Academie Opus Caseus Announces California Course

In a unique international partnership, the Academie Opus Caseus, the professional development subsidiary of Mons Fromager-Affineur, is offering its first West Coast course at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. in Marin County, Calif.

The course, open to cheese professionals, will cover the life of cheese from pasture to plate: students will have an intimate overview of how cheese is made, aged, prepared for market, and what consumers can do with cheese once they bring it home. Academie instructors Laurent Mons and Susan Sturman, and the Giacomini family and staff will provide instruction, observation opportunities and hands-on experience in all phases of the curriculum. There will be a visit to nearby Cowgirl Creamery to observe lactic-set cheesemaking and to discuss cheese merchandising with guest speakers Peggy Smith and Sue Conley.

The program will take advantage of the rich culinary context of Northern California by incorporating opportunities to cook with and sample the region's bounty: oysters, wine, craft beer and the abundant produce. Daily sensory analysis sessions will include local cheeses and cheeses from Mons. 

Course Dates: March 9-13, 2015

Program Tuition: $3,000 (includes five nights' accommodations, ground transportation during the course and all but two meals).

The course is not a product training program, rather it is meant to provide cheese professionals, both experienced and novice, with a concise overview of the industry through the twin lenses of France and Northern California, the home of the U.S. artisan cheese movement.

The course is limited to 10 participants. Lodging will be at the nearby Tomales Bay Resort. Group dinners will provide a social environment to develop relationships with both the French and American instructors as well as fellow students.

Both the Giacomini and Mons families run privately held, second-generation family businesses, and both are fundamentally dedicated to preserving artisan cheesemaking, working landscapes, and the highest possible professional standards. Mons and the Academie have deep roots in France and in the United States, and have a strong reputation for integrity and expertise in the cheese community, as does the Giacomini family. Cowgirl Creamery is a leader in artisan cheesemaking and in marketing Californian, American and imported cheeses.

Applications are now being accepted at http://www.academie-mons.com/application. 

Additional courses offered by the Academie Opus Caseus: "The Life of Cheese in Four Days" at Jasper Hill Farm, Vermont; "Essential Foundations for Cheese Professionals" and "Affinage: the Art and Science of Maturing Cheese" at Mons Fromager-Affineur, France.

For more information, contact Susan Sturman at ssturman@academie-mons.com or 617-505-6235.