday January 14 and Tuesday January 27 at 7 at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place
Blue Blue Blue!!!
Our third annual survey of six (maybe seven) of the finest blue cheeses in the world balanced by six (again, maybe seven) non blues that will match the sweet whites and ports that are recommended with these superb cheeses. The tasting will take place in the newly redecorated salon room at 10 Degrees.
Tickets are $40, $35 in advance via Brown Paper Tickets
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/50658

I'm happy to answer any and all questions during the tastings and in advance at thejoyofcheese@ gmail.com

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents Alpine Nation

With the holidays closing in, there's only one set of Joy of Cheese tastings in November (and no public events in December) so we're closing out the year with alpine cheeses. There will be three segments to this tasting: American Alpine cheeses (I know that geographically, the actual Alps don't extend across the Atlantic ocean, but one taste of some new Americans like the Leelanau Aged Raclette and you'll see that the cheese making wisdom does). The second subset of the tasting is on the soft cheeses of Switzerland; it's an interesting country with influences of German, Italian and French cheesemaking mixing together. And lastly we'll end with a series of unique and rare Alpine style cheeses from Switzerland.
The tastings will be held WEDNESDAYS November 12th and 19th at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, in the East Village. Tickets are $40. You can make reservations via e-mail at thejoyofcheese AT Gmail or you can buy tickets in advance with a slight discount via www.brownpapertickets.com.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents the October Tasting Schedule

Big Cheeses for Big Wines
October 14 and 21 at 7ish at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place

It's hard to pair cheeses with the big red wines that become all the rage during autumn and winter. Some cheeses conflict with the deep flavors of the wine; others are simply overwhelmed by the wine. October 14 and 21 (yep, just two Tuesdays), we will taste and discuss twelve or so cheeses that are distinctive enough to pair well with rich red wines. Expect great cheese from Portugal, Sardinia and of course, Georgia (yeah, the state). As always there will be mystery cheeses, fruit and dark chocolate.
Tickets are $40 at the door and there is a 10% discount via www.brownpapertickets.com after October 2.

When in Rome...
October 19th at 1:30 and October 22nd at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
We will survey 12 or so of the very best Italian cheeses. Expect cheese from some of the finest Italian producers and affineurs such as Madaio, Guffanti, Cravero, and Cora. We will present ten of the cheeses in five pairs and each pair will be accompanied by a sample size of a wine from the superb Nectar Wine Bar collection and a description from Nectar manager Beth Baye.
Tickets are $50 and available either at the door or via www.brownpapertickets.com after October 2nd.

Feel free to hit me with questions at thejoyofcheese AT gmail

-Martin

The Joy of Cheese September schedule

We're back and everything is okay.
There will be two tastings in September. On the 9th, 16th, and 18th at 7:00 at 10 Degrees will focus on classic English cheeses and their contemporary counterparts. England has exerted an enormous influence on American cheesemaking traditions, and we will delve into the reasons for that. However the current wave of exceptional cheeses from England and America are sort of engaged in an interesting dialogue which we will also discuss.
10 Degrees is located at 121 St. Mark's Place in the East Village. Tickets are $40 but there is a 10% for purchasing them in advance at Brown Paper Tickets dot com.
On the 21st at 1:30, and the 24th at 6:30, at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglas Blvd., we will turn our attention to the cheeses of Spain, Portugal and Colorado (yep, that Colorado). This will be a survey course of the fine cheeses of the Iberian peninsula plus a quick detour into Colorado where some of the best cheeses take their cues from Spanish cheesemaking traditions.
Tickets for the tasting are $50 but that includes sample sizes of five wines chosen specifically to accompany these cheeses. Again advance tix are available at Brown Paper Tickets dot com.

More info? contact me at thejoyofcheese at Gmail.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese calls an audible

The Joy of Cheese changes the schedule

Due to a family medical emergency, there will be no tastings the week of August 18-22.

This means that the tastings scheduled for August 19 and 21 at 10 Degrees and August 20 at Nectar Wine Bar are cancelled.

The tastings will resume August 26^th at 10 Degrees with our survey of great Italian affineurs.

From the department of Coming Soon, we have a tasting that pits classic English cheeses v. the new wave of Great British cheesemaking on September 9, 16, and 18 at 10 Degrees.

Then at Nectar Wine Bar on September 21 and 24, we will survey the cheeses of Spain, Portugal and Colorado (un hunh, that Colorado).

More on those in the next dispatch.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese plans a busy busy August

In the five weeks between now and Labor Day weekend, there will be eight Joy of Cheese tastings. Rather than spam you anymore than I already do, this is our August schedule.

