World Cheese Tour
2027
Schedule

Join me for an evening of artisan cheese and fine wine when the World Cheese Tour resumes for its sixteenth year in Napa Valley. The delightful Winston’s Café in Napa will be our host for these seated tastings, each one devoted to a different theme.

I’m an award-winning food writer, publisher of the Planet Cheese blog and author of three books on cheese, and I want to introduce you to some of the cheeses I love best. Over seven evenings, you'll sample exceptional wheels from France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K. and all across the U.S.— accompanied by fine wines from California and beyond. Come once if you like, choose a discounted three-class series or join me for the entire tour and save even more.

We’ll gather for an aperitif and hors d’oeuvre before class, then sit down for our tasting. I’ll guide you through the selections and help you boost your cheese IQ. You’ll be a more knowledgeable consumer and smarter cheese shopper when you leave.

Among the new class themes this year: Style Icons, in February, featuring seven cheeses that are best of class; Italian Backroads, in March, where you’ll taste small-production cheeses and newcomers; and Aged to Perfection in October, a salute to Europe’s best affineurs, the experts who nurture cheese from youth to maturity. Plus a bonus class! In December, please join me and Roederer Estate winemaker Arnaud Weyrich for a Cheese Lovers’ Evening with Roederer Estate. You’ll enjoy the exquisite sparkling wines of this acclaimed California producer with seven holiday-worthy cheeses.

During these lively and informal sessions, you'll sample a wide variety of cheese styles and hone your tasting skills. I'll also share tips on how to select, store and serve cheese. World-class cheeses—different every time. Treat a friend. Bring a date. Or purchase classes as a gift. Taken my classes before? Welcome back! You’ll meet many new cheeses this year.

Classes are 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Class size is limited and reservations are required.
Click on the desired dates below to reserve your place.
Single class: $85
December class: $95
Mini Tour (three classes of your choice, excluding December class): $240
Grand Tour (six classes, excluding December class): $450
Gift certificate: $85 (not valid for December class)

Tuesday, February 9

Style Icons
Taste best-in-class cheeses in seven different styles. Learn how cheesemakers create each style and why I think these selections are category leaders.
Reserve

Tuesday, March 9

Italian Backroads
We’ll travel the roads less taken, from Piedmont to Sardinia, to discover seven Italian artisan cheeses you probably don’t know but should, including some newcomers.
Reserve

Tuesday, April 13

Say Fromage
No Brie tonight. We’re diving deeper to unearth some of the lesser-known gems from France, the country that invented the cheese course. With French wines, of course.
Reserve

Tuesday, Sept 14

Blue Ribbon Winners from the American Cheese Society
Which cheeses will float to the top of this prestigious annual competition? We’ll taste seven of the year’s category winners—including the Best of Show, if available.
Reserve

Tuesday, October 5

Aged to Perfection
Taste seven artisan cheeses aged by the pros—the experts who buy cheese young and steer it to perfection over weeks, months, or even years. Learn about the art of affinage (cheese aging) and enjoy wheels matured by the best in the business.
Reserve

Tuesday, November 2

Cheese Meets Bubbles
We’ll drink sparkling wine from start to finish tonight with the cheeses that show it off best. In time for holiday parties, discover the many cheese styles that play well with bubbles. Champagne, for sure!
Reserve

Tuesday, December 7

Cheese Lovers’ Evening with Roederer Estate
We’ll enjoy seven party-worthy cheeses with the sparkling wines of California’s Roederer Estate. Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich will be with us to present his acclaimed wines.
Reserve

“Janet's classes are very informative, relaxed, fun and delicious. I highly recommend them for both novice and professional.”
Cindy Pawlcyn

“Thanks for a very enlightening and entertaining series. I was a complete cheese novice when I enrolled, and now I have a much better understanding and fascination with the wide world of cheese. All thanks to you.”
Ron Lee/Mumm Napa

"I have taken almost 30 classes at the Cheese School of San Francisco, and if I had to pick one instructor who I felt was the best of the best, it would be Janet Fletcher."
Michael R. Moyle

Please check my Events page for other upcoming classes and appearances. To inquire about a custom cheese class for a group of any size, please contact me by e-mail at ContactJanet.