Gewurtz and Cheese?

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'm hosting a poetry reading this Thursday evening. I'm a tight budget so all I've offered to serve is wine and cheese (maybe some crackers).

The poetry (for reasons I shan't explain because it is a CULT thing), suggests Gewurztraminer - which is great because I have lots of it.

But I'm at a loss as to what the best cheese might be to serve along with it. It is Gundlach Bundschu's Gewurtz so it is Alsatian-style, with less than .4% residual sugar and not sickly sweet.

I'm leaning towards a blue of some sort...

Open to suggestions!

edited to fix the spelling of the wine - which I know how to do, except when I type too fast...

Edited April 5, 2004 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

[bleudauvergne]

Hi Carolyn. I would go in completely the opposite direction and choose something on th emild and creamy side, like a chauorce, or crottin. I'd also include fruit. It also depends on what is available to you. What do you have to choose from?

[grandcru]

Carolyn, if you can find a real Dutch (or well-done Dutch style) Gouda with cumin seeds, you could have an intriguing pairing for the gewurz. You're chock full of cheese shops up your way that should be able to fit the bill. Let us know what you wind up picking, sounds fun.

[docsconz]

I think a very rich, creamy cheese would fit the bill, perhaps a nice French triple-creme. If you do go blue, I would suggest a creamy gogonzola dolce or the Buffalo blue from England available from iGourmet.com. It is killer.

[futronic]

What about white stilton with apricots? I think that would work nicely.

[ludja]

Hi Carolyn!

This doesn't really help w.r.t. to the cheese pairing per se, but I love serving Acme walnut wheat bread (sliced thinly) with almost any cheese...

Hope the evening goes well! (love that Bundlach Gundschu Gewurtz)

[Mark Sommelier]

Carolyn,

Beware! Statistics show that 2.6 out of 10 people served gewurztraminer will HATE it.

[Mark Sommelier]

Here's the easy way to remember how to spell this grape's name:

Gewurz is German for "spice"

Traminer is an indigenous German grape.

Tape them together and: voila! Gewurztraminer

[Carolyn Tillie]

Very, very intriguing suggestions! I guess the reason I was considering a blue was only because during recent tasting of mostly sweeter Rieslings (reviewed in this thread), Dee Vine wines put out some blue that worked much better than whatever else they had that was mild.

As far as what I have available... well - I live in Napa - heck, I can go to Dean & Deluca or Sonoma Market, both of which have AMAZING selections of cheeses.

I know about those Goudas with Cumin and think that might be a good choice (there is actually a company in Temecula, in Southern California, where I used to buy a great Cumin Gouda and Fennel Cumin!)

You are all probably right about adding some dried fruit with it as well - heck, even on my budget, a Trader Joe's trip won't put me out too much. Probably a selection of various kinds of cheeses will be in order and yes, I will report back...

Thanks!

[Carolyn Tillie]

Carolyn,

Beware! Statistics show that 2.6 out of 10 people served gewurztraminer will HATE it.

As the infamous Mudpuppie would say, "Fuck 'em!"

Actually, I think most of these people are philistines and are coming for the poetry and the cult thing. The wine is freebie perk for the evening so I don't give a rat's ass if they like it or not.

BTW, it is a three-day event. Friday night we are serving Zinfandel (I've got 12 of them slated for that night). Saturday's event will be wholly and entirely California Sparkling wine so someone is bound to be happy at some point throughout the event...

[docsconz]

Soundsd like a lot of fun! Which zins and sparklers will you be serving? Any cheeses with them? We want to hear it all, the culinary voyeurs (and exhibitionists) that we are!

[Carolyn Tillie]

Soundsd like a lot of fun! Which zins and sparklers will you be serving? Any cheeses with them? We want to hear it all, the culinary voyeurs (and exhibitionists) that we are!

I have a boxed set of all of Renwood's vineyards Zinfandels for 1999. That, and about eight different GunBun zins from five different years (back to a 1997 Lodi zin that was surreal). Friday night's event is potluck but I am making a Venison paté. I'm sure there will be cheeses and who-knows-what-else.

