Past Newsletters

Vol. 6 No. 11

Gruyere: Flavor-Full, Smooth & Sweet

Cheese of the Month Club members, you’re in for a treat! This month’s selections are among the worlds finest! Enjoy!

Antique Gruyere

Gruyere, is in fact many cheeses! Young and aged Gruyere, mountain Gruyere, summer and winter Gruyere, Gruyere from small village cheesemakers and from large commercial dairies. Depending upon season, source and age, the flavor and texture of each cheese are significantly altered. The rind is paramount in creating texture and flavor.

The basic recipe for Gruyere begins with about 130 gallons of fresh milk. The milk is poured into a large vat. The starter is added, and then the rennet. The milk is left to coagulate, which results in the milk looking like a big bowl of milky-jello, known as curd. The curd is cut into ½ inch pieces, before the cooking stage. As the curd is gently stirred, the temperature is raised by a few degrees every 2 minutes, until it reaches about 113°F. Then the temperature is raised by a few degrees every minute until it reaches 131°F.

At this point, the curd lies in a mass at the bottom of the vat. Cheesecloth is slid under the curd and the corners are tied and attached to a hook. The curd, wrapped in the cheesecloth, is lifted out and drained of whey. Then the wrapped curd is placed in a large wooden mold, which looks like a huge "spring-form" cake pan, and left to settle for up to 2 days. During that time it is turned and pressed frequently, and then rubbed with salt or immersed in a brine bath for a few hours. Salting is necessary for the flavor of the cheese and to create essential molds on the rind. The rind on gruyere style cheeses (as with all cheese) is paramount in creating the texture and flavor of the cheese.

Then as is the way with most European cheese-making, the cheese is handed over to an affineur (aging facility) that is responsible for the maturing of the cheese. During the maturing process each cheese is turned, rubbed and lovingly taken care of until it is sold (anywhere from 8-24 months).

Gruyere is good for cooking. It melts well – best done over low heat. Bu Gruyere is also excellent for just eating. It pares nicely with apples and pears.

Gruyere is good with both red and white wines. A few wine recommendations are made in the Cultural Corner section of this newsletter. Also, check out our Wine of the Month Club at www.winemonthclub.com for excellent wines delivered to your door! The Wine of the Month Club features both red and white wines as well as fine domestic and international selections.

Tasting Notes: Gruyere is typically aged for well over a year and gives Alpine Antique cheese an exceptionally full flavor. It's got an incredible nose, and a dry texture, yet it s creamy on the tongue. Often one can taste hints of fruit and nuts and smell is delicate fruity aroma.

French Munster

Have you ever wondered why so many commercially available cheeses have depictions of jolly, red-cheeked monks upon their labels? Well, we’ll tell you… These monks are a personification of centuries of dedication and experience in the art of cheese making. This image is only exaggerated in that it usually shows these monks with bright smiling faces and red rosy cheeks; but the use of the monk as an icon on cheese labels is historically quite accurate. In fact, by the year 1550 there were more than 50 varieties of cheese developed primarily, if not exclusively, by members of the clergy. Benedictine monasteries, for example, regarded milk products and cheese as the ideal foodstuff and insisted on exact adherence to preparation procedures and hygiene regulations. It was the preservation of this exacting attention to detail that eventually would lead to the development of the Appelation D'Origine Controllee (AOC), which certifies not only authenticity of cheese products, but also their excellence.

A perfect example of the labor of love relationship that these monks had with their cheese comes in the delicious form of Munster cheese. The word Munster actually derives from the Latin word monasterium, meaning monastery. In the case of French Munster cheese, the monks that developed it came originally from Italy, settling in the Alsace-Lorraine region that is northeastern France, as well as an area that is now found in Belgium. Typically, inhabitants of these areas have preferred soft, cream cheeses to the hard cheese varieties from the hilly regions of the central-massif to the southwest. And this preference has led to the development of some delightful soft cheeses, including Brie and Camembert, as well as Munster. In fact, Alsatians still eat Munster with at least one meal of the day. This tradition has been going on for centuries, thanks to the monks that settled here in the 7th century, in what was then called the Flecht valley. Upon settling in this region, now called the Munster valley, they brought vast cultivation to the land, extending pastures as far away as the banks of the Rhine River.

The milk that is used in the production of this cheese comes from cows that feed on the lush green pastures of Alsace. This milk is regarded as being particularly rich and delicious. Morning and evening milkings are performed to obtain the milk for this cheese. The milk is skimmed slightly and then slowly heated before rennet and lactic bacteria are added for curdling. Following coagulation, the curd is cut in order to release the whey, followed by casting of the mixture in round moulds of varying diameters, ranging from 7-19 cm. The cheese is then kept for 24 hours in a moderately warm room before being removed from its mould, at which time the ripening process begins.

