February 25th, 2010 French Cheese and Wine Tasting Class at Scardello's
Thurs, 25-Feb, 7-9p, $25, reservation required. Scardello Artisan Cheese, 3511 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas TX 75219, 214.219.1300
February 15th, 2010 South of France Wine Class at Wine²
Mon, 15-Feb, 7p, $20, Wine², 110 W Oak St A, Denton, TX 76201. Reservation required: 940.384.9463
February 9th, 2010 Wine & Cheese Pairing Class at Mozzarella Company
Learn to pair wine and cheese with wine expert John Bratcher and cheesemaker Paula Lambert in a unique setting where all questions are answered, Tues, 9-Feb, 6:30-8:30p, $50. Reservations 214.741.4072. Mozzarella Company, 2944 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75226 (Deep Ellum).
February 6th, 2010 Wine 101 - Wine for the Misinformed at San Martino Winery
For anyone who thinks wine selection is complicated. Sat, 6-Feb, 6:30p, $15. Reserve online. San Martino Winery, 12512 Hwy 205 North, Rockwall TX 75087. 972.772.6043 or 972.722.7997
February 3rd, 2010 Cafaro Cellars & Miner Family Vineyards Tasting at Sigel's Elite Greenville
With Joe Cafaro, owner/winemaker, Cafaro Cellars, and Rocio Gonzalez, sales manager, Miner Family Vineyards Wed, 3-Feb, 5-7p, complimentary. Sigel's, 5757 Greenville Avenue, Dallas. Info: Ben Coyle, 214.739.4012
February 3rd, 2010 Superbowl Entertaining Class at Molto Formaggio Preston Royal
Cheese courses paired with wines and beers, Wed, 3-Feb, 7p, $45 per couple; advance reservation required. Molto Formaggio The Cheese Shop, Preston Royal Shopping Center NE, 6025 Royal Lane #127, Dallas TX 75230. Reserve: 214.361.9191
January 29th, 2010 Cave Dweller's Cellar Selections Tasting at La Cave Warehouse
Seated tasting of six Château Montrose vintages produced over the course of 18 years, Fri, 29-Jan, 6p, $120. Reservation required 214.747.9463. La Cave Warehouse, 1931 Market Center Blvd. #129, Dallas, Texas 75207
January 29th, 2010 Mardi Gras Cooking Demonstration and Wine Dinner at Chamberlain's Fish Market Grill
4-course wine dinner Fri, 29-Jan, 6:30p, $69.95 plus tax & gratuity. Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill, 4525 Belt Line Rd., Addison, TX 75001. Reserve: 972.503.3474 Menu
January 29th, 2010 Plumpjack Winery Wine Dinner at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse - Dallas
Four course dinner paired with wines from Plumpjack Winery, with winemaker Anthony Biagi Fri, 29-Jan, 7p, $175 plus tax/gratuity. Reservation required: 214.366.2000. Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, 10477 Lombardy Lane
Dallas TX 75220
January 27th, 2010 Chef's Come-As-You-Are Wine Dinner at The Grape
Three course dinner hosted by chef/proprietor Brian Luscher featuring wines from Piedmont Wed, 27-Jan, 5:30p on, $45 plus tax and gratuity,
The Grape, 2808 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206. Complimentary valet parking. Reservations: 214.828.1981
January 27th, 2010 Malbec Tasting at WineTastic
Wed, 27-Jan, 6-9p, $20 plus tax and gratuity. WineTastic, 4140 Lemmon Ave., Ste 130, Dallas, TX 75219. 214.559.8910
January 26th, 2010 Kim McPherson Winemaker Dinner at Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen
Tues, 26-Jan, 6:30p, dinner with winemaker Kim McPherson, $60 plus tax/gratuity PASSED: Niman Ranch Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Pear Cider Reduction
Seared Yellowtail Sashimi, Macadamia Nuts, Quince Sorbet ~ McPherson Cellars Viognier 1st: Crab, Mussel and Clam Gumbo, Grilled Kirsch’s Sausage, Puff Pastry ~ McPherson Cellars Rosé of Syrah-Grenache 2nd: Wood Grilled Quail, Balsamic Barbeque Sauce, Buttermilk Potato Salad ~ McPherson Cellars Tre Colore 3rd: Lamb Osso Buco, Latte Da Chevre Risotto, Roasted Lemon Demi Glace ~ McPherson Cellars Sangiovese 4th: White Chocolate-Raspberry Bread Pudding ~ McPherson Cellars La Diosa Sangria. Reserve: 214.250.7664. Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen, 6130 Luther Lane, Dallas TX 75225, 214.893.1104
January 25th, 2010 Ribera del Duero Tasting at Wine²
Mon, 25-Jan, 7p, $18. Wine²,
110 W. Oak St. A, Denton, TX 76201. Reserve: 940.384.9463
January 22nd, 2010 Winemaker Carol Shelton at Off the Vine
Don't miss the opportunity to talk with winemaker Carol Shelton Fri, 22-Jan, 5-7p, complimentary tasting. Off the Vine Texas, 324 S. Main Street, Grapevine, TX 76051, 817.421.1091
January 21st, 2010 Wine Tasting at Sigel's-Addison The Sorting Table tasting of Dujac, Zind Humbrecht & Snowden wines, Thurs, 21-Jan, 5-7p, at Sigel's Addison, 15003 Inwood Road. Free, reserve online or phone 972.387.9873.