Joy of Cheese (Uptown) Presents The Old World Cheeses of Nectar Wine Bar

This tasting will present the five old world cheeses of Nectar plus seven (or more) delectable new ones from leading affineurs overseas. In addition, Nectar’s manager Beth Baye will present five wines specifically chosen to match the five pairings of cheese.

The tastings are Sunday afternoon August 10^th at 1:30 and Wednesday evening August 20^th at 6:30.

The setting is Nectar Wine Bar is at 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd (8^th Ave). 212-961-9622.

Tickets are $50 (the price includes the wine) and are available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/39761 or make reservations by e-mailing me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com or thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese (Downtown) Presents La Dolce Formaggio

Which may not be grammatical but true fans of legendary Italian Director Frederico Fellini fans won’t care. This tasting will present the 12-14 examples from the work of the three leading Italian affineurs, Luigi Guffanti, Gianni Cora and the fine craftsmen and craftswomen or Casa Madaio. It’s just the thing for summer-ey dry sparkling wines.

The Tastings are at 7:00 Tuesdays August 19^th and 26^th as well as Thursday August 21^st.

The setting is 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village.

Tickets are $40 and you pay for your wine as you go, but the tastings take place during two-for-the-price-of-one happy hour. You may buy advance tickets (and get a 10% discount) at Brown Paper Tickets via this link, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/40386. Or you can make reservations by e-mailing me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com or thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com.

Also there are a few settings left for the August 5^th edition of our July series Classic French Cheese vs. Le Nouveau Fromage (imagine an adventure movie starring cheese), and there are an abundance of them for July 29 and 31. These tastings are at 10 Degrees. If you’re new to The Joy of Cheese, a small tasting is the introduction. Advance tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/36983

And of course feel free to reserve at the yahoo or gmail addresses.

I hope to see you over some cheese!

-MJ

The July tastings

There are two sets of Joy of Cheese tastings in July.
The first is Sunday afternoon July 20 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd. nectar is a fabulous new wine bar opened last month by the folks who made Harlem Vintage into one of Manhattan's leading wine boutiques. The Joy of Cheese is in charge of the cheese program there, and I'll be conducting a survey tasting on the new world portion of the menu, Constant Bliss, Kunik, Bayley Hazen Blue, Pleasant Ridge Reserve and the Jasper Hill Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. We will introduce five cheeses that represent the next step beyond these superb cheeses and of course there will be two mystery cheeses and dark chocolate at the finish.
In addition, there the cheeses will be paired with a flight of wines from the Nectar wine list.
Tickets are $50 and available via www.brownpapertickets.com

Then July 29, 31 and August 5 we return to our downtown homebase, 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, to conduct Classic French Cheese vs. Le Nouveau Fromage, a tasting that will contrast what the French think of as basic cheeses (their Kraft) with what new and exciting cheeses from the leading French affineurs.
Tickets for this event are $40 at the door, $35 via www.brownpapertickets.com

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents the Midwest v. the South, a comparative tasting

The Joy of Cheese Presents the Midwest v. the South

American hand crafted cheesemaking has little of the way in appreciable roots in either the Deep South or the Midwest (though large scale cheesemaking has deep roots in Midwestern states), however, both regions have played host to ambitious cheesemakers who in the last decade have begun producing exceptional cheeses. Which region is doing better? Let’s hold a taste-off and find out.

In the third of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate the cheeses from the Midwest and the South. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

The final lineup isn’t known right now, but my plans include cheeses from Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, southern Indiana, Minnesota and of course, Wisconsin

There will be dark chocolate (probably from a foreign country), fruit (west coast) and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general

The tastings are Tuesdays June 17^th and 24^th and Thursday June 19^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village . Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com or thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: July 29^th, 31^st, and August 5^th Taking Sides part four, the cheeses of France in some comparative setting.

-MJ

correction on dates

the June tasting series is on the 17th, 19th, and 24th, not 22nd, 24th and 29th as mentioned below.

The corrected May announcement is below

The Joy of Cheese Presents East v. West

American hand crafted cheesemaking has roots in both the East Coast and the West Coast. 30 years later, which coast does it better? Let’s hold a taste-off and find out.

In the second of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate pairs of cheeses from each coast. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

There will be several interesting contrasts including goudas from Oregon and Connecticut , bloomy chevres from California and Massachusetts , and washed rind cheeses from Virginia and (hopefully) Washington state.

There will be dark chocolate (probably from a foreign country), fruit (west coast) and two mystery cheeses (which will be from one coast or the other). I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general

The tastings are Tuesdays May 13^th and 20^th as well as Thursday May 15^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village . Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: June 17^th, 19^th and 24th Taking Sides part three, the cheeses of the American South versus those from the Midwest ..