Munster has a very complex flavor, with descriptions that range from salty to earthy to woody to nutty to beefy, while some even state that there is a mushroom-like taste present. The salt flavor is typically consistent and comes from either dipping the cheese into light brine or sprinkling it with fine salt, which imparts its flavor during storage in a humid cellar. While stored, it is turned every two days and rubbed with a mixture of brine solution and ripening ferment, which continues for at least 21 days. The result is a soft-pasted cheese with a potent aroma and an orange-yellow to reddish-orange colored rind.
While Alsatians will tell you to enjoy this local treat with Gewurztraminers or Reislings (Alsatian wines), any fruity red such as Beaujolais, or even a full red like Burgundy or Bordeau will go quite nicely. Its flavor even lends itself nicely to pairing with a full-bodied beer, making it a complementary treat for nearly all appetites. If you’re a beer lover, take a look at the offerings from our Beer of the Month Club at www.beermonthclub.com which features a wide variety of domestic and international beers – one certain to complement your love for cheese!

FACTOID: Though France is relatively small (roughly the size of Texas), it boasts more than 500 types of cheese!

Tasting Notes: There are variations of Munster from both France and Germany, although this version from the Alsace region of France is by far the most complex and full-bodied. The flavor is also full, with a beefy undertone and deep nuttiness. It is wonderful served at the end of a meal, or anytime especially with fruits such as cherries or plums. A versatile cheese in terms of flavor partnering and meal planning, some suggest that this cheese is particularly well appreciated following a sauerkraut-based dish. As a snack, try some Munster with rye bread or rye crackers, and don't be afraid to warm it up for an extra treat.

Brin D'Amour

Though also from France, this cheese comes from a very different region than Munster, an area often referred to as a mountain in the sea. That description has been used for centuries to describe the great isle of Corsica, located in the Mediterranean, to the southeast of the French borders of the European continent, just north of the Italian island of Sardinia. Another difference from its distant French cousin is that this cheese is made from sheep 's milk. There are two things that will likely be among the first that you’ll notice about this cheese: 1) the name, and 2) the herb-covered rind. So let us discuss these two points of interest in turn.

The name Brin D'Amour (pronounced BRAN-dah-MORE), roughly translated, means a bit of love, which highlights how the Corsicans feel about this delicacy. Yes, this cheese has quite the romantic side, not surprising to those who have ever visited the beautiful island of Corsica. However, you should be warned that many poor souls have fallen victim to the savory, romantic appeal of this delicious cheese, emptying their pockets in an uncontrollable desire to get more and more. It is true that some have become prey to its character, specifically its ability to stimulate an insatiable desire to have more, so consider yourself warned.

Interestingly, this crafty cheese has a double life, often traveling around the world using the alias Fleur du Maquis (pronounces FLUR-doo-MAH-KEY). This name comes from the brush of the same name (Maquis) that grows on the island of Corsica. It is found, in particular, in areas were the sheep that produce the milk necessary for creating this cheese graze. Growing along side this aromatic brush are wild herbs, which are eaten, along with the Maquis brush, by these sheep, which adds full flavor to the milk. While using different names may confuse some individuals on the hunt for this island cheese, its appearance will quite often give it away, or as some would say, blow its cover. However, it is this cover, or rind, that makes this cheese something to behold. Let us now delve deeper into the rind of this crafty cheese. You will find a great many herbs, such as savory, rosemary and thyme cloaking its interior. Sometimes it can be found with dried peppers and juniper berries as well. But despite all its cunning attempts at camouflage, you will now know, as an informed individual, what to look for. Beneath this rind you will find a creamy, soft, white interior with a sweet, rich, herby flavor.

If you choose to approach this cheese, you may not want to do so alone. Be sure to arm yourself with the appropriate wine. While its edible rind (which should, incidentally, be eaten with the paste), packed with dried herbs is difficult to pair with many wines. See our Culture Corner for wine paring suggestions.

Tasting Notes: This is a beautiful round cheese, covered with a blend of dried green herbs. Inside the delicate coating, you’ll fine a creamy white interior with a soft, rich texture. The herbs surrounding the cheese add their flavor to the creaminess of the fresh sheep’s mile taste. It is best enjoyed alone or with savory accompaniments such as olives, tomatoes, or peppers.

Culture Corner
Cheese	Pronunciation	Recommended Wine/Beer
Antique Gruyere	grew-YAIR or gree-AIR	Gruyere is good with both red and white wines. Try it with Burgundies or a French red wine from the Southern Rhone region.
French Munster	moon-STAIR or MUN-ster	Try fruity reds such as a Burgundy or a Reisling. Beer is also very good.
Brin D’Amour	BRAN-dah-MORE	Best with earthy reds and whites. Perhaps try a wine from Corsica!