January 21st, 2010 Beer and Cheese Pairing Class at Mozzarella Company
Guided tasting of 6-8 beer and cheese pairings with Mark Monfrey and cheesemaker Paula Lambert, approximately 2 hours. Thurs, 21-Jan, 6:30-8:30p, $50. Mozzarella Company, 2944 Elm Street (Deep Ellum), Dallas TX 75226. Reservations: 214.741.4072
Wine Knowledge Around the World Four-Class Series at Milestone Culinary Arts Mondays, Feb 1st-22nd, 2010, 6-9pm
Learn about the classifications, labels and grapes of major wine growing regions of the world from David Pennachetti, president, Wine Guru Services LLC. Each class includes a sampling of eight wines.
Location: Milestone Culinary Arts Center, 4531 McKinney Avenue, Dallas, TX 75205 Date/Time: Mondays, Feb 1st, Feb. 8th, Feb 15th, Feb 22nd, 2010, 6-9pm Cost: $350 four-class series, or $99 per class Enroll: online or phone Stephanie, 214.217.2818
Week 1, Monday, Feb. 1st: Wine 101 and France
Week 2, Monday, Feb. 8th: Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal
Week 3, Monday, Feb. 15th: California, Oregon, Washington, Texas Hill Country
Week 4, Monday, Feb. 22nd: Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina RSVP: Reservations are required 48 hours in advance. Reserve online or phone 214.217.2818
- Richard Silverston, February 2010
AIWF / Dallas Farmers Market Friends Winter 2010 Chef's Cooking Class Series
Local chefs demonstrate favorite dishes inspired by produce fresh from the market Saturdays, January 9th through February 6th, 2010, 11:30am-1pm.
Cost: Each class is $25 with a reservation; $30 at the door, space permitting. A 5-class package is $110. Group rates are available for 10 people or more. Location: Classes are held in the demonstration kitchen on the second floor of the Dallas Farmers Market Resource Center, 1010 S. Pearl Street, Dallas. Doors open 11am. To reserve: Mail check or money order payable to AIWF with reservation form to Cooking Class, c/o AIWF, P. O. Box 12384, Dallas, TX 75225.
Reservations will be held at the door for each class. Individual cancellations require one week advance notice. Information: 214.653.8088
Sponsored by The American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) and Dallas Farmers Market Friends.
- Richard Silverston, January 2010
GO TEXAN WineCast
Texas: 5th largest wine producing state in the nation More than 170 wineries More than 280 commercial vineyards Texas' wine and wine grape industry: $1.35 billion
You can't go wrong with good ingredients. Each cheese we sampled at last weekend's event could stand alone, but we love many - for many reasons. The enticing rinds on Bijou and Bonne Buche. The perfectly ripened triple crème Délice de Bourgogne. Fiore Sardo, Comté and Zamorano: scrumptious and historic emblems of Sardinian, French and Spanish culture. Stellar fresh and local Mozzarella Company and Latte Da Dairy cheeses. Oregon's Tumalo Farms' iconic aged farmstead goat cheese. We love the new dimension in taste and texture acquired through open air finishing in Minnesota's caves of Faribault after Vermont's beer-washed Grafton Truckle and Wisconsin's Fini age two years in their place of origin, and then are sent to be finished in Faribault Dairy's riverside sandstone caves.
