by Sophia Stern
If dates, bourbon, and gouda are not a go to trio when looking for a cheese pairing, hopefully now they will be. Together, the three offer a caramelly and decadent experience. Although it’s not uncommon to suggest pairing cheese with stone fruits (think apricots), dates are not the first stone fruit people think of. At room temperature, Medjool dates become jammy with dark, caramel flavors and tons of sweetness. Similarly, bourbon tends to be sweet and rich, making it a great pairing for aged cheeses that can hold their own against stronger, dark liquors. However, the star of this trio is truly the gouda, Wilde Weide. Savory, slightly sweet and with a great crystalline crunch, Wilde Weide is a staff favorite that appeals to both sweeter palettes and those who prefer a savory edge to their cheese.
We love to describe the unique circumstances surrounding a cheese’s journey into existence, but Wilde Weide’s journey is a particular joy to talk about, from calling it a “Dutch island cheese” to the singing cheesemaker. It starts, like most cheeses, with the land. Most of the Netherlands rests below sea level. People have engineered ways to reclaim land from the sea with island-like plots of land called ponders. On one of these ponders, in the middle of a lake in the southern Netherlands, Jan, Roos, and their herd of 40 or so cows live, farm, and make Wilde Weide. Because the island is technically seabed, the soil is minerally, salty, and full of sea clay, giving the plants that grow there different nutrients and flavor from the grass on the mainland. The cows graze these pastures and once they’ve eaten all the grass, Jan and Roos herd their Montbéliardes and red Friesians onto a boat so the cows can munch on a different island. Although Jan and Roos make cheese year round, only seven wheels are produced a day and the aging process takes roughly 15 months, making Wilde Weide small-batch and rare. If you want further proof that this cheese is a product of passion and love, Roos regularly makes her way to the cave and sings to her aging wheels of gouda on their wooden shelves.
To pair with the nutty, buttery, slightly sweet Wilde Weide, we chose Bowman Brothers Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Bowman Brothers has familiar notes of vanilla, but is also oaky and spice forward, playing well with the savory notes of Wilde Weide. The pairing shines with just a few drops of spring water in the bourbon, but enjoy however you like. Try Bowman Brothers on the rocks, in a cocktail, or simply neat. And if you don’t feel up to a bourbon pairing this week, do yourself a favor and at least get a package of Medjool dates with a wedge of Wilde Weide. You might be surprised to find a new found favorite.