Workshop

Workshop – Developing a Tasting and Grading Program

As cheesemakers, we’re always tasting our cheese (it’s one of the major perks!) but it can be hard to capture the info that our taste buds are telling us. In this workshop, we’ll discuss how to develop a simple and effective tasting and grading program for your small creamery. We will discuss when and how to taste your cheese throughout the aging process and how to take that information back to the vat. We will also talk about the common sensory defects found in cheese, the importance of shelf-life sampling, and of course we’ll taste some cheese!
Kate Turcotte has been a cheesemaker for over 15 years and has worked at Shelburne Farms, Consider Bardwell, Orb Weaver Creamery, and von Trapp Farm. 

When: February 02, 2025 , 1 PM – 4 PM  EST
Where: Balfour Farm, 461 Webb Rd., Pittsfield

EVENT DETAILS and registration.

 

Award Winners

2024 Maine Cheese Award Winners

2024 Maine Cheese Awards announced.  The Awards are sponsored and organized by the Maine Tasting Center in Wiscassset Maine. Download a pdf file of Maine’s winning cheeses here.

Maine Tasting Center Events offer cheese enthusiasts an opportunity to sample and learn about  Maine  foods including cheeses. Check  out the Center’s  events calendar for their Taste of Maine  events.

 

“Maine Tasting Center is the name of our campus in Wiscasset, a well-provisioned, central location where we run our classes, operate our Tasting Room, and offer space to our industry partners, producer partners and community partners from across the state for their own educational purposes.”

~ Maine Tasting Center

Award Winners

Guild Cheesemakers Win Awards at Big E

At the Big E (Eastern States Exposition) 2024 Gold Medal Cheese Competition held in July, three members of the Maine Cheese Guild garnered fifteen medals in the competition among the best cheesemakers in New England!

• Three Charm Farm (Alfred, ME) won Bronze for their amazing Feta!

• Spring Day Creamery (Durham, ME)won Gold and Silver for their Soft Ripened White Mold Cheeses, Out & About and Evangeline!

• Pineland Farms ( Bangor, ME) won three Gold medals for their Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack, and Smoked Gouda! And, nine more Silver and Bronze for their Cheddars, Hispanic Style Cheese, Flavor Added Cheese, and Flavored Unripened Dairy Products!

Congratulations to all three dedicated Maine Cheesemakers!