A great time was had by all at the Old Creamery Vinegar Tasting on Sunday, April 18.  25 people sat and listened as Alice brought alive the history and production of vinegar making.  The participants heard about The Festival of San Giovanni, when the residents of a small village on the shores of Lake Como prepared for the festival by capturing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of small snails, removing the flesh to make food for the festival, then, on the eve of the balsamic vinegar competition, sailed all the empty snail shells on to Lake Como with tiny lit candles inside them.  They learned how vinegars are produced, the legacy and heritage passed down from generation to generation, the pride and devotion and intuition and wisdom involved in creating a truly great vinegar, why great vinegar costs so much more than great wine, how to taste to  most fully appreciate the flavor nuances of vinegar, and how to use different vinegars in different ways. 

Everyone was offered a choice of having the vinegar drizzled on to their hand, on to a spoon, or on to a bite of freshly baked bread to taste each vinegar.  Alice and Amy smiled joyfully as they drizzled these exquisite vinegars on to the hands of the tasters. 17 vinegars were tasted, from shockingly tart wine vinegars to smooth as velvet aged balsamics.  Alice promised everyone that they would experience a full-blown love affair (with vinegar) by the end of the evening or they would get their money back; no one asked for a refund for this fun-filled FREE event!  If you missed the tasting but are interested in vinegars, pull Alice aside at the Creamery and ask her to wax poetic about any of the vinegars on the shelf.  She could even arrange a quick taste of a couple of them with advance notice. 

Photos by Richard Shephard - http://www.rsairphoto.com/

We are delighted to offer our tasting series to the community. We’re excited to share our passion and enthusiasm for excellent foods and fine wines. The wine tasting will be facilitated by wine expert Wayne Glaser from Arborway Imports. All other tastings are led by Alice. She will share her knowledge of these fine products and we’ll all have a blast tasting and comparing impressions. Please join us! Pre-registration is not required, but is recommended if you would like to be sure to have a seat; attendance is limited. There is no charge for any of the tastings, but donations are welcomed. We look forward to seeing you.

Sunday, February 7, 6:30 p.m.: Chocolate Tasting

We’ll learn about the history of cacao and chocolate production, about contemporary chocolate production and politics, about the health benefits associated with dark chocolate, and we will share a blind taste test of many different chocolates, just in time for Valentine’s Day! 

Sunday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.: Olive Oil Tasting

Alice will share her passion for fine olive oils with a brief cultural history, culinary tips, description of production, and information on many of the oils we will taste from several continents and many countries.

Sunday, April 18, 6:30 p.m.: Vinegar Tasting

We will focus on the history and production of balsamic vinegar, though we will touch on other important vinegars. Alice will offer culinary tips as we sample many outstanding vinegars and learn how to use them in a variety of ways.   

Sunday, May 16, 6:30 p.m.: Wine Tasting

Wayne Glaser will provide a glimpse into the history, production, and

selection of fine wines and some tips on how to bring out the best in the wines you purchase. We’ll sample a variety of exquisite wines.

Sunday, June 13, 6:30 p.m.: Cheese Tasting

This tasting will feature fantastic cheeses from at least 5 different countries, with a variety of creamy, soft and hard textures and mild, sharp and pungent flavors. The cheeses will be produced from cow’s, goat’s, and sheep’s and mixed milk. We will have some raw milk and pasteruzed cheeses as well as artisinal and production made cheeses.