On Tuesday, November 9th, Fork welcomes back Maître Fromager Max McCalman from New York City’s renowned Picholine and Artisanal Restaurants for our third cheese and wine pairing! As one of the country’s leading authorities on artisanal cheese and author of The Cheese Plate, Max will guide guests through the tasting process and how to pair wine and cheese. Last fall, Max gave us a tour of some of the world’s finest cheese producing regions. The evening will include light fare followed by a series of cheese plates that explore the different characteristics of cheese when made with goat, sheep, or cow’s milk. This year, Fork will introduce its own artisanal bread accompanied by an assortment of fruit. This popular event is always a sell out for cheese fanatics, so call ahead for reservations. The dinner is $60 excluding tax and gratuity. If you can’t make it Tuesday night, join us at lunchtime on the 10th at Fork:etc. for a book signing and cheese tasting. Ask Max anything about cheese; he’ll know the answer.

Lambardi Rosso di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino

Last May owners Roberto Sella and Ellen Yin had the opportunity to visit Maurizio Lambardi right at home in southern Tuscany. Montalcino, one of Italy’s most renowned wine regions, is only two hours north of Rome (or 10 hours from Philadelphia if you fly US Airways direct to Rome!). Maurizio runs this small four-hectare estate and was the head of the Brunello consortium. We have been great fans of Maurizio’s ever since 1998 when we added the Rosso di Montalcino 1997 to our wine list. His is one of the few wines that has consistently remained on our list through the years. His traditionally styled wine is well balanced, with ripe, sweet plum and red berry fruit. There is a slight smokiness that adds complexity. Recently, we added several vintages of his Brunello di Montalcino to our reserve list. The real discovery at Maurizio’s was his grappa, which is so smooth that we had to make a trip back to get more!