Been aching to take a sheep's milk cheese class or attend a Beer vs. Wine Cheese Pair-off for SF Beer Week? Do I even need to ask that question? If you're in the San Francisco bay area, free Wednesday night or Saturday day and want to come and check out an event I'm teaching or co-hosting, please do! I feel the fromagic in the air already.

Wednesday, Feb 3rd

Sassy, Spicy, Seductive, Sheep’s Milk

There is a fabulous world of sheep’s milk cheeses out there beyond Manchego just waiting for your love. Hold my hand, and we’ll explore it together, spicy slice-by-slice and surprisingly creamy bite by bite. The score: pecorinos galore, Torta la Serena, Bellwether San Andreas, Cave-Aged Marisa, Ewe's Blue, Abbaye de Belloc, smoked ricotta, served alongside two wines and a sheep-friendly beer. Sign up, and be put in the running to win a free month of the "It's Not You, it's Brie" cheese club.

7:30 pm,  $40 Reservations required.

Buy tickets online, or call Solano Cellars at 510.525.9463

Saturday, Feb 8th

Beer Vs. Wine Pair-off

It's SF Beer Week and the beer drinkers are talking smack about wine and vice versa. So we’re going brother against brother.  Grains against grapes. And we’re going to pair the living crap out of 3 different cheeses.  Certified Cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski is standing up to Fromagatrix Kirstin Jackson in a pairing challenge to see which booze makes the moves. Duvel vs All the Wine in the World.  The cheeses: Vermont Butter & Cheese Bonne Bouche goat, Pecorino Toscano Reserva aged sheep's milk, Sweet Grass Dairy Grill Hill creamy cow's milk. Which beers and wines? That's top secret. Sounds like a fair fight to me!  Bring your judge’s regalia and be prompt!

$18 for tickets online, or call Solano Cellars at 510.525.9463

(sheep above provide the milk for the Marcelli family in Tuscany, whose cheese will appear in the Wednesday class)