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents East v. West, a comparative tasting

The Joy of Cheese Presents East v. West

American hand crafted cheesemaking has roots in both the East Coast and the West Coast. 30 years later, which coast does it better? Let’s hold a taste-off and find out.

In the second of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate pairs of cheeses from each coast. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

There will be several interesting contrasts including goudas from Oregon and Connecticut , bloomy chevres from California and Massachusetts , and washed rind cheeses from Virginia and (hopefully) Washington state.

There will be dark chocolate (probably from a foreign country), fruit (west coast) and two mystery cheeses (which will be from one coast or the other). I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general

The tastings are Tuesdays May 13^th and 20^th as well as Thursday May 15^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village . Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: June 22^nd, 24^th, and 29^th, Taking Sides part three, the cheeses of the American South versus those from the Midwest ..

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents Taking Sides vol. 1, a comparative tasting

The Joy of Cheese Presents Goat v. Sheep

For nearly two years, The Joy of Cheese has engaged in survey courses of cheese from different regions and different styles of cheese making. Now, we’re going a tad deeper. .

In the debut of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate pairs of similarly made cheeses from the same region with one key difference. One cheese in each pairing will be made of sheep’s milk and the other will be of goat’s milk. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

For instance we will feature a firm goat and a firm sheep from the French Pyrenees. We will also have leaf-wrapped fresh goat and sheep cheeses from Tuscany. There will be two blues from Devon England, two fresh cheeses from nearby, and so on and so forth.

There will be dark chocolate (only one), fruit and two mystery cheeses (which will not be compared against one another). I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays April 22^nd and 29^th as well as Thursday April 24^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: May 13^th 15^th and 20^th Taking Sides part two, the cheeses of the East Coast versus those from the West Coast..

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents The Local

The Joy of Cheese Presents The Local

The epicenters of great American cheesemaking are Vermont, northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Wisconsin. But this region is no slouch either and we’re going to prove it.

There are great washed rind cheeses being made in Connecticut, outstanding sheep cheese is made both in Hudson Valley and in Southern New Jersey and there is even great hand crafted cheese made in five boroughs. Those cheeses comprise the focus of our next tasting, The Local. We’ll introduce and discuss 12-14 cheeses made in either New York Connecticut or New Jersey.

There will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays March 25^th and April 1^st as well as Thursday March 27^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: April 22, 24 and 29: Taking Sides: Goat versus Sheep, a series of side-by-side contrasts of goat and sheep cheeses from similar regions.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents Pasteur's Delight

It’s time to stop treating pasteurized cheeses as if they were uniformly dull.

Some of the best new cheeses are made from the Pasteurized milk as are some of the most reliable classics, and so are a few cheeses that we think are made from raw milk.

To pasteurize or not to pasteurize is an issue with both flavor and health consequences and we’ll discuss them in the next Joy of Cheese tasting. We’ll survey 12-14 cheeses not made from raw milk. In addition, to an alarming variety, you’ll be able to tell your expecting friends that there’s a whole lot more than aged gouda for them to eat.

But we’re going to have some amazing aged goudas too.

There will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays February 26^th and March 4^th as well as Thursday February 28^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: March 25, 27 and April 1: The Local, great hand-crafted cheeses of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

-MJ

The Winter season at 10 Degrees

Our winter events at 10 Degrees begins with It's Better to be Blue, a survey of excellent blue cheeses, January 22nd, 24th and 29th. See the preceeding post for more information.

The series continues, February 26, 28 and March 4 with Pasteur's Delight, a tasting focused on the very best cheeses NOT made from raw milk and a discussion of the Pasteurization laws.

Winter ends with The Local: the cheeses of NY, NJ, and Connecticut, March 25, 27, and April 1.

Details soon.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents It's Better to be Blue

The Joy of Cheese Presents It’s Better to be Blue

Blue cheeses are thought to be one thing: strong. Yet there are many different levels and degrees of strength and pepperiness (yes that’s a word I just made up) as well as a broad array of overtones to be enjoyed from blue cheeses.

In our second annual survey of blues, It’s Better to be Blue, the Joy of Cheese will explore many different blues, balanced by other cheeses that pair well with ports and sweet white wines. We’ll investigate at least 12 and probably more cheeses and I promise, your palette won’t be exhausted by 9:00.

There will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays January 22^nd and 29^th as well as Thursday January 24^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: February 26, 28 and March 4: the Pasteur’s Delight, a tasting of cheeses that are NOT made from raw milk

-MJ