HIGHLIGHTS Cow's milk
America's hot new cheese, Grafton Duet, layers Vermont Cheddar and Minnesota cave-aged blue. It's inspired by Huntsman, Britain's party staple, a combination of orange Double Gloucester and beautifully blue-veined Stilton. But Grafton Duet's ivory-yellow Cheddar layer - same as their One Year Premium Cheddar - is made from unpasteurized Jersey cow's milk and aged one year. And the blue layer is St. Pete's Select, made by Faribault Dairy from unpasteurized milk, then aged 100 days in Faribault's caves. Huntsman, brighter in color, is the milder, rounder and softer choice. Grafton Duet is denser in texture. It is big and distinctive in flavor; then, as you chew, the creaminess and tanginess marry delightfully. It's tempting to taste these layered cheeses as soon as you unwrap them, but the flavor is best - and considerably different - when the cheese is no longer cool to the touch.
Goat's milk - fresh and local cheese Fresh Goat's Milk Ricotta from Mozzarella Company in Deep Ellum is soft and delicate with subtle depth of flavor. It can be enjoyed on its own any time of day, or in savory or sweet recipes. Fresh Mozzarella and its "sister" cheese, Ricotta, are the first cheeses Paula Lambert made when she founded Mozzarella Company in 1982, and they've always been made by hand, not by machine. Latte Da Dairy’s farmstead Kalamata Olive Fresh Feta is a crowd pleaser.
Goat's milk - aged goat cheese Caciotta Capra Pepe e Olio is a simple, beautifully made goat‘s milk wheel from Latteria Perenzin in Italy's Veneto region. It's rubbed with pepper and extra virgin olive oil while aging, becoming mellow and fragrant. Emanuela Perenzin is the fourth generation of her family to operate the latteria.
Aged goat's milk cheeses from Tumalo Farms near Bend, Oregon, rarely reach the metroplex so if you see some, buy it. The semi-soft Classico is goat cheese perfection - creamy, pure, balanced - a blue-ribbon American Cheese Society winner the past three years. Cheesemaker Flavio DeCastilhos visited three area stores and also brought Pondhopper, similar to Classico and flavored with a local microbrew, and Capricorns, with peppercorns that did not overwhelm and entranced all the tasters.
Sheep's milk - aged cheeses Fiore Sardo, Sardinia's aged, raw sheep's milk cheese, is one of Italy's oldest cheeses, rich and sweet, slightly tangy and lightly smoky.
Zamorano resembles Manchego in shape and its herringbone patterned rind, but is a small production cheese from Zamora, a province in northwestern Spain's Castilla y León region. The milk for Zamorano comes from Churra and Castilian sheep, breeds native to Zamora; milk for Manchego comes from the Manchega breed of sheep raised in La Mancha. The Zamorano we tasted was one of the best aged sheep's milk cheeses we've ever tasted: intense, nutty, with a hint of burnt caramel and the sweet smoothness of sheep's milk.
AIWF / Dallas Farmers Market Friends Fall 2009 Chef’s Cooking Class Series
Local chefs demonstrate their favorite dishes inspired by produce fresh from the market.
Location: Classes are held in the demonstration kitchen on the second floor of the Dallas Farmers Market Resource Center, 1010 S. Pearl Street, Dallas.
Date/Time: Saturdays, October 24th through November 21st, 2009, 11:30am until 1:00pm. Doors open 11 am.
November 21st
Tre Wilcox, Loft 610 November 14th
Tiffany Derry, Go Fish Ocean Club November 7th
Anthony Bombaci, Nana October 31st Garreth Dickey, Hibiscus October 24th
Samir Dhurandhar, Nick & Sam's
Cost: Each class is $25 with a reservation and $30 at the door, space permitting. A 5-class package is available for $110, and group rates are available for 10 people or more. Information: 214.653.8088
How to reserve: Mail check or money order payable to AIWF with reservation form to Cooking Class, c/o AIWF, P. O. Box 12384, Dallas, TX 75225.
Reservations will be held at the door for each class.
Individual cancellations require one week advance notice.
The Dallas Farmers Market Chef’s Cooking Class Series is sponsored by The American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) and the Dallas Farmers Market Friends.
- Richard Silverston, October 2009
Dinner with Tablas Creek at York Street
Seven courses, six wines, featuring the Esprit de Beaucastel wines and two winery-only selections, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir, Thursday, October 8, 2009, 7:30pm, $125 plus tax/gratuity. To reserve, phone Fana 214.826.0968