Saturday's sparking will be Domaine Chandon and it will be served as part of brunch after we descend from a wine-country balloon ride (where we will be reading our occult poetry aloft).

I'm sure there will be oodles of more drinking after that - I've got about 20 people in and around my house for the <ahem> "celebration."

[docsconz]

From "a CULT" to "occult"....interesting

Seriously, it sounds like a great weekend. The balloon ride should be fantastic. Enjoy!

[Carolyn Tillie]

From "a CULT" to "occult"....interesting

splitting hairs... there ain't no difference - trust me.

[grandcru]

I know about those Goudas with Cumin and think that might be a good choice (there is actually a company in Temecula, in Southern California, where I used to buy a great Cumin Gouda and Fennel Cumin!)

It was exactly that Winchester Cheese company out there in the Inland Empire sticks that I had in mind when I mentioned "well-done Dutch style." I dunno if you can get it up there fast enough from down here if you can't find anything else sooner, but it's worth a try.

On another wild hare, call the good folks at Vella Cheese Co. in downtown Sonoma. They're right in GunBun's neighborhood, as you well know. See if they have a good suggestion with the gewurz.

[winesonoma]

I'd call The Cheesemakers Daughter here in Sonoma as she is probably familiar with the wine and can recommend something as she has a greater selection than her father at Vella.

[winemike]

What about a alsatian munster ?

Maybe too much of classical choice ?

In Alsace, it's served with cumin seeds. Works perfectly with gewurztraminer.

[Brad Ballinger]

Carolyn,

What kind of GW are you serving? Like winemike, I was think munster. I was also think something studded with caraway. And, if you have some VTs or SGNs in the mix, I'm thinking anything smelly.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Carolyn,

What kind of GW are you serving? Like winemike, I was think munster. I was also think something studded with caraway. And, if you have some VTs or SGNs in the mix, I'm thinking anything smelly.

Stated up front - Gundlach Bundschu's Gewurtraminer is a standard favorite in these parts. 14 years in a row, a gold medal winner, it is made in the Alsatian-style with low residual sugar (.4%) so it is not overly sweet (like many that I think people hate, as MarkS so indicated).

GB is the oldest family-owned winery in North America. Their first product back then was a Riesling (but those vines were torn out three years ago). Their Gewurtz is a remembrance back to their Bavarian roots and this year will be the last year they will release a Kleinberger. <snif, wipe tear>

I drink a lot of this wine in the summer, with Thai food and other spicy offerings. But I've never bothered to pair this wine with cheese...

[jackal10]

Gewurztraminer will stand up to a lot.

Some suggestions:

Smoked cheese (Gewurz is a traditional pairing with smoked food)

Second the Munster or equivalent smelly washed rind

If the wine is quite heavy, or with some residual suger (like to older Rolly Gassman's) then

Stilton or

Farmhouse chedder

Edited April 6, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[Phil Ward]

What about a alsatian munster ?

Maybe too much of classical choice ?

In Alsace, it's served with cumin seeds. Works perfectly with gewurztraminer.

Here, here on this choice. It opened my eyes the first time I tried this combination.

Amazing especially with a Gewurz that has just a touch of RS yet balanced acidity.

Phil

[Brad Ballinger]

Stated up front - Gundlach Bundschu's Gewurtraminer is a standard favorite in these parts. 14 years in a row, a gold medal winner, it is made in the Alsatian-style with low residual sugar (.4%) so it is not overly sweet (like many that I think people hate, as MarkS so indicated).

I must have missed or glossed over the GunBun referenece. I've been to their winery twice, but never had a chance to taste the GW. There's a few in CA making it with low RS. Martinelli is another that comes to mind.

Even so, I think Mark is not only referring to those who drink gloppy CA versions. I've known many to dump bone dry Alsatian gewurz. Hell, I had a 2000 Mittnacht Klack over the weekend that was dumpworthy.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Brad, where do you live? I'll send you a bottle of the new release next month if you PM me your address...

[docsconz]

My wife is one who will drink gewurtz (and I'm talking Z-H) if she has to, but isn't really crazy about it. She does like a good reisling, however.