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Gewurtz and Cheese?

Carolyn Tillie

By Carolyn Tillie
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Carolyn Tillie

Carolyn Tillie

Posted
Posted (edited)

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 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

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grandcru

grandcru

Posted
Posted

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.

Kriss Reed

Long Beach, CA

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docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted

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.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

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ludja

ludja

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Posted

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)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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Carolyn Tillie

Carolyn Tillie

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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!

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Carolyn Tillie

Carolyn Tillie

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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...

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docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted

Soundsd like a lot of fun! :cool: 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! :raz:

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Carolyn Tillie

Carolyn Tillie

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Soundsd like a lot of fun! :cool: 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! :raz:

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."

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docsconz

docsconz

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

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

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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grandcru

grandcru

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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.

Kriss Reed

Long Beach, CA

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winesonoma

winesonoma

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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.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

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Brad Ballinger

Brad Ballinger

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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. :laugh:

We cannot employ the mind to advantage when we are filled with excessive food and drink - Cicero

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Carolyn Tillie

Carolyn Tillie

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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. :laugh:

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...

I MAKE FOOD JEWELRY!

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jackal10

jackal10

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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 by jackal10 (log)
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Phil Ward

Phil Ward

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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

I have never met a miserly wine lover
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Brad Ballinger

Brad Ballinger

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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.

We cannot employ the mind to advantage when we are filled with excessive food and drink - Cicero

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docsconz

docsconz

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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.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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