I've taught summer cheese classes in San Francisco when fog's taking over the city. I cooed over Pleasant Ridge Reserve and Roelli cheese as blustery March winds blew through Chicago. I've paired Long Island Riesling to Vermont cheddar in New York City. And recently, I just drove to Point Reyes and made queso fresco with the same milk that they use to make Bay Blue (yup, omg).

But I've never taught a public Berkeley cheesemaking class that my friends and cheese lovers can come to.

it's five minutes away from my house. Why? Hard to believe, there just aren't many places to hold classes. This is about to change.

January and February I'm striking out on my own and teaching my first public Berkeley cheesemaking class, and cheese and wine pairing class.

Cheesemaking 101 & Wine, and Wine & Cheese Pairing 101.

I'm teaming up with my friends at Potliquor Catering, who share a community space in the same building as Morrel's Bread, Shrub & Co, Standard Faire, and Stonehouse Olive Oil- to host these par-tays (known to some as educational classes) in their kitchen.

Beginning Berkeley Cheesemaking Class & Wine, Jan 28th, 2-5pm, Potliquor

The first, detailed below, mixes cheesemaking and wine in a three-hour classes where we'll make the cheese then enjoy the fruits of our labor with wine. Two cheeses, cultured butter, a recipe or two, and vino. Win win?

Make 2 cheeses, cultured butter, and drink wine! From pressing fluffy curds into fresh cheese to churning your own cultured butter, learn the basics of cheesemaking and culturing in this hands-on, 3 hour, lively class. After a breezy cheesemaking science lesson, we'll make queso fresco, fromage blanc, rich butter, and sample what we just made with wine!

Then...

Cheese & Wine Pairing 101: From Wine & Cheese Pairing Meek to Wine & Cheese Pairing Geek, February 10th, 6:30-8:30, Potliquor 

The second is a classic Wine & Cheese Pairing class that is a delicious education in the basics- Go from wine and cheese pairing meek to wine and cheese geek!

Photos on Napa wine country brochures make it seem like cheese and wine are easy to pair, but if you’d ever had a cheese and wine bomb, you know the two can be a difficult duo. It’s not you! In this class, I’ll walk you through a tasty education and give you the tools to harmoniously enjoy the two at home without fear. 4 wines, 8 cheeses, two hours of deliciousness.

If there's Berkeley, demand, there will be more! I hope to see you at one or both of these two classes, or around town.