Cheese tastings
While at the Ritz, Susan developed a love for French Cheeses, studying, tasting, and visiting cheesemakers whenever possible. She taught cheese classes regularly to diploma students and private groups at the Ritz on a monthly basis for over two years. She has since been expanding her expertise to include other principal cheese-making regions of the world particularly the exciting artisanal chesses currently being made in the U.S. Her cheese classes include an overview of the five principal families of cheese, where they come from, how they are produced; tastings from each of these families paired with appropriate wines and breads; tips on selecting, presenting, and storing cheese; and the etiquette of serving and eating cheese.

Food & Spirits: putting wine and spirits in context
Epicurean is developing a curriculum of tastings and cooking classes that focus on pairing wines and spirits (fortified wines, beers, etc) into the contexts in which they will be consumed. Wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, as part of a meal, but we rarely learn about wine in it's proper context.

We conduct cheese & wine tastings that focus on pairing wines and cheeses, discovering the harmonies and pleasing contrasts between beverage and food that bring each element to it's highest expression. We discuss not only the flavor components, but the history, terroir, and cultures that have created these products, giving a full context and deeper understanding of how and why certain pairings work so well.

Wines are tasted first, then cheeses, then the two are tasted together, so that participants can discover the often startling changes that occur on the palate when flavors mingle.

Cheese and spirits tastings are outstanding fundraisers, extremely effective client appreciation events and team builders, and are a great party theme.

When the wine comes first
Generally when we plan a meal, we choose a wine once the menu has been selected. But what happens when we purchase or receive an extraordinary wine and wish to plan a meal around the wine? Epicurean is developing a series of cooking classes to address such a fortunate circumstance. If you are interested in hosting a practical class and have a particular wine you need to plan around, do not hesitate to contact us for a private group class.

- Sample menu -