Riesling + Sauerkraut 2007

After more than 600 years, Riesling still draws a crowd

It had been planned for a while: cooking traditional German food and asking friends to bring their favorite Riesling. More than 50 people followed the invitation despite the daunting hurdle of having to shop for a wine that's not a Chardonnay.

Some thought it rather odd to pair Riesling with Sauerkraut. Some thought it strange to drink Riesling with any food, period. This to me illustrates clearly that there is still a lot of customer education to be done by the marketing department.

Looking at the list of wines which our guests brought it is obvious that for most people Riesling means Germany, although the invitation specifically said "your favorite Riesling" not "Riesling from Germany". The Rieslings from the Finger Lakes were greeted enthusiastically, probably also because the label simply stated what was in it and when it was put there. Unlike the German labels.

Reading German wine labels can still be intimidating, even to native speakers. I asked people to put down the name of the producer, the name of the wine, the vintage, the region and the country on a list I had provided. Those who were first-time buyers of Riesling and opted for a German wine sat scratching their heads while trying to decipher the info on the label. As informative as German labels are, it seems to be rather too much information for the novice. Maybe it would be less of an issue if typography and label design were more user-friendly.

But no matter how frightening some of the wine names sounded, we ended up with a very good selection of wines that came not only from different countries but also in many different styles. Quite a few remarked that they did not expect such versatility from Riesling. Lo and behold - some of the German Riesling was even dry! (See also But isn't it like... sweet?).

The food offered ranged from traditional homemade Sauerkraut and German potato salad to pasta with an olive and caper pesto to the more exotic tabouleh and a spicy middle-eastern tomato-based dish. Smoked sausages were served as well as Munster cheese from Alsace (along with the crucial caraway seeds). Freshly baked Brezeln came right out of the oven. Desserts were made by our friend Michelle, an award-winning student from the French Culinary institute, and more was brought by other guests: Sachertorte-flavored French macarons with an apricot jam filling - an avant-garde take on traditional German/Austrian desserts. So were the cherry strudel and the apple celery granita, inspired by a recipe from Kurt Gutenbrunner. Those who stuck with the wines from the Finger Lakes could indulge in American chocolate cake and a picture-perfect cherry pie. Overall a colorful mix of foods and the Rieslings turned out to be a splendid partner for all of them.

Sauerkraut Recipe

• 4 lb. fermented Sauerkraut
• 1 bottle of Riesling (dry or off-dry)
• 2 large smoked sausages
• 1/2 lb. smoked bacon, cut in 1/2in slices
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbls olive oil or bacon fat
• 8-10 juniper berries
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• salt and pepper

Heat olive oil or bacon fat in a large pot. Add onion, half of the garlic and bacon and fry with until onion is lightly browned. Add rest of the ingredients except for the sausage. Add the amount of water needed to fully submerge the kraut in liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hrs until the kraut gets just slightly darker in color and softer in texture. Add sausage (as a whole, if it fits in pot, or sliced) during the last 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Blood sausage or any other kind of smoked meats (ham, bacon) all go well with Sauerkraut. Be adventurous.

And finally, some photos from Staten Island's first Rieslingfest.